Engineers Week 2018 - Meet Manville Strand

Hailing from Las Vegas, Roadway Design Engineer Manville Strand works on Colorado’s I-25 South “Gap” Project, an effort to improve the vital highway connecting the state’s largest population centers – and enhancing mobility, addressing safety concerns and providing increased travel reliability for a growing population. 

During National Engineers Week, Manville shares more about his life at and outside of work.

Tell us what you do. 

I’m a roadway design engineer based in Denver, Colorado. I was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, and moved to Colorado to attend Colorado School of Mines to get my engineering degree. I’ve worked on many roadway projects across the state ranging from small rehabilitation projects to full redesigns of interstates.

What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering? 

My father. Growing up in Las Vegas, my dad always had me working on one of his construction crews when he worked for a home developer. He would introduce me to all the engineers and architects who worked for him, and even though my father never went to school to get an engineering degree, he taught me there was more to engineering than what you get from books or school.

What has been your most exciting career moment so far? 

I am part of the Roadway Design Team for the I-25 South “Gap” Project, which is exciting because I live near and drive this corridor every day! It’s neat to see the entire progress from the Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study all the way through final construction.

If you could go back in time and work on any engineering project, what would it be? 

The Hoover Dam. I’ve been to the Hoover Dam a few times growing up, and it is just an amazing place to visit. A lot of engineering has gone into the dam, and it is an awesome place to tour. They just finished the bridge that is in front of the Hoover Dam, and that’s another amazing sight.

What is your favorite part of your job? 

My favorite part of my job is getting to be part of design teams on projects that are basically in my own backyard. I get to work on improving the roads that I drive on daily. I also enjoy the people who I work with.

If you’re not in the office, you’re likely…

Hanging out with my fiancée and/or friends around town. We’re either playing soccer or hockey, going on a hike or to themed parties, hanging out at a brewery or playing trivia somewhere. 

What would people be surprised to know about you? 

I’m the only All-American Soccer Goalkeeper in Colorado School of Mines history (Third Team), and I hold three school records: Career Shutouts (24), Season Shutouts (8) and Season High Goals Against Average (0.64). 

What advice would you give to the future generation of engineers? 

Keep working hard in school, but make sure to have some fun along the way. Don’t be afraid get out into the field to see what kind of engineer you really want to be.