Featured Alumni from the Class of 2017

 

Christopher Butkos '17
April 2020

After graduation, I began working for the Suffolk County Department of Health Services in the Office of Wastewater Management as an Assistant Public Health Engineer. As an engineer in Wastewater Management, my typical duties consisted of reviewing engineering plans for conformance with Article 6 of the Suffolk County Sanitary Code and the County’s Construction Standards for commercial sanitary systems. I began by reviewing conventional sanitary systems which typically consist of a precast concrete septic tank and leaching pools. After a short time, I began to review more complex systems including the new Innovative Alternative Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (I/A OWTS), pump stations, and force mains. After about a year and a half with Wastewater Management, I decided to leave my position to pursue a career in the private sector. The decision to leave was not an easy one as I had met a lot of wonderful people, whom I now consider good friends. I have never met a group of people so dedicated to protecting Long Island’s natural resources, and I can’t speak highly enough of my friends and former colleagues at Wastewater.

I now work for Hayduk Engineering, LLC in Port Jefferson Station as a Staff Engineer in their Wastewater division. My time at Wastewater Management is helping me in my current position as I now engineer the same types of systems I reviewed when I was at the County. I am currently working on several projects including headworks upgrades to a private sewage treatment plant, the design of a sewage collection system for a large commercial center which will convey the sewage via pump station and force main to a nearby sewer district, and an I/A OWTS as well as other smaller sanitary system designs. I am very happy in my current position and enjoy the variety that this position offers me. Some days require detailed calculations and engineering, some days a lot of CAD work, and others I’m in the field taking measurements and planning system layouts. There is also a project management component which requires communication and coordination with clients, attorneys, and contractors. It can be hectic at times, especially when deadlines approach, but that’s what makes it exciting.

Life after school hasn’t been all work though, shortly after graduating I bought a house that I have been renovating ever since. The renovation process has been fun and rewarding as the house looks better and better with each completed project. I also got married this past August to my girlfriend of 8 years. We had a beautiful ceremony and reception in the backyard of our new house. My wife did a wonderful job of transforming our back yard into a perfect wedding venue.

I took and passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam in October 2018. With my experience at the County and the knowledge I am gaining in my current position, I am confident in my abilities to pass the P.E. exam. I plan to be ready for the exam by 2022. The past few years have been very busy for me professionally, and plans outside of my career include more fishing, reconnecting with old friends, and enjoying this wonderful life I have even more.

 

Kevin Hill '17
July 2017

Kevin is a Junior Civil Engineer in the Bridges and Structures Engineering Division with the Suffolk County Department of Public Works. Being part of this division entails conducting inspections and maintaining, rehabilitating, redesigning, and reconstructing bridges, structures, culverts, bulkheads, and other miscellaneous structures that Suffolk County owns. Some days are spent in the office performing structural analyses on bridges, conducting design work, or putting together price estimates for new projects.  Other days, Kevin is out in the field inspecting existing structures that are due for rehabilitation, overseeing construction progress or inspecting a structure because of a complaint/issue.  One such issue was when a barge had collided with the fender of the West Bay Bridge in Southampton. Kevin and his colleagues inspected the damage of the fender. It was determined that the damage sustained was mild and localized, so only the plate, bolts, whale, and cap needed to be replaced.  As an engineer who is responsible for many aspects of structural analysis, Kevin has found that his engineering notes, textbooks, and manuals from his studies are a great resource. 

Kevin is currently working on several hundred-thousand to multi-million dollar projects that Suffolk County has issued. Kevin is already anticipating working on future County projects, including a new bridge in the county. Overall, Kevin is happy working in his division with Suffolk County's Department of Public Works. He believes that the Civil Engineering program at Stony Brook University prepared him very well for his current position and set him on a great career path as a Structural Engineer.