Nick Tooker, ENGIN 111
Dr. Nick Tooker is this year's professor of ENGIN 111, the intro to CEE class taken in your first semester at UMass. He has expertise in the Environmental and Water Resources Engineering area within the CEE department and has a strong passion for such topics. Outside of UMass, Dr. Tooker is a licensed professional engineer and the chair of the plant operations committee for the New England Water Environment Association; he is also involved with the Water Environment Federation’s program committee. Thinking of earning a PE license or joining such organizations? Dr. Tooker’s a great point of contact! He also enjoys running, biking, baking, and spending time outdoors with his adorable dog Ollie (who occasionally makes a surprise visit to outdoor Student Hours).
What characteristics do you see in students who succeed in your course and the program?
Generally the students who thrive are those who are actively engaged in learning. They ask questions, come to Student Hours and review sessions, actively participate in class, help friends who are struggling with homework, and also seek help when they are struggling. Being willing to work hard is also a key. I have friends who hire summer interns or full-time graduates and they always tell me that they'd rather have a hard-working B student than someone who coasts their way to straight As.
If you can, get to know your professors! We're here for you and enjoy helping students learn. We also have connections for your future internships, research projects, graduate school, or employment.
How do you spend your time outside of engineering? What other interests do you have?
I love to run, hike, bike, and spend time outdoors. That is part of the reason I am an environmental engineer. I want to make sure that we preserve natural beauty for future generations. I'm also an avid baker and have been known to bring cookies (frosted with engineering equations) to review sessions!
It's not really outside of engineering, but I am one of the faculty mentors for the Engineers Without Borders group. We are currently collaborating with communities in Kenya and Ghana on access to clean and reliable water, and we also have two projects locally in the Pioneer Valley!
What animal or color would you use to represent your lab/class? Why?
I think that my Australian Cobberdog, Ollie, is a great mascot to represent ENGIN 111. Just like the class, he is high energy, happy to explore anything, and a little frenetic at times... but also supportive, empathetic, caring, and incredibly loyal. Much like Ollie, the class is a lot of work, but very rewarding!
You originally majored in chemical engineering for your bachelor’s. Why did you choose to specialize in CEE instead afterward?
At the end of my bachelor's, many of my classmates were taking jobs in the petroleum industry or with semiconductor manufacturers. But I had taken a class on wastewater treatment during my junior year and absolutely loved it! The change from chemical engineering to environmental engineering was an easy one because many of the things I learned about as an undergraduate were applicable to the work that I did in graduate school and also as a professional engineer. I was just applying my knowledge to wastewater treatment instead of petroleum refining.