Meet Andres Salazar PhD, PE, D.WRE

Andres Salazar PhD, PE, D.WRE, Director of Infrastructure and Water Resources, Omega Engineers, Inc

The ASCE Texas Section Board of Direction members were asked to fill out a questionnaire so that the Section’s members might get to know them a little better on a personal level. These are Vice-President Elect for Professional Affairs Andres Salazar’s answers.

When did you first get involved with ASCE at any level (student chapter, local branch, section)?

As a student in 1999 in the Texas A&M Student Chapter. Actually, it was then when I first met Sean Merrell when he was President of the Student Chapter.

On vacation, my son, future civil engineer, and I had to stop at this cool suspension bridge near Bucaramanga, Colombia, It is 1,804 ft long and 427 ft tall.

How has ASCE helped you in your career?

Expanding my network. There are countless friendships built around ASCE that have helped me succeed in my career.

What is your most memorable project?

There are several, but one memorable project that I deeply enjoyed was the design of the lakes and water supply system for the new Exxon Mobil campus in The Woodlands. It was a large project with a very good team of engineers and architects and a forward-thinking client. Seeing the completion of the final construction for the benefit of around 10,000 workers was rewarding.

When did you know you wanted to be a civil engineer?

At some point as a teenager, I became intrigued by construction projects, dirt moving and big concrete structures like bridges and high-rise buildings. When I learned a lot of design, math and planning goes on before breaking ground, I decided that was what I wanted to do for a living. Ironically, I did better on water and hydraulics than I did with concrete, so I am a water resources engineer now.

Project in Big Bend Ranch State Park to improve the water system. Here is my site visit photo!

What is the biggest challenge civil engineers face today?

Limited funding for all infrastructure needed to meet our goals.

What is your go-to calculator?

I have a HP 48G that is like 20 years old, and I still use some of its programs.

How do you order your eggs?

Scrambled with just enough Tabasco sauce.

What is your favorite band?

There are several I enjoyed, but Marc Anthony filled up a good chunk of my iPod, when iPods were a thing.

Mountains or beach?

Mountains. Go out for a hike or take your bike out through the scenery. The weather should be cool at night, perfect for a warm drink or a glass of wine for a peaceful evening.

Give us your best (clean) joke

I am afraid I don’t have any. I thought about making a joke about concrete, but man, that was hard!