Janet Loebach

MES President 1996-1997 BENGS 1997 – Civil Engineering & Society Career Info Environmental Design Consultant, J. Loebach Consulting; PhD Candidate, Dept of Geography, University of Western Ontario

What I Do
Currently I work to create healthy environments for children around their homes, schools, neighbourhoods and cities.  I am currently working towards a PhD, studying how children behave in their urban environments, and which types of home and neighbourhood environments best support their health and development.  I also work as a design consultant, using my knowledge from children’s research to design and build better, more interesting, and more supportive environments for children and families.

Why Engineering?
I chose engineering because it allowed me to learn how to design and build buildings as well as city infrastructure such as roads, and showed me how I could apply this knowledge to build better environments for people.

My Day At Work
Every day of my work is different!  One day I may work with children on mapping exercises or neighbourhood walkabouts to understand how they see and use their neighbourhood; another day I may consult with city urban planners to try to make changes that would make cities more walkable and accessible for children; on yet another day I may conduct research on the use of parks by children and families in the city so as to design park facilities to be more appealing, functional and supportive of their needs.

The Best Part of Being an Engineer
Engineering taught me, among many other things, how to creatively and logically tackle complex problems in a team atmosphere – a skill I draw on almost every day.

Proud Moments
I recently was able to use my expertise to help a group of children in an impoverish village in Peru design and build their own community playspace… in just 2 weeks!

Challenges
I struggled  with the idea of entering a highly technical program, without outlets for research or writing on other areas of interest  - but the Engineering & Society program at McMaster allowed me the time and freedom to explore other topics of interest that helped to balance my experience and studies, as well as to explore complementary fields outside of engineering.  The program allowed me to see how I could use my technical background to support my current research and design interests.

My Family
My family has always been incredibly supportive of my pursuits – though they were very surprised when I chose engineering over a creative arts or design program!  They have always given me the room to explore my own path, and to design a unique career – for which I am extremely grateful.

Dreams and Goals
Ultimately I would like to be working full time on the design and building of creative play and community spaces for children and families, and working hand in hand with city planners and engineers to shift how we design and build cities and neighbourhoods so that they are healthier, safer and more interesting places to live and work.  However, after having a taste of working with children in Peru, I would also like to continue working with children in developing countries to help them to design and build more child- and play-friendly spaces in their communities.

Inspiration
During high school I saw a documentary in which a civil engineer helped to change forever the way long-term care facilities for seniors are designed – he worked to understand their unique needs, strengths and interests, and then designed a highly interactive and responsive facility that strived to allow them to live the most dignified, independent and joyful lives possible.  At the time I couldn’t imagine a better job or a better legacy (still can’t) – it directly influenced my decision to enter engineering, and continues to influence both my career and personal goals to this day.

Hobbies
Besides loving to cook, and to travel as far and wide as possible, I spend as much time as possible pursuing photography, especially taking photographs of children… what else? J

Want To Be An Engineer
If I could tell every high school student one thing, it would be how valuable a background in engineering is – even, or especially, as a springboard to other pursuits.  Being an engineer opens up many, many doors and avenues and can lead to work in many fields.  Though I am now based in a Geography Department, my work here has a direct link back to my engineering studies.

School Days
After graduating with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering and Society from McMaster (and after a few years in the working world as a construction project manager), I went on to receive my Masters in Environmental Design from the School of Architecture & Planning at Dalhousie University.  After a few more years working as a project manager and design consultant, I returned to pursue a PhD in the Department of Geography at the University of Western Ontario, specializing in the study of urban environments for children.