Civil Engineering Academy Podcast Ep. 57 - Indian Health Service Wastewater Eng.- Charles Thompson

Everyone has a different story about how they got into Civil Engineering. While some people had a love for the problem-solving process of mathematics and physics from an early age, others discovered their passions for one specific area or discipline of the field a little bit later in life. Today, we go through the story of how someone who was pretty familiar with the military went up to an officer of the USPHS Commissioned Corps, got himself a summer job, and has been with the United States Public Health Service for 18 years.

Today’s special guest is Charles Thompson, the Indian Health Service Wastewater Engineer, who studied Engineering at the University of Maine and graduated in 2005. His work involves doing water, wastewater, and solid waste projects, providing the tribes with utility consultation, and helping them out with the operation and maintenance of their systems.
Charles, a “late bloomer” as he calls himself, talks about his experience with the PE exam, as well as how hard it can be, especially for those who haven’t dealt with school material and concepts for a long time. Therefore, he took the Ultimate Civil PE Review Course in order to take the exam — which he did in October — and, today, he explains how it helped him prepare for it.

This is a must-listen episode for literally anyone. Charles really brings the civil engineering field to its core essence, which is using the technical knowledge and problem-solving skills we have to positively impact communities and society as a whole.

Resources Mentioned

Did you know we had areas in the US without running water?