Ryan Schulok | Mechanical Engineer | AKF Group
Years with company/firm: 6
Years in field: 6
Years in real estate industry: 6
What is your most notable project, deal, or transaction?
My most notable project is a Pediatric Hospital’s new Physician and Administration Office Building. Utilizing active chilled beams, the office space for notable doctors was able to have higher ceilings while keeping their comfort in mind. This technology is used throughout Europe and is slowly integrating into the USA. With this project completed, it is one of the largest active chilled beam projects in Philadelphia with well over 2,000 active chilled beams. This building also acts as a pathway for the client’s new central plant. We designed nine cooling towers to be placed on the roof of this building, carrying 20,000 tons of cooling for the entire campus. Without this building, the campus would not be able to expand as easily.
How do you contribute to your company and/or the industry?
I bring a holistic view to the firm and to my coworkers. I was an intern with AKF before I was hired full-time. I can connect with the new co-ops and interns that come in, able to teach them the engineering and people skills that I have learned, while also advancing my own communication skills. When it comes to communication with contractors, I exude confidence that the result of a project is the best that it can be. If there are issues or concerns, controlling the tone of the conversation is a great skill I have. At the end of the day, we are one large team that is satisfying our clients, so let’s work together and give them the best product.
Who or what has been the strongest influence in your career?
My strongest influence is my parents. Though they are not in the engineering field, their support, while I was pursuing my degree, allowed me to get my bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in architectural engineering within the same weekend. Back in 2012 when I entered Penn State University, the economy was recovering from the 2008 recession and Architectural Engineering was not on the top list for a lot of people. My parents stood behind my decision and resulted in me graduating with a 4.0 in my master’s, walked right into AKF group already established from my previous internships with them, and was able to integrate into the atmosphere of the firm. My parents were able to give me the tools to be a confident engineer.
Tell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in, about your current position and why you choose the field/profession you are in today.
The foundation of my career is from my childhood, building small toy homes out of Lincoln Logs. From that young age, I knew I wanted to do something with buildings, either designing them or building them. During 9th-12th grade, I was able to start establishing myself in programs that were building-design driven. I was able to show off my creative side while still making a functional product. I have always had a connection with a hospital environment from my mother being a nurse and having the utmost respect for the dedication they pour into their patients – now I offer my assistance every day by helping design mechanical HVAC systems for hospitals, operating rooms, cath labs, emergency departments, etc. I chose to be an engineer because it is a job that can help any person but allows us to be behind the scenes. When you walk into a building and you are comfortable, you do not think about it. That is our job, to provide that comfort. If you walk into a building and are uncomfortable, stuffy, or the temperature is not correct, your experience in that building is tarnished. It will forever be stamped in your mind how bad your experience was. We want everyone’s experience to be a great, comfortable one. From comments I have received from clients about how doctors are enjoying their new operating room, I can only smile. That mechanical design allows the doctors to be comfortable in their operating room, which can help patients have successful surgeries and recovery time with limited risk of airborne infections. Indirectly helping people without being in the spotlight is the reason this career is so rewarding.
What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most successful in your profession?
My unique trait is being personable. As an engineer, there is a stigma that we are numbers people, brilliant behind the computer screen but lacking in communication with people. I know that I communicate with people very well. I have the skill to read people or the situation I am in. Every day in this career, you can be talking to architects, contractors, clients, doctors, or other engineers. Each of those conversations, dialects, tones, and end results are very different. In some conversations, I am the lead while others I am a supporting cast member. Entering a conversation that is about a problem that needs to be resolved can be uncomfortable but may be my favorite situation. Thinking on my feet, having confidence, listening to their concern, and talking through the solution allows a person to know they are being heard and can walk away satisfied. Throwing in a joke or a laugh throughout the interaction can shift the conversation dynamic from being very stiff to being more fluid.
What inspiring word of advice would you give to a young executive graduating from college?
Exude confidence in anything that you do. If you walk into a meeting or conversation and do not have confidence, it is easily picked up. Without having that confidence, the trust people have in you is diminished. Having confidence allows everyone to have a level of trust in what you do. First impressions are immensely important. A first impression with a client can allow your team to get the project or lose it. That confidence allows the client to know they will get a great product. Confidence can be applied to backing up an original design decision or owning up to a mistake and doing everything in your power to resolve it.
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