Category: Personnel

My Summer Experience at Burian & Associates

Posted on by DaniK2023

Written By: Angelica Beto / Engineering Assistant II

This past summer, I had the opportunity to work for Burian & Associates as an Engineering Assistant II in Grand Forks, ND. It was an exciting time to join the company, as Burian & Associates was in the process of expanding their team and moving from a coworking space to a new private office space in the Gate City Bank building.

Even with the quick growth and fast-paced work environment, Burian & Associates made time to make me feel welcome and gave me opportunities to meet and work with the entire team, including those from different locations. The company also had a retreat in Minnesota lake country at the end of July which allowed all the employees to socialize and team build while focusing on company goals and future plans.

In my position, I got to explore research projects, write technical memoranda, and create professional presentations.  I had an amazing opportunity to work on a large-scale intern project where I, along with the other interns, was able to practice being a consultant. We were introduced to all parts of a project including initial client meetings, research, development of project plans and task creation, client relations, and presentation of findings.

For college students, I believe Burian & Associates offers an excellent intern experience that can link classroom studies to real world situations. I would encourage any students thinking about applying for internships to get involved because there are plenty of opportunities available that will give you a great head start into the world of civil engineering, especially at Burian & Associates.

 

The B&A Team Continues to Grow

Posted on by DaniK2023

Burian & Associates welcomes Sarah Sesselman to its Grand Forks office as its Director of Development.

Sarah has an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering and is a registered professional engineer in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Sarah has a background as a project engineer, project manager, and client manager with an emphasis in rural and regional water system development, planning, design, bidding, construction, and financial planning.

Sarah’s passion is tackling big initiatives and making a difference in life. Her favorite projects are those that don’t have a play book, where there is no choice but to work closely with stakeholders to develop solutions. She loves working with people who embrace challenges and find effective ways to solve all magnitudes of them.

“I chose to join the B&A team because I am excited to use my relationships, project management, and technical skills in a new, fast-paced, and energetic environment. I want to lean into every opportunity that comes my way to learn new things in the engineering consulting world.” Sarah said.

Outside of work, Sarah has numerous hobbies and interests. On an off day, Sarah enjoys spending time at the lake for relaxation. She’s also a big music fan and her current favorite song is One Republic’s “I Ain’t Worried”. Nevertheless, Sarah’s most unique interest is her dream of traveling to space. One day, she hopes to be able to experience a zero-gravity vacation on a tour with friends and family.

As the Director of Development, Sarah will be focusing on sector, client, project, and staff development. We are extremely excited to have her join the team and know she will have a significant impact on our future.

Burian & Associates New Hire Spotlight

Posted on by DaniK2023

Burian & Associates welcomes Dani Prelip to its Grand Forks office as the Director of Research and Planning. Dani is a detail oriented, analytically minded, strong communicator who enjoys technical research and data analysis.  Her educational background and previous work experiences have provided her with immense knowledge and engagement in challenging environments and high visibility projects.

Dani has an undergraduate degree in Cultural Studies, a Master of Arts in Geography with a Graduate Certificate in GIS, and a Master of Science and Technology Intelligence.

Dani has 16 years of experience with the U.S. Navy and is currently serving as a reservist. During her time, she twice deployed to the middle east in support of U.S. Contingency Operations. Additionally, she has several years of program management experience having worked as an Information Management Technical Specialist, and 2-years of undergraduate teaching experience.

Dani completed graduate research on Arctic and non-Arctic states’ pursuit of, and access to, the Northern Sea Route as an alternative to the Suez and Panama Canals for international shipping operations. Applying her Geographic Information Systems knowledge, she used Arctic bathymetric data to create a 3-dimensional visualization of the Northern Sea Route during summer ice-extent lows to identify passage opportunities for standard icebreaker ships. She also conducted extensive historical research on the geopolitical issues associated with the opening of the Northern Sea Route, and what affect the new passage opening would have on Suez Canal operations.

Our president and CEO, Steve Burian, stated “We are excited for Dani to use her unique talents and diverse experience to help serve our clients and communities.”

“I am excited to join the Burian & Associates team. I look forward to applying my skills to the unique challenges associated with local and regional community projects. My goal is to provide customers with meaningful, well-researched insights and guidance that ensure productive, sustainable improvements and development,” Dani said. She is an excellent addition to the team and will make a strong impact at Burian & Associates.

 

Burian & Associates Announces New CAD Manager

Posted on by burianadmin

8/31/2022

Burian & Associates welcomed Kevin Gunderson to its Fargo office last week as the company’s new CAD Manager.

Kevin will lead the company’s growing team of drafters and designers as well as the development of CAD templates, standards, and procedures.  He will also play a key role as the organization continues to expand its Land Development Team.  “I’m looking forward to putting my mark on a smaller firm and growing with the company.”

Kevin has been working in the Civil Engineering industry for 13 years, with the majority of that time being spent working on land development projects.  “We couldn’t be more pleased that Kevin has chosen to join Burian & Associates,” says the Director of the Land Development Team, Kyle McCamy, “He brings tremendous value to our organization.”

Kevin grew up in Moorhead, MN and attended North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, ND, where he earned his AAS Degree in Land Surveying and Civil Engineering Technology. He also currently holds the Minnesota Design of Construction SWPPP Certification.