I graduated in 2014 with a BS in Civil Engineering and then accepted a management trainee position with CSX, working towards a Roadmaster position. I completed my training in September 2015, and was assigned to the Chicago Division as an Assistant Roadmaster. I recently applied for a Roadmaster position on the New Rock subdivision, and will be taking over that territory in February 2016.
Alumni
Michigan Tech has decades long tradition of placing graduates to rail industry careers. Since Rail Transportation Program was established more than 100 Michigan Tech graduates have started their employment in the industry.RTP alumni work for various industry companies, including Class I and smaller freight railroads, passenger railroads, engineering consultants and rail contractors, manufacturers, and DOTS. Our alumni often participate by supporting our programming. Examples for how Alumni can continue to be involved in RTP programming: organizing on-site field trip visits, providing student research project ideas and involvement, providing scholarship support, giving presentations.
We welcome our alumni to keep in touch! Let us know what you are doing. Please fill the Alumni Feedback Form or send an email to rtp@mtu.edu. We can share your news!
RTP Alumni in Rail Industry
CMMS Coordinator, Loram
Beau is a 2011 graduate with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. In 2010 he worked for a summer with Loram and decided to pursue a full time position after graduation. In 2011 he was hired at Loram and currently holds a position as a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Coordinator for the domestic fleet. “I started at Loram originally as a general laborer for a summer on a ballast cleaner; there is where my official interest in rail began in 2010. I needed a summer job and ended up enjoying my work so much that I began working for Loram full time in July of 2011."
Engineer Special Trackwork, Amtrak
I grew up in Vulcan, MI next to a Soo Line mainline, terrified of the freight trains that rolled by. I never would have imagined that years later I’d be standing just a few feet away from a high speed passenger train zooming along at 150 MPH nor that I’d enjoy making a career in the railroad industry. The summer of 2009 changed everything. On a whim, I talked to the BNSF recruiter at the Career Fair. I interned in Vancouver, WA with the Division Engineer and witnessed projects such as crossover installations, multi-track grade crossing renewal, and rail renewal programs.
EMH&T
Dave graduated in May, 2012 with a BS in Civil Engineering and has since been working with EMH&T (Evans, Mechwart, Hambleton & Tilton, Inc.). “My great grandfather worked as a conductor and I have always enjoyed travel by train. One of the highlights of my youth is traveling via Amtrak from Chicago to San Francisco, so I have always had somewhat of a sleeping interest in the industry. The unique program at Michigan Tech helped renew that interest, and with the exposure and education I received it became apparent that the rail industry was for me."
Project Manager II - PTC wayside Signals, CSX Transportation
If I’m being honest, I hadn’t considered working in the rail industry until my senior year at Michigan Tech. Growing up in small town Wisconsin, there were railroad tracks that ran through the woods near my house, but that was the extent of my rail knowledge and interest.
Project Manager - Public Projects, CSX Transportation
I had no knowledge of the rail industry at all when I graduated from Michigan Tech in 2007 (BS in Construction Management, AAS in Civil Engineering Technology). I began working for CSX Transportation in July of 2007 in the Design and Construction department as a Management Trainee. During the Management Trainee program, I spent time at CSX’s training facility in Atlanta, GA. I learned to drive a spike, stringline a curve, change a knuckle, throw a switch, and, most importantly, how to live the safety culture that surrounds CSX and the railroad industry.
Project Engineer, Quandel Consultants
Aaron graduated in December of 2014 and accepted a position with Quandel Consultants in Chicago, Illinois as a Project Engineer. At Quandel he has spent the majority last two years working on the ongoing corridor improvements of the Michigan Line for higher speed services of Amtrak between Chicago and Detroit. This work includes both the designs for improvement of track alignments and highway grade crossings to support train speeds of up to 110 mph.
Design Engineer, CSX Transportation
I graduated with an associate’s degree in Civil Engineering Technology in 2005 and a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management in 2007. I’m currently a Design Engineer in the Design and Construction department with CSX Transportation in Jacksonville, FL, but I started my railroad career with a CSX engineering internship the summer of 2006. I was hired as a full time manager in the Design and Construction department July of 2007. CSX attends both job fairs that are held at Michigan Tech. It was during one of the job fairs that I was recruited. The internship with CSX provided insight into the railroad industry and peeked interest in developing my knowledge in the field.
Sharma & Associates, Inc
Hamed Pouryousef graduated from Michigan Technological University (MTU) in spring 2015 with PhD in Civil Engineering focusing on train scheduling and capacity analysis areas using optimization and simulation models. While studying at MTU he contributed in several research projects under Dr. Pasi Lautala’s supervision including development of a web-based education and training platform for high speed rail workforce in the U.S., sponsored by FRA.
Supervisor of Quality Assurance- Signals and Communications Dept., CN
Matt is a 2012 graduate with a BS in Electrical Engineering Technology. He has worked full time for CN Railway since June 2012 as a Supervisor of Quality Assurance for the Signals
and Communications Department. “In the summer of 2011 I was on an internship with CN in the Quality Assurance for the Signals and Communications Department. Before speaking with CN at the Career Fair, I had never really thought about working for a railroad, but after my internship I realized it was for me.
