10 An advertising feature of The Gazette, February 15, 2009

Young Iowa engin rs are making an impact

Rebecca Isaac Sam Tom
Johnson Hodgins Bergus Pickett

Photo courtesy Daniel M. Reck

Rebecca Johnson, age 25, Systems
Engineer in the Autoflight
Systems Engineering Group at
Rockwell Collins  Cedar Rapids
Degrees: Bachelor of Science in
Electrical Engineering, Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology, Terre Haute,
Ind. Currently pursuing a Master
of Science in Electrical Engineering
through Engineering Distance
Education at Iowa State University.  for commercial buildings. “I enjoy
An electrical engineer for more
than three years, with a specialty in
control systems and signal processing,
Johnson has worked to design,
test and review components of an
autoflight system to reduce a pilot’s
workload and make air travel safer.
“I was always interested in science,
math and computers with a passion
for solving problems, whether it
was building Ferris wheels with
Tinker Toys at age two, building
a tower for the Science Olympiad
in middle school, solving calculus
problems in high school or working
on fuzzy control labs in college.
These problems and the passion I
used to overcome them made me the
engineer I am today,” said Johnson.
She landed in Eastern Iowa when she
was offered a position at Rockwell
Collins that was in her area of specialty.
And she had friends in this area.
One of her goals is to be a role model
for aspiring engineers, as others were
for her.   opportunity that presented itself.
Isaac Hodgins, age 28, Civil
Engineer with environmental
emphasis, Shive-Hattery, Inc.,
Degrees and Certifications: Bachelor
of Science in Civil Engineering,
University of Iowa. Professional
Engineers license in the State of Iowa.
Early in life, Hodgins had clues that he
may eventually become an engineer.
“I wasn’t a great artist, but many of
the things I drew ended up looking
like a blueprint or a plan. I also kept
my toys in order when I played with
them,” said Hodgins.
“The civil engineering profession
has the ability to directly impact the
daily lives of every individual in our
society. I like the technical aspects of
engineering combined with the ability
to interact with the outdoor world. I
have a passion to better our natural
environment with the work I do by
providing sustainable and responsible
design—leaving little external
impact,” he added.
Hodgins grew up in Sioux City and
loves Iowa. When he attended the
University of Iowa, he was impressed
with the communities in this part of
the state. “I had a desire to settle in
this area because of the great quality
of life,” he noted.
When Hodgins looks back 20 years
from now, he hopes he had the courage
to tackle any good, career-related
Sam Bergus, age 25,
Mechanical Engineer, Shive-
Hattery, Inc., Cedar Rapids
Degrees and Certifications:
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical
Engineering, Iowa State University
Bergus has always been intrigued
by how things work and why
things are designed the way they
are, such as buildings, equipment
and products. “I also enjoy seeing
problems and how they have been
solved,” he said.
Bergus has been with Shive-
Hattery since graduating from
college. He chose the firm
after interviewing with many
companies because he felt it
provided him with the best
opportunity. He hasn’t yet chosen
a specialty. “I am still trying to
develop what I want to specialize
in, although I feel that I am
having a positive effect on the
adoption and implementation of
new technology,” he said.
Twenty years from now, Bergus
would like to have helped
embrace and implement new
and currently existing forms of
communication to streamline the
design and construction process.
“And I would also like to have
a unit of measurement named
after me, in the likes of Tesla,
Fahrenheit, Watt or Newton,”  
he added.
Tom Pickett, age 26, Mechanical
Engineer, Shive-Hattery, Inc.,
Iowa City
Degrees and Certifications: Bachelor
of Science in Mechanical Engineering,
Brigham Young University. Currently
working toward a Professional
Engineers license.
Tom Pickett’s specialty is heating,
ventilation and air-conditioning
this because I work to build the
community and design systems that
improve energy efficiency,” he said.
“I feel that I’m making an impact
because my enthusiasm and curiosity
spreads to others and this helps everyone
work better as a team,” said Pickett.
Pickett chose engineering as a career
because creating, designing and
building has always been fun for him.
“When I was about four years old, I
saw and understood what a tool belt
was. I wanted one so bad. My mother
sewed one for me out of denim. I wore
it everywhere,” he recalled.
Prior to joining Shive-Hattery, Pickett
was involved in the research and
design of medical devices for a small
bio-medical research start-up company.
“I came to Eastern Iowa for my
job and the exciting adventure of
experiencing the Midwest,” he said.
In 20 years, Pickett hopes he can feel
the satisfaction that individual lives,
including his own, are better because
of his two decades of service.

Look in THE GAZETTE

on February 22nd
and CORRIDOR CAREERS
February 22-27
for an expanded list of engineering jobs and
continuing education opportunities that are
available in the Corridor.
Deadline: Thurs., Feb 19 at noon
Reserve your ad space today by calling:

Sherri Olson 398-8232

Michelle Grandfield 398-8349
Brandy McAllister 398-8354
Brad Miller 398-8424