Thzaira查尔斯, P.E. is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of New York. She currently works for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, 负责纽约/新泽西地区包括港口在内的区域基础设施的两国机构, 机场, 隧道及桥梁, as a Staff Services Environmental Engineer. In her role at the Port Authority, Ms. Charles负责纽约机场建设项目的环境合规管理(John F. Kennedy International Airport, 拉瓜迪亚机场, 和史都华机场)，并确保港务局的租户遵守环保规定. 她获得了纽约市Cooper Union for the Advancement of 617888九五至尊娱乐 and Art Albert Nerken School of Engineering的化学工程硕士学位，主修环境工程. Ms. Charles还获得了Cooper Union的化学工程学士学位.
On your daily commute, you may cross bridges, 穿越隧道, 或者通过机场, 但你可能没有想过那些为这些项目的建设和维护做出环境决定的人. Yet that’s precisely what Thzaira查尔斯, an environmental engineer at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, 每天都是吗?.
Why I joined the UCS 617888九五至尊娱乐网络
这个组织强调了思考如何在美国实现变革的重要性, especially in areas that are either mandated by the government or required by regulation. It’s great to have ideas, 但如果没有政策制定者和变革倡导者支持这些伟大的想法，并看到它们得到实施, actual change on a national scale can be very slow if it happens at all. (我们需要)将想法框定，以便大众能够理解——因为让我们面对现实吧, techno-speak is very intimidating to the non-technical community. 因为不是每个人都有机会作为技术人员在公共部门与非技术团队成员一起517888九五至尊娱乐, UCS is a fantastic vehicle to gain that insight.
-Thzaira查尔斯
Building a stronger STEM workforce
沟通技巧对工程师和其他专业人士一样重要, 查尔斯用她的沟通技巧在其他工程师中培养积极的专业关系和环保意识. When she was a student at Cooper Union, 查尔斯加入了全国黑人工程师协会(NSBE)，当挑战性的课程负担使其变得困难时，他很高兴有机会结识其他工程专业的学生. As a member for 24 years, 她现在是环境工程特别兴趣小组的志愿者主任, where she focuses on generating environmental awareness in the technical workplace.
查尔斯目前监督的一个项目是创建一个教育倡导517888九五至尊娱乐组, which will provide speakers, 演讲, 项目, and mentoring to the South Bend Career Academy. 查尔斯还对建立一个国际517888九五至尊娱乐组感到兴奋，该517888九五至尊娱乐组将建立项目并促进美国NSBE小组之间的合作.S. and in the international African community.
在未来, Charles希望看到NSBE的环境工程特别兴趣小组和公共政策特别兴趣小组之间有更多的合作, 这样环境工程师就能更积极地参与决策过程. 对于这次合作，她也带来了她的信念，那就是一切都归结为沟通. 有时，技术专家陷入数据的泥潭，以至于“我们忘记了信息——我们没有意识到信息才是最重要的。.” When talking with policymakers, “the data is the back-up. Scientists tend to think the other way, ‘Show me the data!’ but we have to realize that we need to get the message out there.”
Innovating and communicating in service to the public
查尔斯在纽约长大，从小就对数学和617888九五至尊娱乐产生了浓厚的兴趣. After finishing her college, 她意识到新兴的环境工程领域将为她的职业生涯提供更多的创新机会，并在前伍德沃德-克莱德咨询集团担任了她的第一个环境工程职位.
Today at the Port Authority, Thzaira管理大型建筑项目的各种环境方面，包括雨水管理, environmental regulation compliance, 废物管理. Working on such large scale 项目, Thzaira已经认识到能够向非技术观众传达技术概念和想法的重要性.
“Something I learned is that technical people speak a language all their own, and they think that everyone speaks that language,查尔斯断言。. 在这些情况下, she has found it helpful to think of her sister, “who is a fantastic cook—while I barely get around the kitchen. There are some cooking shows I watch, and it’s like, ‘I can’t watch this. My sister would appreciate it, but I have no idea what all of this chopping and dicing and roasting is.’ It helps for her to put herself in those shoes, of an outsider looking in. “I’m just trying to find a simple, everyday language,” she explains.
在公共部门517888九五至尊娱乐了近15年，为查尔斯提供了学习工程以外广泛学科的机会, as she has worked with both technical and non-technical professionals. 对于查尔斯, 这些经历使她更加坚信有效沟通的重要性, and whether it’s at her job or her volunteer work, 她将继续努力改善工程师与公众之间的沟通.