2007 New Faces of Engineering

Aviva Bieler, 27Port Authority of NY & NJ, Mechanical EngineerNews Release: 2007 New Faces of Engineering
My name is Aviva Bieler and I graduated from The Cooper Union with a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering.
How I got to Where I am TodayI have always loved physics and math, but I did not know what direction I would take until my senior year in high school. That year, Ysrael Seinuk, who is not only a family friend but also a well-respected structural engineer and professor at The Cooper Union, suggested that I apply to the engineering school at The Cooper Union. Although I didn’t know much about engineering then, beyond the fact that it involved physics and math, I went ahead and took a tour of The Cooper Union labs, where I saw some examples of what engineers do. Only then did I realize that I could actually make a career out of doing the things I loved; from that point on, I knew engineering was for me.

Getting the Job

After spending months using the traditional approaches of sending out resumes and searching for opportunities online and through my college’s career development office, I got my job in the most unexpected way. Right after I graduated Cooper Union, I met an engineer from my neighborhood who worked for the Port Authority. When I told him that I had just received my engineering degree and was looking for a job, he mentioned that the Port Authority had an opening for an entry-level mechanical engineer. He was kind enough to bring in my resume, and I was called in for a job interview. I was eventually offered the position, and I have been working here since 2002.
I have found that the Port Authority is a very good place to begin your career, because they nurture their young engineers. For example, the first assignment for all engineers hired right out of college is a training rotation through the various divisions in the Engineering Department. Although I was hired as a design engineer, some of my first assignments were on a construction site (the AirTrain Station in Jamaica, Queens) and in a materials lab. These experiences further developed my design skills by teaching me, in a hands-on way, how concerns about construction, maintenance, and materials impact design, and vice-versa.
Following my first-year training rotation, I was assigned to work on the Temporary PATH Station that currently serves the World Trade Center site. At that time, the station was just about to open, and I spent a lot of time on-site reviewing the final construction of its HVAC systems. I then participated in the preliminary design effort for the permanent World Trade Center Transportation Hub. I specifically worked on the design of the air-conditioning and smoke control systems for the station platforms, as well as on the HVAC systems serving the PATH operational spaces on the Platform and Mezzanine levels.
Currently, I am working on the final design of the PATH Tunnel Ventilation Fans that will be installed at the World Trade Center site, and on a project to renovate the existing ventilation fans at other sites throughout the PATH system. The renovation project is particularly exciting, because it is the first project on which I am the lead engineer. It is a great opportunity for me to gain leadership skills and management experience

Your Connection to Engineering

Engineering is not just a job to me; it is a way of thinking. When I started studying at Cooper Union, I was in a place where all of the students spoke the same “language” I did - we all enjoyed discussing how things worked. The best part about being an engineer is spending time with peers who understand the engineer’s unique outlook on life; it is like being a member of an exclusive club.
I like the people I work with, the projects I work on, and the organization I work for; I can see myself staying here and eventually moving into a management position. On the other hand, another thing that I love about engineering is its versatility. No matter what changes my life will bring; if I end up living in a different state or even a different country, I know that I am developing transferable skill sets that will help me find a job wherever I am.