Lab Design Conference Speaker Profile: Aimée Smith

Credit: RWDI

 Aimée Smith is the director of technical excellence and a principal at RWDI. She is also a speaker at the upcoming Lab Design Conference. Her presentation will focus on how to enhance the performance of office-to-laboratory conversion, and the balancing of the three pillars of climate and sustainability: mitigation, adaption, and enhancement. Lab Design spoke to Aimée about her career, the conference, and her dream travel destinations.

Q: How did you get started in your career? Did you major in your field in college, get an internship, switch careers mid-stream, etc.?

A: I went on a tour of RWDI’s local facility when I was in university and was so impacted by the work they were doing, that I knew I wanted to build my career here.  Unfortunately, when I applied after finishing my undergraduate degree, I did not get a response. So, I decided to pursue a master’s degree and then applied again. I was hired 2 weeks after I defended my master’s thesis, and have been here ever since.

Q: What are you most looking forward to at this year's conference?

A: This is the first in-person conference I will be attending since the pandemic started. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone, connecting with colleagues again, and having the opportunity to meet new people who are passionate about laboratory design and operations.

Q: If you could teleport to any destination in the world, where would you go?

A: That is a tough one to answer, but I think I would choose Cairo. I have always been fascinated by the great pyramids and the rich history. Dubrovnik is a close second, and not because I am a Game of Thrones fan, but because of the history, the architecture of the walled city, and the culture.