My Path to Consulting Engineers

By: Derek T. Jander, P.E.
With over twenty years of experience in civil engineering design, I have had the great fortune to work on challenging transportation infrastructure projects all over North America. My engineering design has connected people, places, and commerce through safe transportation routes via roads, bridges, rail lines, shared use paths, and airports, among others. Engineering, and in particular roadway/highway transportation, has been a career goal since I first began learning about engineering as a career option. Even before I know what an “engineer” was, my childhood was spent riding around the neighborhood all day on my bicycle with friends and finding new routes and new connections…even if that meant making those routes myself. When I look back, I realize by developing routes both on and off the built environment to get around town, I had a penchant for engineering.
Fast forward a number of years, and my passion for transportation design has remained as strong as ever. My engineering design and infrastructure construction experience includes site developments, roadway and highwayinterchanges for projects in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, and California, as well as across our northern border in Canada. These projects presented unique design challenges that have required thorough analysis, disciplined decision making, leadership, and proactive execution, which contributed to my expertise for performing forensic investigations. When an opportunity became available to work at Consulting Engineers & Scientists, I immediately knew this was the career path for me.
I was raised and began working in the Philadelphia area, but headed west early in my career for the opportunity to work on large infrastructure projects. However, I always wanted to return home to be closer to family and friends. Still, there were other important considerations. Consulting Engineers & Scientists offered a multi-disciplined work environment in a collegial atmosphere, which was a place where I wanted to work and grow. Now I am not only back home, but I am able to use my diverse and unique experience from my history of projects across North America and apply them as a forensic engineer with expert witness testimony. I am excited to be part of Consulting Engineers & Scientists, and I am looking forward to this new application for my education and experience.
Contact Derek: djander@ces-experts or 610-889-0771