Irazema S. Rojas, UTEP BSCE, 1995, MSCE, 2010.

“We are going to be amongst the first that will be implementing this program to further clean reclaimed water and make it available for drinking water purposes. That is the new trend, we are pioneers. We are in the forefront with a handful of other municipalities that are venturing into that type of technology.”

CE: Why did you become a civil engineer?
IR: It was something that I was attracted to by the things I liked to do since I was little, I was always building things, I was very crafty. It wasn’t until junior high, when I visited one of my cousins who was a candidate for a Ph.D. program, talked to me about what I wanted to study. That was a conversation I hadn't had with anybody. He asked me if I’d heard of civil engineering to which I replied, ‘No.’ ‘All the things that you like to do? Those are things that a civil engineer would do,’ he said.

CE: How did UTEP prepare you for your career?
IR: One of the greatest things about UTEP was collaborating with my professors who provided me with a strong foundation to begin my career. One professor in particular, Dr. Oey, was very helpful in preparing us for what was the non-research tier, the practical aspect of civil engineering. He had that liaison with the community to provide students with networking opportunities, that's how I began working at several organizations.

CE: What projects in the El Paso area have you worked on?
IR: Part of my first assignment at El Paso Water was to update a 10-year plan dedicated to the replacement of a cast iron pipe. It has persisted for more than 20 years since its implementation. When I was permanently hired, I worked on pipeline rehabilitation. We worked in conjunction with the city of El Paso replacing water and wastewater pipelines after street restoration to extend the life of entire infrastructures. My responsibility grew to handle all the projects done in conjunction with the Texas Department of Transportation. Those projects are now bigger in scope, they became the multi-million projects I worked on.

CE: How has your work affected the lives of everyday El Pasoans?
IR: The Reclaimed Water Program is something that gave me great excitement and pride. My reach went way beyond the municipality. Now, we are going to be amongst the first to implementing this program to further clean that reclaimed water and make it available for drinking purposes. That is the new trend, we are pioneers. We are in the forefront with a very small handful of other municipalities venturing into that type of technology.