Joshua Paquette

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I am a civil engineer for the Vermont Agency of Transportation’s bridge design unit. I assist in the design of bridges and culverts throughout the state. I draw up plans in CAD, calculate material quantities, generate cost estimates, and analyze structural systems to determine how much reinforcing steel needs to be in a concrete deck as well as the depth of a steel beams. I have experience as a field inspector where I oversee, monitor, record, and report on work done by contractors that build bridges for the state. I also am involved in outreach such as judging popsicle stick bridges at Vermont State University and being a camp counselor for the National Summer Transportation Institute (N.S.T.I.) summer camp.

I completed the 3+2 engineering program with St. Mike’s and UVM. Through this program, I received a B.A. in Engineering from St. Mike’s as well as a minor in Mathematics and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from UVM. It was really cool being able to take liberal arts courses in addition to the engineering curriculum and I think it made me more well-rounded when I entered the work force.

After college, I passed the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam and became a licensed Engineer Intern (E.I.).

Being in the engineering program at St. Mike’s is a lot of hard work and not for the faint of heart. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and remember to take your Friday nights off. There is also a wonderful campus ministry available to you that was such a blessing for me during my time. I remember going to the chapel the night before all my exams and I was also an altar server for all five of the years I lived on campus.