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Interview with Daniel Medina, Ph.D., P.E., CFM, D.WRE

September 2009

Dr. Daniel Medina is a Senior Group Manager with PBS&J; in Beltsville, Maryland, and has been a Diplomate since 2006. His 20 years of experience include consulting, academia and encompass a wide array of water resources applications and research. Dan is a member of the Control Group of EWRI's Urban Water Resources Research Council.

Daniel answered some questions we had for him recently in an interview.

For you personally, why did you pursue the D.WRE?

DM: Water Resources is such a wide field compared to other specialties in Civil and Environmental Engineering. From the sizing of a storm sewer in a subdivision to evaluation of climate change on an integrated watershed management mega project, our expertise allows us to follow the water cycle as it applies to a variety of scales. The American Academy of Water Resources Engineers recognizes this unique feature of the Civil Engineering profession.

You are one of the founding Diplomates of AAWRE- what were the main influencing factors in your decision to pursue the D.WRE?

DM: The main factors were the comments of several distinguished colleagues in the first wave of Diplomates who enlightened me about the value of the D.WRE credential. I was honored that they were encouraging me to apply; one of them jokingly suggested that if I applied, I could have more letters after my name than in my name.

What types of services or initiatives would you like to see AAWRE pursue?

DM: Activities that raise the profile of our profession and our role in society. Water resources engineers are responsible for providing safe drinking water; protecting natural resources; and designing, building, and maintaining billions of dollars in infrastructure. Yet, very few people think of us when they turn on the faucet every morning and take for granted the water that flows out plentifully. Another activity that I would like to see is support for organizations such as Water for People or Engineers Without Borders, which provide assistance to people in need of the most basic water related services.

Please share with us on where you grew up. What was it like for you growing up there?

DM: I was born in Bogota, Colombia. I grew up in a middle class neighborhood in this big city that offered all of the good and the bad of a large metropolis. I learned my streets smarts the hard way sometimes, and learned how to drive there. I tell people that this qualifies me to drive anywhere in the world but some of my international friends quickly take exception to that. My working class parents believed firmly in the value of education and made great sacrifices so that my brother and I could go to college. I was 16 when I started at the Universidad de Los Andes where I was fortunate to meet first-class faculty and top-notch engineers who taught specialty courses. Colombia was a great place to grow up and in my youth I enjoyed spectacular landscapes, vibrant music, tasty dishes, good friends and a big family.

How early on did you know that you wanted to study civil engineering? What were the key factors in your decision to be a civil engineer?

DM: My brother and I both became civil engineers, partly because of our father's conviction that it was a solid profession. Time has proven him right again and again. Frankly, I had only a limited understanding of what I was getting myself into. Once in college, it was still foggy as I navigated basic mathematics, physics, and chemistry courses. But I enjoyed them, even though a great deal of the material had little to do with civil engineering, to the point that I thought I could double major in math. My non engineering courses in history and social sciences (as well as healthy socializing) kept me in good balance. I began to "feel the love" as I started statics, fluid mechanics, and solid mechanics, and for a while I thought I'd be a structural engineer. But I totally became enthralled with water resources when I took hydrology. I thought it was hilarious that I had such rigorous mathematics training and here was a subject where in many of the equations the units didn't make any sense! At this stage in my studies, I realized the impact that civil engineers have in the welfare of people and the environment. A comment from one of my professor's sticks with me even today to remind me of the enormous responsibility we have with the public. He said: "In your work, always remember that, unlike doctors, we engineers cannot bury our mistakes."

We know that you have been an active participant in various committees in organizations such as EWRI Councils, ASCE committees, and for WEF. How actively are you still involved these days and in what capacities?

DM: I'm very proud to be a member of the Control Group of EWRI's Urban Water Resources Research Council. It's a great group of colleagues and our meetings are always dynamic and productive. We're in the process of implementing our newly minted strategic plan, which has updated our vision of the role that the Council will play in the future. The Water Environment Federation (WEF) has also allowed me to participate in rewarding endeavors. Currently, I am serving as the co-chair for the update of the Manual of Practice on Design of Stormwater Controls. I'm also co-chairing a UWRRC Technical Committee to evaluate computational methods for Low Impact Development (LID). These activities have taught me good lessons on dealing outside the business environment of the profession. Volunteer work is scarce and done for the love of the profession. Other drivers become important to undertake and accomplish a task and managing these situations requires tapping different interpersonal skills.

We understand that you are a co-inventor of one patent. Can you share more in detail to our readers?

DM: As usual, new ideas come from the intersection of two or more lines of thought. When I was with CH2M HILL, one of our engineers was working with a client on a sewer rehabilitation project and wondered whether the gravel bedding that surrounds utility pipes could be used as an infiltration trench for runoff. If a municipality is going to rip out streets for a utility replacement project, might as well try to get as much benefit as possible, including stormwater management. We started talking over the phone and I suggested that runoff could be treated in a bioretention facility and then slowly released into the utility bedding. It looked like something someone else should've thought about but there was no patent on such a system so, we applied for it and got it.

