Michael Dew

Background

About Michael Dew

I'd like to start with my favorite engineering joke. After many years of faithful service, the Engineer decided it was time to retire from the Company. The Company's management hosted an elaborate party as thanks for the Engineer's service, and afterwards the Engineer settled in for his new life as a retiree. A few months passed, and the Company's management called him, in a state of panic. They explained that the Company's Machine had broken down and no one knew how to fix it. They promised to pay the Engineer whatever he wanted if he would come back and tell them how to fix the Machine. Reluctantly, the Engineer agreed. The next day, the Engineer showed up at the Company, bright and early. He spent the entire day inspecting the Machine, and at the end of the day, marked an "X" in chalk on a particular piece."Replace that, and the Machine will run perfectly." Management was overjoyed, and, true to the Engineer's word, when the part was the replaced, the Machine sprang to life. When they received the Engineer's invoice for they were shocked at the cost for a single day's work and demanded an itemized invoice. The next day, it arrived, reading: One (1) chalk mark:$1 Knowing where to put What tickles me about this joke is that it goes to the core of what being an engineer is: knowing where to put it. In the world of hydraulic modeling, anyone can be taught to use the software, mash the keys, and come up with AN answer. But how do you know if it's the RIGHT answer? That's what my 20+ years of experience allows me to do, whether it is combining similar models to minimize maintenance, automating functions to streamline processes, or recognizing and accounting for all factors that could influence the outcome of an analysis. I'd like to end this summary with a quote from Red Adair:"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur."