My engineering career started when I graduated from YSU and accepted a site civil position with a Pittsburgh firm in 2006.  Long commutes eventually wore me down, and I started to seek out a company closer to my hometown and my growing family.  This led me to ms where I was hired as a Highway Engineer in 2013.  I have a loving wife, Vanessa, two energetic boys, Nikolai (8) and Ivan (5), our dog Ruby and our cat Pumpkin.  We’re active in our church, my sons’ school, and my wife’s taekwondo studio, where she is part-owner.  You can find me in my cube trying to catch up on my growing list of audiobooks and podcasts, but feel free to interrupt.

What was your first job?
Stock boy/cashier at K-Mart

What is one item on your bucket list?
I’d love to become fluent in another language or learn sign language.

Last album you downloaded?
Spotify’s Daily Mixes

If you could have a cup of coffee with anyone, who would it be?
Astronaut Chris Hadfield, as a science and space nerd, I’ve always wanted to geek out with an astronaut.

Favorite ice cream flavor?
Anything with chocolate and peanut butter

Last thing you read?
While it’s not the last thing I read, the last book I couldn’t put down was Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

Best concert you’ve been to?
Arctic Monkeys in Pittsburgh (2011)

What household chore do you hate the most?
Paying the bills

Early bird or night owl?
Night owl, I love sleeping in

What’s your hidden talent?
I have the ability to browse Netflix and fall asleep before I decide on what to watch.

Favorite TV show?
Brooklyn Nine-Nine

If you could live one day over again, which would you pick?
This might be corny, but my wedding day. Had a great time with family and friends.

What sets ms apart from other engineering & architecture firms?
ms is very generous when it comes to helping employees pursue higher education and supplying them training opportunities.

Which project are you most proud to have been a part of, and why?
The Southern Ohio Veterans Memorial Highway project.  This massive project taught me more about engineering and teamwork than any class or previous project ever has.  There were plenty of design challenges, stressful deadlines, and times I wish I could chuck my computer out a window, but in the end, I am so grateful I had the opportunity to work with the team and to be a part of such a massive project.

If you weren’t an engineer, what would you be doing?
High school science or math teacher

What would you go back and tell your 22 year old self?
Adulting is rough, enjoy every minute of free time you have (and get to the gym more often).

You’ve got one day in Youngstown. What do you do?
Walk around Mill Creek Park and then grab an ice cream sandwich from One Hot Cookie.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Playing around with my boys, hanging out and catching up with my wife, and relaxing with a good book or two.

Any final words?
The most important thing I’ve learned in life, and I can’t stress this enough, you’ve got to make salad in a bigger bowl than what you think.