Editorial Advisory Board: Aimée Smith
Lab Design spoke to Aimée Smith, the director of technical excellence and a principal at RWDI.
Aimée is one of the newest members of the Lab Design Editorial Advisory board and has over 22 years of experience.
Based in Guelph, Canada, she is a leader in higher education and laboratories providing design guidance for clients. Some of her expertise includes exhaust dispersion and air intake systems, and microclimate factors.
Q: Congratulations on joining Lab Design News’ Editorial Advisory Board! What are you most looking forward to in this position?
A: I am looking forward to continuing to work with the Lab Design team and colleagues across the industry. I always find it very useful to hear the different perspectives that the various disciplines bring to the laboratory design process. The more we are able to pull these insights together and share them with the greater community using platforms like Lab Design News, the industry will be in a better position to respond and adapt to the very rapidly changing world we find ourselves in.
Q: What are some of your career highlights?
A: I have been lucky enough to work for the same engineering consulting firm (RWDI) for almost 23 years now. Throughout my career here, I have held various positions, and feel like I have actually had about 8 different careers through my time with RWDI. I would say some of the most memorable highlights of my career include leading our Laboratory & Healthcare market sector for several years and having the opportunity to participate in the design and commissioning of a boundary layer wind tunnel (BLWT). Anyone who works with BLWTs knows how much fun (and sometimes stressful) that can be. I also spent six years serving on RWDI’s Board of Directors and was Chair of the Board for two of those years. That was a great learning experience that allowed me to develop my career beyond business development and project delivery to expand my thinking to the strategic focus of the organization.
Q: If you weren't in this profession, what job would you like to have instead?
A: Definitely an actor (or a rock star). I spent a lot of time acting in musicals and playing music/singing throughout high school and the beginning of University. If I hadn’t fallen in love with Engineering, who knows what I would be doing today?
Q: For someone entering this career field, what advice would you give them?
A: When you first enter the engineering field, I would say that you should look for opportunities to work on as many different types of projects as you can to determine the areas that interest you the most. There are lots of different flavors within any engineering discipline and finding an area that you are passionate about contributing to can make all the difference. Also - ask lots of questions. The more you ask, the more you learn.
Q: What kinds of hobbies or interests do you have outside of work?
A: I enjoy cooking, watching our son play hockey, playing golf with my family and friends, and taking bike rides on the many trails in the area where we currently live.
