What are our alumni doing?
Rachell Nagorsen
Graduation Year: ‘13
Major(s) and minor(s): math major, geology and philosophy minors
Post-grad education:
Current position: Engineering Programs Coordinator
Employer: City of Walker
The most helpful aspects of my undergraduate education in mathematics were: My position requires I communicate effectively with various municipalities, public safety officers, civil engineers, elected officials, and numerous other people with different backgrounds. While I use conventional math every day, Mathematics gave me an early foundation in clear communication of technical concepts, a necessary skill in my current role.
The advice I’d offer to current undergraduate students in mathematics: Take a variety of courses, not just those required for your math degree. Math pops up everywhere and can give you a unique perspective while also broadening your horizons.
Value and retain professional relationships. Contact them when you need professional advice. I promise people further into their careers are happy to offer guidance (or a reference letter!). Pay it forward by becoming a mentor for others coming up in your field.
In a typical day in my work, I:
- Manage all aspects of the City’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
- Serve as Chair of the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW). We bring together local municipalities and community stakeholders to address issues facing the Lower Grand River and its watersheds.
- Implement new MS4 regulations. These regulations include how new developments or redevelopments must manage stormwater runoff on their property in a way that improves water quality, protects downstream areas from erosion, and prevents localized flooding from increased impervious surfaces.
- Assist in the development and implementation of the LGROW Design Spreadsheet tool. This tool was created to assist civil engineers and reviewers to verify the volume of stormwater runoff that must be managed on a property, quantify how much is being treated through stormwater infrastructure, and various other parameters that a site design must meet. Developing this tool was a multiyear, regionally collaborative effort and has allowed consistent interpretation of stormwater regulations throughout the Lower Grand River watershed.
- Serve on various boards and committees as a representative of the City of Walker and as a steward of the Grand River.
- Utilize Geographic Information System (GIS) software in multiple aspects of my job, ranging from FEMA flood zone maps to interactive construction StoryMaps.
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