Biology
Laurie Beth Nederveld '09
Employer
Barr Engineering/Sr. Ecologist
LinkedIn Profile
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-beth-nederveld-7117b81b
1. Tell us about your journey since graduation.
After graduating from GVSU in 2009, I left my position at
Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr, & Huber, Inc. in Grand Rapids, MI to
pursue a position as an ecologist at Golder Associates in Lansing, now
a part of WSP Global. While there, I assisted Canadian National
Railway with meeting their federal environmental compliance
requirements related to their positive train control (PTC) system. PTC
systems are designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, over-speed
derailments, and incursions into established work zones. After two
years at Golder Associates, I accepted a position with Barr
Engineering's Ann Arbor office in 2015. While at Barr, I have worked
on various environmental compliance projects with our mining, power,
and fuels clients over the past eight years, including four solar
power projects in the Midwest last year.
2. Share a favorite Grand Valley memory.
During my graduate research, I studied the impact of sediment
remediation on stream conditions using a benthic macroinvertebrate
index of biotic integrity. I have many fond memories of wading through
Ruddiman and Ryerson Creeks, both located in the city of Muskegon,
collecting macroinvertebrates, like dragonfly larvae, from logs and
rocks with my research team.
3. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
Words I live by are “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn
as if you were to live forever", which are attributed to Mahatma Gandhi.
4. List three words you would use to describe your Grand
Valley experience.
Engaging, hands-on, and motivating.
5. What difference would you like to make in the world?
I hope to continue to assist utilities and pipeline companies
with their environmental compliance requirements related to wetlands,
streams, and protected species to help them minimize their impact on
the natural environment while still providing the energy services we
all benefit from.
February 2023
Interest Area(s)
Biology
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