Ololade Akinbamilowo, a master’s civil engineering student at Johns Hopkins University in the Department of Civil and Systems Engineering (CaSE), is gaining invaluable real-world experience through her summer-long internship with the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA). Originally from Nigeria, Ololade’s journey has been characterized by a commitment to applying her academic knowledge to practical challenges in the field.
Last year, Akinbamilowo was one of several students working with professor and principal investigator, Michael Shields, on an urgent bridge vulnerability assessment of U.S. bridges following the collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge due to a shipping vessel collision. The team’s study was funded by the National Science Foundation and examined the frequency of predicted ship-bridge collisions to determine the likelihood of catastrophic collisions and identify at-risk bridges. Akinbamilowo credits Shields with sharing the internship opportunity and encouraging her to apply.
“Working with MDTA’s construction management division has been a really good experience for me,” Akinbamilowo said. “I’m working on a variety of bridge and transportation projects to maintain and improve the state’s infrastructure, so I am learning all the different aspects of transportation planning and design.”
So far, Akinbamilowo’s day-to-day responsibilities include scope of work planning, quantity surveying for demolition, reviewing and developing cost estimates, preparing work orders in collaboration with the Maryland Transportation Authority, assisting with bridge inspection studies for load ratings, and learning more about the pile driving process.
Akinbamilowo’s responsibilities have also included conducting fieldwork, which she finds particularly engaging. “Being out in the field allows me to see the practical application of our designs and plans. It’s one thing to analyze data in a classroom, but it’s quite another to see how that information translates to projects that affect people’s daily lives,” she said.
Her field work includes supporting construction management for the new Key Bridge, which will be delivered through the progressive design-build method, where construction and design happen concurrently as a collaborative effort among the owner, designer, and contractor. She’s also helping to replace deck panels on the Bay Bridge, working overnight to avoid voluminous daytime traffic.
Akinbamilowo will return to Hopkins’ Homewood campus this fall to begin her final semester in the master’s program, but having completed two semesters, she feels like she is already well-prepared for a full-time role in civil engineering.
“The classes in the master’s program have given me a valuable foundation for real-world practice. We learned about structural analysis and structural designs that take into account leaning wind load,” she said. “I’ve also learned so much beyond engineering in this internship, like permitting for natural resources preservation and all of the other aspects of building a structure in water. I’m able to see the whole project, not just a bridge,” she said.
For other students considering an internship during their time in the civil and systems engineering master’s programs, Akinbamilowo said she would encourage them to seek out and research available internship opportunities, starting with the department to build a network and connections to industry. She said they should be proactive and use available resources such as Hopkins’ Life Design Lab and the annual CaSE Career Fair, and try not to be discouraged, even in the face of rejection. Most importantly, she says not to be afraid of asking questions.
Reflecting on her experience with MDTA, Akinbamilowo shared how the internship has given her an appreciation of other civil engineering roles and helped solidify her career goals.
“Overall, I really enjoy working for a state organization. It’s a great opportunity to contribute to projects that ensure public safety and have a national significance,” said Akinbamilowo. “I also really enjoy working with other professionals, like geotechnical engineers and environmental scientists, who have helped me gain knowledge outside of an academic setting.”
“Since working with MDTA, I can now narrow down my future career to either construction management for transportation, or structural engineering for bridge design,” she said.