Early interests and positive role models led Dean Shiskowski to a career
in environmental engineering

Growing up in rural Saskatchewan, Dean Shiskowski enjoyed many outdoor activities with family and friends. The rural roots of his parents and extended family also contributed to an appreciation for earth sciences and the environment. “I also spent a lot of time tinkering in my father’s workshop on a variety of “projects”, and seemed to often have a chemistry set, a microscope, or electronics kit on hand,” says Dean.

Dean enjoying a favorite pastime.

Going to school in a small town in Saskatchewan, Dean was fortunate to have had terrific science teachers. Dean explains, “My physics teacher’s first degree was in mechanical engineering and he held several patents, and my biology teacher was a former National Research Council researcher.”

It was the blending of these early interests and positive role models that eventually led Dean to pursue environmental engineering as a career.

Role models have continued to play a role in Dean’s life. Says Dean, “I have been extremely fortunate to have had very supportive and engaged mentors throughout my career, from my early days as a technologist, during co-op work terms as an undergraduate student, and through to today. All have advanced degrees and encouraged me to pursue continuing education, which had a major influence in my eventual pursuit and completion of doctoral studies.”

Starting his career with the Federal government, Dean’s work involved regulatory aspects and environmental impact assessment reviews of uranium mining developments in Saskatchewan and provided much exposure to the work of consulting engineering and the scientific community. Dean recalls, “When I left that position to pursue university studies, I knew that the consulting industry was where I wanted to end up.”

Dean was familiar with Associated Engineering and it was during the time he was completing his master’s degree at UBC that he interviewed with AE. “I knew I wanted to work for Associated Engineering very shortly after my interview,” says Dean. “What clinched it for me was the tenacity in which the company pursued me after the interview. By the time I returned home later that day, there was a courier package sitting on the step with a letter of offer inside!”

With more than 15 years experience as a Wastewater Process Specialist, Dean has participated in planning, treatment facility evaluation/design, and resource recovery projects across Canada and overseas. One project that stands out for Dean is Associated Engineering’s work for a global, Burnaby-based, high-tech company .Dean relates, “They had a difficult wastewater management/treatment issue, which, from our investigations, was likely unique from any other manufacturing facility in the world. We had to start from first principles to identify potential treatment approaches, which was followed by experimental work with client scientists in their own, impressive laboratory. I also conducted some of the research at the UBC Environmental Engineering Laboratory. We eventually identified a solution and designed and implemented a system that met the clients’ and regulatory agency requirements. It was satisfying to see such a challenge successfully overcome.”

The future of wastewater management looks just as interesting and challenging for Dean. He says,“With global drivers such as energy efficiency and self-sufficiency, resource limitations, and climate change, our projects have become much more complex in the past few years. In turn, our clients face increasingly complicated decisions. Recently I have been investigating and using decision-making methodologies and related software tools to provide structure to these decision processes.”

Dean and wife, Nita

With a rewarding career that continues to be exciting, Dean feels strongly about mentoring and tutoring young staff to help advance their careers. “It is one of the most rewarding things I do as part of my work,” he says, “no doubt because of my own positive experience as a mentee. It is also one of the most important things we can do to ensure the continued success of our firm.”When asked what advice he can provide to young engineers entering consulting engineering, Dean replies, “Actively seek opportunitiesthat interest and challenge you, continually sharpen and expand your technical skills, pursue excellence in your communication skills, and build the interpersonal networks that will contribute to the enjoyment and success of your work.”

Being involved in several Water Environment Federation and Water Environment Research Foundation activities, as well as just finishing a two-year posting as the Chair of the Wastewater Management Committee of the British Columbia Water and Wastewater Association, rounds out Dean’s professional life.

On the personal side, Dean and his wife, Nita, have a home filled with musical instruments which makes for a fun way to spend their free time together. They are also involved in a band (rock and roll/hiphop elements) that plays youth, community, and church events. “Two motorcycles in the garage give me plenty of reason to head out of town. We enjoy skiing and hiking locally and travelling around the world at a moments notice. Then there is always the endless home renovations, plus we are expecting a baby this spring,” says Dean. Hopefully Dean kept that chemistry set, microscope and electronics kit that he used to tinker with - they may come in handy as he mentors his own little one.