Every day, our engineers help us to continue testing today’s limitations to reach tomorrow’s breakthroughs.
How are you re-imagining tomorrow at Westinghouse?
Alexandra Therrien, Electrical Engineer
Peterborough, Canada
My approach to reimagining the possible is to always approach projects with an open, creative mind and seek better solutions. When faced with challenges, I use the same mindset, while considering how can we innovate and improve. This combination allows us to offer the best possible solutions. I am honored to be part of a team where innovation and reimagining is possible and encouraged every day.
Chris Meier, Principal Engineer
New Stanton, Pennsylvania (USA)
In our support of countries’ aging power infrastructure, we need to be able to respond to a customer’s specific needs both quickly and creatively. At times, these needs can seem impossible – whether due to time or technology constraints. I take pride in being able to design replacement full rod control system upgrades to plants that meet their demanding schedules, functional requirements and short installation time frames. Then, I get to work in partnership with my colleagues in our amazing engineering teams to deliver and install many first-of-a-kind technical solutions.
Qingyan (Vicki) Li, Senior Engineer
Shanghai, China
As an engineer, I dedicate myself to delivering our projects on schedule and with high quality. Our globalization and localization strategies provide me with the honor to participate in various kinds of projects in which I learn from the worldwide talent teams meanwhile while contributing my part. I’m proud of working at the relaxed, supportive work environment while creating the clean energy that makes me firmly believe that Westinghouse will continue to be the leader in the nuclear industry.
We are also proud to employ active-duty military personnel and veterans in many roles – including engineering. Hear from a few members of our Veterans Employee Resource Group about the intersections between their engineering roles in the military and at Westinghouse.
Prudencio Olmos, Senior Engineer, Global Operations Services (GOS)
Windsor, Connecticut (USA)
- Served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 18 years
- Military Occupational Specialty (MOS): 17D Cyberspace Operations
Why did you choose engineering for your career occupation?
Engineering has allowed me to make a tangible, positive contribution to society. I find fulfillment in serving my community – hence, why I enjoyed service in the military so much – and I thought engineering would be an avenue that would allow me to continue to serve.
How have you applied your learnings from your time of service to your work as an engineer at Westinghouse?
The leadership skills that I developed through my military service have proven to be instrumental in my career at Westinghouse.
The military teachings on leadership, accountability and self-discipline have helped me work through complex engineering issues during emergency outages. The trainings I received during my military service helped me keep the end goal in mind: getting the utility back to power and having the self-discipline to produce high-quality engineering work.
Tell us about a highlight from your engineering career and your military career.
The opportunities I've had to work on teams that perform outstandingly well have been highlights for me.
During my military time, I led a tactical communications joint U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force team to provide emergency communications infrastructure to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in 2017. Our efforts enabled life-saving medical and supply distributions to isolated communities throughout the island.
During my engineering career, I’ve had the opportunity to lead the engineering analysis to support reactor coolant pump test loop upgrades.
Wade Cribbs, Fellow Engineer, Global Operations Services (GOS)
Waltz Mill Facility, Madison, Pennsylvania (USA)
- Served in the U.S. Navy for more than 8 years
- Military Occupational Specialty (MOS): Reactor Operator/Shutdown Reactor Operator/Reactor Technician/Engineering Watch Supervisor / Senior Reactor Operator / Prototype Instructor
Why did you choose engineering for your career occupation?
Growing up, I spent a lot of time working on cars and tractors. I found old amusement park ride construction very interesting, and ingenious. I decided to study mechanical engineering, which led me to the U.S. Navy. I worked on electronics and operated nuclear reactors for the Navy, which then led to Westinghouse.
That is when I realized there was more to know and pursued my master’s degree in nuclear engineering. There was a bigger story to neutron kinetics, and I wanted to know more about it. I enjoy challenging work – and found it in this field.
How have you applied your learnings from your time of service to your work as an engineer at Westinghouse?
The skills I acquired in the U.S. Navy have made me an excellent plant operator, I&C engineer and startup engineer. I was qualified to operate four different reactor platforms in the Navy, which helped me earn my Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) certifications afterward.
I am one of the top troubleshooters when it comes to many of the Westinghouse safety systems.
I learned many of these skills in the Navy since there was no one to call when things broke – you had to figure it out and find a way.
Tell us about a highlight from your engineering career and your military career.
My skills have allowed me to assist plants in staying online when difficult challenges arise, providing a service to the fleet. I have worked on a range of challenges – from actual earthquake plant response to flow anomalies in the core to starting up a plant the size of a small city.
Brian Long, Principal Engineer, Americas Operating Plant Services (AOPS)
Madison, Pennsylvania (USA)
- Served in the U.S. Navy for more than 10 years
- Military Occupational Specialty (MOS): Nuclear Electronics Technician Petty Officer First Class Submarines (ET1/SS); Reactor Operator; Engineering Watch Supervisor; Master Training Specialist/Student Advisor
Why did you choose engineering for your career occupation?
I came from a family of bricklayers, electricians, drywallers and other skilled trades. When I would go out on jobs with them every summer, they would all tell me the same thing: Make sure you get an education and get a job that doesn't require you to work outside in the dead of winter or the heat of summer. On every job I went on with them, they would ask about my grades and then get every ounce of work out of me they could.
How have you applied your learnings from your time of service to your work as an engineer at Westinghouse?
Coming from the U.S. Navy’s nuclear electronic technician/reactor operator pipeline, much of what we did carries over into being a Westinghouse engineer. The attention to detail, willingness to dig deep into documents as well as leveraging of the entire team’s knowledge and skills is critical to many tasks.
Tell us about a highlight from your engineering career and your military career.
In terms of my Westinghouse career, I became a certified instructor for a first-of-a-kind AP1000® Plant Startup Test Engineer Training Program in 2010. I also received my AP1000® SRO Training Instructor qualification and was awarded Westinghouse’s highest internal recognition in 2020 for my technical training expertise in support of a U.S. customer project.
A highlight from my military career was being named Nuclear Field A School Instructor of the Year for my training methods and getting the best out of young sailors who had just started their 1.5-year training pipeline.
