Travis Miller, one of LDA Engineering’s newest employees, joined the company in February as a Geomatics CAD Designer. Travis’ work at LDA has involved collecting field data then using the data to make base drawings for sewer lines, wastewater treatment, and stormwater systems. Travis says his favorite things about LDA are the work and his fellow employees. “There are a lot of really good people here and the work is interesting,” he said. When reflecting on his role as a CAD designer he noted, “You have to be a very visual thinker and be able to picture in your mind how something is supposed to look and have an idea of how to make that come about.”
Travis didn’t start out at college as an engineering major; he had planned to be a teacher. In high school, he was a “teaching fellow” for a 5th grade science and math class and a student teacher for 7th and 8th grade STEM students. But a couple of years into his program, he made a decision that changed his career path. “I grew up remodeling houses with my dad and they did similar things in the Engineering Technology program; it peaked my interest more than Education did.” He added, “I realized I was more comfortable doing stuff like than standing up in front of kids.”
Travis went on to graduate from East Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in engineering technology and a concentration in product development. He continues to believe in the value of educating students in the STEM areas and looks forward to participating in LDA’s STEM education outreach in the future.
He lives with his wife, Melanie, in Maryville and loves the beauty and peace he finds here in east Tennessee. In his spare time, Travis enjoys hiking on the greenway and in the mountains, playing video games, and reading. He also plays guitar and built one in an engineering class at college.
LDA Engineering’s Geomatics Manager, Jim Albert, is pleased to have Travis on board and says, “Travis has made a great addition to the LDA Geomatics team. He is a recent ETSU graduate that continues to build his skillset by learning and expanding on new survey, GIS, and CAD concepts he has learned while at LDA.”