Engineering as a Whole

Everything an engineer does, according to Isaiah Spencer-Williams, is for public consumption. In his case, the statement is quite literal. Spencer-Williams, a fourth-year PhD candidate in civil and environmental engineering (CEE) at the University of Pittsburgh, studies the microbial communities living in Pittsburgh’s drinking water. But it’s also an important value for Spencer-Williams in a metaphorical sense, especially as he considers his evolving career in engineering. Thinking about engineering—and people—holistically has driven Spencer-Williams to not only engage in research that meaningfully impacts the world but also lift up others on the way.