I've read that you translated 'The Science of Water: The Foundation of Modern Hydraulics' by the late Hydraulic Engineer Enzo Levi. How did you enjoy that experience and how long was the process to get this done?

DM: Enzo Levi was one of the great water resources engineers of the 20th century and an emblem of the vibrancy of the profession in Latin America. I was honored to be able to help spread his knowledge by translating his book. I had just obtained my PhD and began as an assistant professor at Northeastern University in Boston, when Jim Liggett, my advisor at Cornell, mentioned that he had met Enzo Levi in Mexico and believed that his book was a hidden treasure to the water resources community. He approached ASCE with the idea of translating it from Spanish and suggested that I be the translator. I browsed the book, which in Spanish is titled El Agua Segun la Ciencia, and immediately agreed with Jim. Let's just say that the translation took a great amount of effort on top of the demands of a new faculty. The main challenge was that Enzo Levi had painstakingly translated numerous texts from various European languages into Spanish, carefully choosing the words so that they would not only convey the complex science but also the ancient flavor of the times when they were written. My only recourse to be faithful to the spirit of his work was to find the original texts in English, or suitable translations. When not available, sometimes I had to take an original in Italian and do my best to make it sound like the English of the period. I was lucky to have access to some of the best libraries in the world right there in the Boston area, which made available to me the original great texts of Newton, Bernoulli, Galileo, Da Vinci, Descartes and other icons of science. I have to say that it was a great pleasure to examine these texts first hand and learn about the human aspects of these great scientists. I also learned fun details about my profession. Did you know that Manning hated his formula? Find out why in the book.

We know that you have been active as an instructor in seminars and workshops in topics such as highway hydrology, flood damage assessment, watershed management, and Low Impact Development. How much of your time are you still instructing and in which areas?

DM: I routinely do training sessions either as part of my work, as professional society service, or sometimes as part conference workshops. I do it every so often as an opportunity to remember my days as a civil engineering faculty. Lately I've been giving seminars and workshops on Low Impact Development.

Would you ever consider going into full-time instructing?

DM: Probably not. In consulting I found myself at home in developing practical applications for academic research. Nonetheless, academia was a wonderful start in my career and it taught me the valuable lesson of being able to explain complex concepts to wide audiences. It also made me learn my stuff really well so that I would be able to teach it. It was hard work. Once I began consulting, someone asked me why I had been so crazy to leave the leisurely life of the college professor for the rat race of corporate consulting. I looked at him like he was the crazy one. Obviously he didn't know the incredible amount of work that civil engineering faculty do year round between teaching, advising, research, and service.

We also understand that you in past, participated in Engineering Week by giving presentations to grade-school children and participated as a judge for the National Academy of Engineering student design competition to support EPA's People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Program. Sounds fantastic. Are you still involved with these great initiatives and how do you stay involved with these activities?

DM: I always enjoyed these activities where I had the opportunity to spread the word about the value role that civil engineers play in society. It is difficult sometimes for engineers who volunteer their time to see whether their audience gets the message. I got a very clear indication after a presentation I made to my son's middle school a couple years ago. It was a lecture on sustainable stormwater management as part that year's science expo and many parents and siblings attended, including my five-year old daughter. I explained the need to slow down the flow of runoff into streams and the role that green infrastructure plays. That night, as my daughter was finishing her bath and I let the water out the drain, she made dam of sorts with her arms and said: "Look daddy, I'm holding back the water."

That's also fantastic that you advised student chapters for ASCE and the Society of Hispanic Engineers and student teams for environmental design competitions. In your opinion, do you feel that there are more Hispanic young engineers getting involved and going into civil engineering today?

DM: I have seen a significant influx of Latino engineers in the past 20 years, both men and women. As an informal barometer, I scan the list of ASCE annual award recipients for Latino names. Still a small number overall, but it is increasing as Latino consultants and academics climb the career ladder.

What are some of your personal hobbies and interests?

DM: I enjoy scuba diving and got into whitewater kayaking a couple of years ago. It never ceases to amaze me how within a short paddle up the Potomac River one can be in a striking gorge of incredible beauty right in the middle of Washington DC. This Great Falls area of the Potomac makes DC a major paddling mecca. For a water resources engineer, kayaking in the Potomac is also a personal encounter with the issues of water management in urban areas. Water quality impacts are quite apparent when you're upside down in your kayak doing a roll. There's still quite a bit of work to do, although the quality of the river has improved dramatically thanks to the combined efforts of the surrounding municipalities, the federal government, and non profit organizations, including the paddling community.

What would you like to see yourself doing, 5 years from now?

DM: I have always enjoyed the turns that my career has taken. Some of them I planned, others knocked on my door. My role as senior water resources engineer at this stage in my career has allowed me to touch many projects simultaneously and get involved with the most exciting components. A few years from now, I'd like to play a similar role with large water resources programs in the US and abroad.

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