Cynthia Milinichik

Cynthia Milinichik's Bio | RESUME

          Cynthia is currently in her fifth year at Penn State where she is studying Structures in the Architectural Engineering major.  She was accepted into the Integrated Bachelor and Master of Architectural Engineering Program and will be graduating in July 2007 with a B.A.E. and M.A.E. degree.  In addition to her traditional Structural Design courses in Steel, Concrete, and Wood, Cynthia has also taken (or will take) specialty courses in Steel Connections, Building Failures, Historic Preservation, Pre-stressed Concrete, Masonry, Modern Structures, and Construction Management.

          Having passed the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam in April 2006, Cynthia is halfway to gaining her status as an Engineer in Training.

          To complement her studies at Penn State, Cynthia has interned for the last three summers at different engineering firms.  This past summer Cynthia interned with Borton Lawson Engineering where she worked as a Structural Engineering Intern in the Industrial Division.  Her main project was the design of the new Archer Daniels Midland Chocolate Factory to be built in Hazleton, PA.  Through her experiences at Borton Lawson, Cynthia learned to balance the cost of a steel member with depth limitations to yield the most efficient design. Cynthia also learned the value of efficiency that software programs and excel spreadsheets have to offer to large scale industrial projects with unique loading conditions. 

          In the summer of 2005, Cynthia worked for Structural Repair Group, LLC as an Assistant Project Inspector.  She was exposed to a variety of projects at different stages of the Investigation and Rehabilitation processes.  Cynthia made frequent site visits to monitor the construction process of the installation of a bituminous clay waterproofing system and followed her visits with Construction Monitoring Report for the owner.  She also monitored the repair of structural wood bent beams that had experienced excessive deterioration do to rain water exposure.  She was part of an investigation of the foundation walls for 25 apartment buildings for which she documented damages and signs of potential collapse.  Cynthia also worked with a team to investigate the severity of the delaminating of concrete in a parking garage using the chain test.

          Cynthia interned with Lutron Electronics, Co. in the summer of 2004.  As a Technical Support Representative, Cynthia was trained to handle questions about Lutron’s Lighting Controls.  Working on the Technical Support Hotline Cynthia learned to refine her communication skills to clearly convey information about wiring lighting controls.  Working with both contractors and home owners, Cynthia learned to respond to the varying level of knowledge base to communicate effectively.

          As President of the Structural Engineers Association, Cynthia prepares the meeting agendas, coordinates activities, and delegates tasks to fellow officers.  Cynthia is also involved in the National Solar Decathlon Competition as a member of the Structural Design Team.  The Solar Decathlon project has taught Cynthia how to effectively communicate with a large and diverse project team and to take initiative to meet the project’s challenging deadlines.
 
          Cynthia has a competitive personality and strives for excellence in all her endeavors.  Her determination to reach her goals is evident in her work.  And her dedication to her team members is displayed by her willingness to sacrifice her personal time to meet the common goals of the team.

          In her free time Cynthia works on her various projects. One of her projects is refinishing an antique arrow back chair.  If there were more hours in the day Cynthia would spend them playing tennis, ice skating and dancing.  Cynthia’s other interests include gardening, photography, painting and Orthodox Iconography.

          Cynthia greatly appreciates the honors she has received for her academic work.  In April, Cynthia was recognized for her experience and interest in Building Forensics and Rehabilitation with the Simpson Gumpertz and Heger Scholarship.  Cynthia is a three-time recipient of the Thomas R. and Laura Ridge Scholarship (2002, 2003, and 2004).  She was also awarded scholarships throughout her academic career by St. Mary’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church Sunday School and the Ukrainian National Association.  In 2002 the Lehigh Career and Technical Institute awarded Cynthia the Joint Faculty Board Scholarship for excellence in Computer Aided Drafting.  The Allentown Rotary Club recognized Cynthia’s academic achievement with a scholarship in 2002.