Age: 37

Current Position: Assistant Project Engineer

Employer: Siefert Associates – Construction Engineers

What I like about the job: Working at Siefert Associates is a great transition from college to design engineering. I now see opportunities where others see problems. I enjoy working on the means and methods for interesting large-scale projects such as Accelerated Bridge Construction, where creativity is crucial to develop safe and efficient designs.

Education: BS Civil Engineering with structural focus – GPA 4.0 (May 2022) – Manhattan College; MS Civil Engineering with structural focus (expected May 2024) – Manhattan College

Proudest Accomplishments So Far: At Siefert Associates, I worked on NASA’s Artemis II Mission, where I designed structural components of support structures for their rocket. I also co-authored the paper: “Improving Seismic Performance of Eight-Bolt Extended End Plate Moment Connection,” that was published in the esteemed peer-review journal Steel and Composite Structures.

Licenses & Certification: FE Civil, January 2022; NY State Intern Engineer, August 2022; FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot License

Words of Wisdom: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right either way.” —Henry Ford

On Choice of Profession: My father, a Union Carpenter, taught me about simple machines and Archimedes’ Law of the Lever. I immersed myself in his old books about applied mathematics, geometry, trig and, most importantly, engineering. I was fascinated by everyday things—how hundreds of feet of wire rope are made, how skyscrapers can support their own weight and how a cable can suspend a bridge to support cars driving over the Hudson River (Bear Mountain Bridge). The people responsible for these modern marvels are civil engineers.

Goals: Finish my master’s degree, work in structural design, obtain my PE licensure. My goal is to take the Finite Element Analysis and Modelling skills I am learning now and continue to collaborate with researchers at Manhattan College and other universities.

Hobbies & Interests: I enjoy rock climbing, running and hiking with my wife. My favorite free-time activities include reading and solving math puzzles.

Relationship to CAI/BCA: My father, John Kohany, is a proud Union Carpenter, serving a combined 50+ years in Local 53, Local 11, and now Local 279.

Laurel Brunelle, Researcher