National Engineers Week 2023:Β Haoyu (Robert) Wang
NYPA is celebrating Engineers Week to recognize the achievements and contributions of our talented engineers in developing and maintaining reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions for New York State.
Name: Haoyu (Robert) Wang
Title: Mechanical Engineer II
Location: WPO
What is a typical day/week like for you?
A typical day for me is collaborating with on-site and home office personnel, providing engineering solutions to NYPAβs generation facilities, and performing calculations and engineering analyses on multiple projects.
What drew you to NYPA as an engineer?
NYPA initiated great projects such as decarbonization and revitalization of the hydro generation plants. The contribution I can make to the organization will bring values to the state and the nation.
Can you describe your professional journey and how it led you to NYPA?
My professional journey started with an engineering/consulting firm, where I gained lots of analytical knowledge on providing engineering solutions. NYPA provided opportunities for engineers like me to integrate into existing and future projects. Also, upon joining NYPA, I am broadening my technical and management background as an engineer. This means a lot for career advancement.
Can you tell us about one of your best accomplishments in engineering? What about this project makes you most proud?Β
In the past, I performed engineering calculations and piping and equipment stress analyses, as well as site walkdowns, mostly for new power plant design and construction. At NYPA, my biggest project is still ongoing, which is the High Energy Piping program at the Zeltmann Project. It has been a successful journey during the past two years with this project. We identified multiple piping failures and saved the plant from many unexpected and forced outages and made it a safer place to work.
Do you have any advice for engineering students or engineers just entering the workforce?Β
Yes -- when a new engineer enters the workforce, one may be asked to perform certain tasks using an existing software/program. This would make the engineerβs life easier as everything has been set up but make sure to spend more time to learn and ask the engineering theories on the backend. So, the engineer will understand how the process works and it will be helpful in a long run.
What drew you into the discipline of engineering?Β
I like mechanical engineering as it is related to cars, engines, robots and other cool stuff I liked when I was a child. I always wanted to learn how it works so I chose to study the mechanical discipline.
What kind of engineering skills would you like to develop in the near future?Β
I would like to gain more engineering skills in plant and transmission operations. My past was more about design, but to be able to gain more knowledge in operations will help me assist NYPAβs projects better.
What personal characteristics do you think are needed to become a successful engineer?Β
Be open minded, communicative and be willing to help others. Engineering is not a one-man show. It requires a collaborative mind and it is a teamwork process.
What types of challenges in engineering do you enjoy?Β
To proactively analyze and figure out an issue before it happens.
Why did you choose to become a Professional Engineer?Β
A PEβs requirement includes comprehensive understanding of various aspects of the engineering world. Also, most importantly, it makes sure that the engineer holds a high standard of engineering ethics, which should be very crucial in this field. A PE is also highly regarded as an individual, and driving for excellence is also a virtue that I hold myself up to.
