Carly Schaeffer recently joined Aspect as a Project Geotechnical Engineer. Here are five questions we asked to get to know her better.
Where are you from? If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, what brought you here?
I grew up mostly in a small beach town in central California and then moved to the Bay Area for college. I came to the PNW to experience something new, and love it up here!
What inspired you to pursue geotechnical engineering? What made you curious about it?
Geotech was an easy choice for me. I’ve always been fascinated with earthquakes, and I like practical applications (rather than theory). Being a geotech meant I could study the things I was interested in, but also get to build things and see tangible results.
What do you like best about your area of expertise? What excites you and keeps you motivated?
My favorite part about Geotech is how much it is dependent on judgement. I enjoy the challenge of having to solve problems with limited information and having to consider a wide variety of factors. Geotech always keeps me engaged because every project is truly unique. Thanks to unpredictable site conditions, I’m constantly learning and being challenged as an engineer.
What do you like to do when you aren’t working?
I try to spend as much time outdoors as I can, although that’s tough in the winter for this Californian. I’m happiest in the water—I love to swim, kayak, and raft. I also really enjoy taking in all of the scenic hikes throughout Washington. I’m a big baker as well, and always looking for new recipes!
Where in the world would you like to travel next?
My sister is moving to Belgium soon, so I’m hoping to use that as an opportunity to explore the parts of Europe I haven’t seen—and of course, eat waffles! I’d love to go to Greece, Budapest, and Switzerland, and venture up to see the Northern Lights.
Carly out hiking at Mt. St. Helens