Alum Spotlight: Steve Waters
Steve Waters, originally from Sarnia, Canada, is a 2013 graduate of the Northwestern MEM program. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Steve is currently based in Evanston, Illinois and works as Senior Wastewater Consultant with Jacobs Engineering. While he enjoys playing golf in his leisure time, he’s a competitive curler! In fact, he won the bronze medal at the World Curling Championships in April this year! Yeah, there’s no getting over how awesome this is! Steve enjoys bacon for savory food and maple syrup for sweet.
We asked Steve a few questions about his MEM experience and his journey thus far, to which his responses were as follows:
Can you give a short description of your role and job responsibility?
I am a subject matter expert on the design and operation of wastewater treatment plants. My main focus is on the recovery of resources (nutrients, energy, and clean water) from the wastewater stream. I support my company’s project delivery teams during the design and construction of treatment/recovery facilities as well as the business development group in securing new project work.
What’s your favorite class or teacher in MEM. Why?
I really enjoyed Mike Marasco’s Technical Entrepreneurship class (419) because it forced me to think in a completely different manner than in my day-to-day role in a large corporation. It gave me a real appreciation for start-ups and all the challenges faced in taking an idea to market.
How has your MEM experience contributed to your career path and your current job role (your progression into senior management from an engineering background)?
I entered the MEM program later in my career so the MEM curriculum actually reinforced the fundamental business principles I had learned during my career. One of my biggest takeaways was a better understanding of all of the data and analysis tools available to better understand and improve your business. I was able to apply this and expand my role at the company I was working with at the time and am now using this knowledge in my role as a senior consultant.
What new job, position, project or responsibility were you able to secure that you believe can be attributed to completing the program?
After completing the program, I was given the opportunity to manage multiple operations which then helped me to enter into my current role as a consultant.
What new skills did you gain and how did this impact your career or professional life?
The program helped me to develop better leadership skills which gave me the opportunity to take on more responsibility in my career.
What unique aspect of the program did you experience that you felt was unique to Northwestern’s program?
The focus on innovation from both a technology and business perspective is what I feel sets Northwestern’s program apart.
How did the program structure help to make earning this degree a possibility for you?
The flexibility of the course schedule and the ability to study part-time made this degree possible for me.
What connections were you able to make with classmates, faculty or industry and how?
I was able to develop great friendships with both classmates and faculty and am able to maintain those relationships through social media and get-togethers when possible. I also try to stay connected through the various events that the program sponsors throughout the year.
Word of advice to future students:
It’s all about your network. You will learn and experience many great things in the MEM program, but, success in your career will be about your ability to develop, maintain and leverage your network. Take advantage of the program to meet as many new and interesting people as you can.
