Employee Spotlight

Doug Walker, P.E.

Why did you choose engineering as a career path?
Actually, I saw a video about engineering during a drafting class in high school. The mixture of creativity and technology appealed to me.

Where and when did you get your degree and in what discipline?
I graduated from Purdue University (West Lafayette) in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. While at school, I was a co-op student with J.W. Welsh and Associates, which is where I met many of the people I work with at Applied.

How long have you worked at Applied?
I started with Applied in May of 2001. After I graduated I had a brief stint in the aerospace industry. I gravitated back to the consulting world.

What is your specialty? Field of expertise?
My background is HVAC, hydronic heating and cooling and steam systems. Fluid flow problems are always interesting. In recent years, my focus has been leading industrial design projects.

What type of projects do you find to be the most challenging? What types are the most rewarding?
The most challenging projects usually involve coordination of multiple disciplines to deliver an integrated set of documents to an Owner.

The most rewarding projects are ones where Applied and the Owner work together as an integrated team; when we get to see and understand how the Owner’s industrial processes interact with the facility’s building and utility infrastructure.

What do you enjoy most about your job and working at Applied?
I enjoy the variety of industries and processes that we get to work with. I’ve been able to work in pharmaceutical, fiberglass, steel and automotive industries with Applied.

One of the things I like most about the Applied office culture is the wealth of experience available. I enjoy being able to bounce project ideas and problems off of other engineers in order to gain a better perspective.

Do you have any hobbies or outside interests?
I’ve played piano since I was about nine. Sometimes it’s nice to go home and really pound on something. I attend a lot of live theatre, both here in Indianapolis and when I’m traveling.

Is there anything else about yourself that most co-workers and client contacts don’t know?
I pick up books by P.G. Wodehouse when I find them. Wodehouse was a twentieth century British humorist. His most famous creation was the butler, Jeeves. I haven’t become a complete fanatic yet – I don’t own any Wodehouse trading cards and I haven’t made a pilgrimage to any of his residences. But give me time.