Thomas Redinger
Construction Management Technology
Site Engineer at Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company
Describe your potential job duties
My potential job duties will be centered around supporting dredging operations for channel deepening, port deepening, and beach nourishment projects. Activities could include conducting Hydrographic and Land Surveys of our dig and fill areas, tracking production quantities of material moved, checking quality control standards, ensuring a safe work environment, and completing project management tasks for management, owner, and stakeholders. I'll also be on the ocean for work each day on either the dredge or the survey boat.
In what ways did the Polytechnic and/or Purdue help make you uniquely qualified for your new job?
Polytechnic gave me a great base of knowledge of project management that helped me jump into internships and understand an entire project. Construction Management also gave me the ability to learn new skills quickly through hands-on labs which translated to my marine construction internships well.
How has the college or someone in the college helped you achieve your goals?
The college and my construction management program has helped me achieve my goals by bringing in industry professionals to network and share their experiences with us. The career fairs were huge for me to learn about the different careers within my major and connect with those professionals.
What specific classes helped prepare you for your new job?
The Graphics For Civil Engineering And Construction course was instrumental in developing my CAD skills which I expanded on in future internships and will use extensively in my new job.
If you had a favorite class, project, experience, or professor, what/who was it, and why?
My favorite experience in Construction Management was the Study Abroad program in Ireland that was led by Professor James Jenkins. We visited Irish Construction sites which exposed me to the ways the Irish build differently than us in the States.
Purdue Polytechnic’s hands-on labs and exposure to real project workflows gave me the foundation I needed to succeed in marine construction. Experiences like my Ireland study abroad with Professor Jenkins helped broaden my perspective on global construction practices."