By Sneh Kishan, Master of Science, Construction Engineering and Management, 2016

On 4^th March, Monica Born, Professional Engineer and Vice President, Parsons Brinckerhoff, met with students at University of Southern California as part of the METRANS Spring 2015 ‘Lunch with a Practitioner’ Series.

The event started with the brief introduction from both Monica Born and from the students who were there for the event. Born had known she was destined for a career in engineering since secondary school. “I knew in high school I wanted to be an engineer,” she shared.  I “loved to problem solve.”  Being a USC alumnus, Born shared with the students her life at USC, how she selected transportation engineering as a career, experimenting with different types of Engineering at USC before deciding to focus on construction and civil engineering.  “While at USC I researched all the different types of engineering,” she said.  I decided that “civil engineering/building science (had) more public involvement,” and chose it for that reason.

After graduation, Born began her career in construction management and began to specialize in transit.  Born encouraged students to always be open to new ideas and to related career paths.  She shared her experiences on several major transportation projects such as the Pasadena Gold Line, Expo Line Phases 1 and 2 and the Foothill Extension, and noted that her work on these projects earned her a reputation for providing engineering excellence for key transportation agencies in Southern California, and that she found each extremely valuable.

Born assured the students that there are many opportunities for young professionals who are interested in both transportation planning and engineering, and encouraged them to consider varied firms and agencies, as well as job descriptions, when transitioning from student to professional.  She also suggested that students plan to work in both the public and private sectors to gain both managerial skills and technical knowledge.

In addition to doing their best in school, to prepare for one’s career, Born suggested students prepare for many possible outcomes by seeking internships, practicing interviewing, and making good connections while still in school.  “Life will take you in directions you did not expect, she added, “and the best thing you can do is to prepare.  Things may not go as expected, but [you have] time to correct it.”

Monica Born is a professional civil engineer with 20 years of experience in the management of transit projects from planning to close-out, and earned a Master of Business Administration, University of California, Los Angeles, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Southern California.  Monica has provided engineering and project management support services for rail projects throughout Southern California, and has earned a reputation for providing engineering excellence for key transportation agencies, including the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority and Southern California Regional Rail Authority. Furthermore, Monica has held key roles on a number of design-build projects within the region, including the Expo Line Phases 1 and 2, the Foothill Extension, and the Pasadena Gold Line. Her project experience includes design development, budget and schedule management, stakeholder outreach, environmental document review, preliminary engineering services, project management oversight and coordinating community outreach efforts.  Monica resides in Pasadena with her husband and two daughters.