ISM- INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

Student Name:
Printed Name of Person
Interviewed:
Role of Individual:

Place of Business:

Youstina Kaldas
Magdy Akladios

_X__Mentor ___Other Professional #1 ___Other Professional #2

University of Houston-Clear Lake & University of Houston-Main Campus

Phone Number:

2700 Bay Area Blvd.

Houston, TX 77058
281-283-3744

Date of Interview:

11/18/14

Business Address:

Period: 7th

Type of Interview: __X_ In Person ___ Telephone* ___Email*

*Documentation Required (Attach E-mail to Interview Verification Page)

1. For someone working in your field, please describe the fantasies versus realities of the job.
(fantasy vs. reality)
Realities:
-An extremely busy job, but very rewarding.
-The job involves not only teaching, but also research, and service at a national level, as well as, at the
university level.
-I also find myself going to oil/gas facilities, manufacturing plants, construction sites, etc.
-I meet with people from different walks of lifeFrom CEOs of large companies, presidents of
organizations, to blue collar workers.
-It also involves a great deal of politics
-A professors meetings involve other professors with extremely high level of intelligence. The
discussions are very intellectual, and highly educational. I find this extremely rewarding.
Fantasies:
-A professor in Engineering job is easy and simple. They only teach the courses which are easy, and are
not involved in anything else.
-Professors only work in the classroom.
-Involvement is only with students.
2. What is your current educational level? What continuing education and training are required?
(educational level and requirements)
In chronological order:
-BS in Mechanical Engineering (Graduation Capstone: Power Generation-Gas Turbines)
-MS in Industrial Engineering
-MS in Industrial Health & Hygiene (Capstone: Design of a Ventilation System at a Foundry)
-MBA (Master in Business Administration)
-PhD in Industrial Engineering (Dissertation: Expert Systems/Artificial Intelligence)

Revised Fall 2013

Professional Certifications:
-PE (Professional Engineer)
-CSP (Certified Safety Professional)
-CPE (Certified Professional Ergonomist)
-CSHM (Certified Safety & Health Manager)
3. Please describe the typical day to day activities of someone working in your field.
(day-to-day activities)
-Advise students (graduate and undergraduate)
-Chair committees (faculty senate, budget committees, new faculty search committees, promotion & tenure
committees, advisory board committee, etc.)
-Prepare for and teach courses
-Conduct research, and supervise students conducting work in the lab
-Stay updated with current research and other engineering activities (read articles, books, attend conferences, etc.)
-Supervise program accreditation activities, and maintain communication with accrediting bodies
-Meet with colleagues and other faculty to discuss division and program specifics
-Check and respond to emails
-Coordinate contacts with companies and potential employers
-Maintain communication with professionals in the field, and coordinate guest speaking activities
-Respond to companies with questions or consulting activities
-Draft reports of specific activities
-Maintain communication with peers in the field to chart and suggest areas of improvement or collaboration
-Visit other institutions as requested by accrediting bodies to audit their programs, and suggest areas of
improvement.
This is just to say a few
4. How secure are you in your current position? What do you think is the future of your field?
(job security)
-Im a Tenured Associate Professor, so I would assume that my position is secure (God willing).
-The fields of safety and health and safety engineering are regulated by the government, so the future is
solid, and the job demand is high.
5. What is a typical (average or lowest to highest) salary of someone working in your field?
(salary)
-There are many fields in engineering, so it really depends on the area of concentration, field,
geographical location, and level. But Ive seen people start with around $50k to a higher end of around $450K at
the corporate level (but this is not the norm).
6. What potential for growth is there in your field?
(growth potential)
-Very high due to government regulations, the growth in the economy, the typical growth in industry, technology,
energy demand, global competition on different fronts, etc.
7. What inspired/encouraged you to choose this career?
-Ive always been interested in design and technology since I was a very young kid. I hated the scene of blood or
other human biology stuff (so this ruled out the field of medicine).
-I love innovation, and thinking of how to fix physical problems.

Revised Fall 2013

8. Are there too many or too few people entering the engineering profession? Why?
-Certainly not enough, at least not from the US.
-This is because most people dislike and have an inherit fear of math, physics, and science.
-There is a huge demand for engineers at various levels.
9. Considering all the people you have met with in your line of work, what personal attributes are essential
for success?
-Being able to innovate and come up with practical ideas to fix problems. Problem solving capabilities are
essential.
10. Why do people leave the field of engineer?

-Ive seen people leaving the field of engineering to finance, business, or management. This seems to be
a natural escalation of the level of responsibility that most engineers eventually reach at some point in
their lives. So a combined degree of business is important.
-Ive seen very few people leave engineering to Medicine. They make amazing physicians because they
have already acquired problem solving capabilities from their engineering background.

Revised Fall 2013