Sofia Sapojnikova
Who am I
Sofia
What gets me going
Having a degree in Civil Engineering meant I could pretty much work in any field of infrastructure: rail, roads, bridges, water, project management or become a structural or a geotechnical engineer. I found Water group had such a dynamic environment and the support I received, has been phenomenal. I especially enjoy the fact that a large number of women in engineering choose water as their preferred specialisation.
Why I'm excited to be an engineer
I believe having an engineering degree opens up a lot of doors for you. They may not all open for you on your graduation day, but if you are proactive and you persist in your chosen field, you will be successful... it is a promise!
Current Employer and position
Water Engineer with Parsons Brinckerhoff, a multidisciplinary consultancy that provides infrastructure solutions
Currently, I am working on WaterFix project, doing a mixture of water network planning & design. In short, I help people to do their domestic work without complaining about the water not flowing out of the tap. In detail, I identify current demands experienced by the area and forecast future water usage demands due to the population growth and industrial developments. During the design stage, I select optimal water pipes to cope with future usage providing adequate pressure and life of at least 100 years.
How I got there
After graduation I worked for a little while in highway design before switching to the water group.
Qualifications
Civil Engineering, University of Sydney
