Esther Bizier is a Senior Engineer with Main-Land Development
Consultants, Inc. She was hired as part of the team working with museum architect Margaret Innes, to work on the design of the museum’s building. We had a chance to ask Esther a few questions to get to know her better.
But before we do, we recently learned that Esther is also the president of the Maine Section of ASCE, an organization that has been funding science and engineering-based exhibits for the museum for many many years! Do you remember the tornado simulation or bike-powered light bulb that was at the Augusta location? Both were funded and built by members of ASCE! They are also funding pieces for the new museum, including a high-powered microscope, 3D printer, and a Scribit, which is a wall-mounted robot that can safely draw, erase and re-draw content an infinite number of times. Thank you, Esther, and ASCE, for supporting the museum!
How would you describe what you do to a 5-year-old? As a Site Civil Engineer, I help figure out where buildings go in a development and then design the roads, sidewalks and parking people use to access the building. I also design treatment for the polluted rainwater runoff from the new parking and buildings and design where water and sewer utilities go on site.
What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a teacher or wildlife biologist
What got you interested in engineering? Several of my relatives are engineers, I always enjoyed math and science and liked playing around with running water. In high school, I attended “Consider Engineering”, a summer program at the University of Maine, on the recommendation of my science teacher. After attending, Civil and Environmental Engineering seemed like a good fit.
What’s your favorite thing about what you do? My favorite thing about my job is the opportunity to help clients.
What are you doing for the children’s museum? I am assisting a team of architects and engineers in designing and permitting building changes. My work focuses on access to and from the building.
You are involved in the organization ASCE. Can you tell us a little bit about what the organization does and how you got involved? I became involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers as a student at the University of Maine and then joined the Maine Section as a professional member after graduation. ASCE was founded in 1852 and is the nation’s oldest engineering society. It is now an international society with members in over 177 countries. ASCE provides technical resources to members and helps support a profession that plans, designs, [and] constructs all of our infrastructures. ASCE also focuses on helping the public learn about civil engineering and how it affects the world around us.
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