Extreme Engineer of the Month

Education: B. S. Electrical Engineering, Cal Poly Pomona Favorite Classes: math, digital communications, digital implications, control engineering, physics Best Skills: Problem solving and learning on his own. Everything Israel does in his job involves solving problems and learning on his own. While he gets a lot of support from senior engineers, there is still a lot he must figure out by himself. His company's products interface with many companies' products, and he needs to learn these systems as well. Hobbies: Golf, Dirt Bike Riding, Camping, Snowboarding-virtually anything outdoors. Role Models: "My step-dad always told me that everything is possible if you work for it and that everyone has something they are good at, you just have to find it. Another role model was John Gonzales, director of local youth services. He guided me when I was very young and showed me the meaning of hard work and how far hard work will get you." Advice: "Some things are going to be tough. If something interests you, don't leave it because it's hard. It doesn't matter how long it takes you to get your degree. As long as you keep going for it and work hard, you'll eventually get there. There are a lot of people out there who have it tough, who don't have family support. No one can tell you that you can't do it. You just have to work for it. It doesn't matter how long it takes to do it. If it's a four-year degree and it takes eight years to get it, that's OK. If you chose to go to college, get involved in clubs and do networking. Try to become an officer. It's a lot of fun, and it's really good for your career."

Israel Nuñez always liked technology. One of his eighth grade teachers did a one-on-one with each student to explore possible career choices; it was this experience that opened Israel's eyes to engineering. His teacher was aware of Israel's aptitude for math and his knack for problem solving so she asked if he had ever heard of engineering. He hadn't. At the time he wanted to be an FBI agent.

Later on, one of his friends in the youth club expressed an interest in becoming an electrical engineer. That had a big impact on Israel, who was the first member of his family to go to college. Israel was attracted to electro-mechanical engineering—working with devices that power electrical machines. He also found nanotechnology and micromachines interesting. However, when it came time to choose, he decided to join his friend and become an electrical engineer.

Because he had to pay for schooling himself, Israel began by attending a community college. He worked full time in addition to attending classes. Beginning at a community college was a good choice for Israel. It was a good way to save money. "Some people get discouraged because they feel they'll never be able to go to college," he says. "It really comes down to the student and how much effort you put into it."

After three years at the community college, he applied to and was accepted at Cal Poly Ponoma into electrical engineering. Israel had attended several open houses at Cal Poly and liked what they had to offer. The school had a good reputation and a reasonable cost. It took him another three years at Cal Poly because he continued to work. After a year and a half, he took out a student loan so he didn't have to work and was able to better focus on his classes.

While he spent a lot of time studying at Cal Poly, he was also very active in the combined student chapter for ISA, the society for automation professionals, and IEEE, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Israel was a board member for the ISA chapter and served as fundraising chair and events coordinator. The student chapter hosted many events that involved senior engineers. His participation in this group not only resulted in excellent contacts and his internship, it also helped his organizational skills. In addition, he traveled to Chicago to participate in the "ISA Student Games," which brought students together from all over the world for a competition.

The Internship Connection

On the Job — Water for Los Angeles

His experience is mostly using radio transmission of data to the main control system or SCADA computer. This system has a human machine interface (HMI) that not only provides complete system information to the facility operator but also allows the operator to override automatic controls and turn a pump on or off. A systems overview is provided on one screen, with subsystems and sites having sub-screens for additional detail. This allows the operator of a water treatment plant or water distribution system to see what is going on throughout city's water system. The operator can see the water levels, and if there is a problem at a specific site, the system identifies the problem. The system pulls information from a main radio transmission, which in turn pulls information from a host of sub-radio transmissions. The sub-radios are connected to PLCs (programmable logic controllers) at each of the sites. The SCADA computer pulls information from the local sites and puts it on the HMI for the operator to view.

At the same time, a data concentrator—the brain of the whole system—pulls information from the main radio and communicates with the sub-radios attached to a PLC at each site. These PLCs, in turn, either control a pump or monitor a water level. Level readings are transmitted via radio to the data concentrator, where the data is organized and sent to the corresponding pump station for pump control based on the control logic that has been set up. The SCADA computer is looking at all the information that is coming in and going out. This ensures that there is always sufficient water in the reservoir so the city doesn't run out of water.

"I like what I do. It's very interesting," says Israel. "I'm out in the field. I test the programs to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing." He also tests radio communications to ensure the radios are working properly, and if they're not, he has to figure out what's wrong and fix the problem. "It's a big responsibility," he says. "It's the people's water, if we don't have the right pressure, they'll call right away and complain, as they should. If you're taking a shower, you don't want to have low water pressure."

Israel considers himself very fortunate. Three or four months after starting with the company, he was out in the field working on a systems start up.

Engineering: Fun and Important

Israel said he didn't have the greatest influences around him when he was growing up. "I just told myself I wanted to do something important," he says. He was the only one of his friends to go to college. "Some things are going to be tough in life," says Israel. "Some things are easier than engineering, but what I've always told people is that if something interests you, don't leave it just because you think it's hard. I tried really hard, and eventually I got my degree."

"Engineering has opened a lot of doors for me," Israel says. He plans on getting his master's degree in engineering and his company has mentioned they are a considering management position for him down the line.

"Engineering is fun," Israel says. "It's something that keeps your mind working because it's always changing, and it involves something that's important for people."