Joshua Lacks, EIT

As an Intramural Sports Graduate Assistant I was responsible for the administration of Virginia Tech's Intramural Sports offerings. In the fall of 2022, my first semester in this role, we offered 23 different sports, served 6,243 participants, and employed a student staff of 186 officials, scorekeepers, and supervisors. I primarily oversaw the training of new officials and administration of major team sports such as soccer, flag football, and handball. I also developed improvements for our self-report leagues and implemented Virginia Tech's first ever intramural handball league. This position provided daily challenges that tested my leadership and communication skills as I strove to lead teams of up to 80 student officials per sport and provided a desirable sporting product for our large base of student participants.

As a production intern at Kimley-Horn's Richmond Office, I assisted the Development Services team on multiple small-scale commercial development projects. I provided a variety of services ranging from drawing concept plans and test fits to designing full sheet sets to be submitted for client review. Given my prior experience in this role, I was entrusted with more advanced technical assignments as well as given more freedom to communicate directly with clients all while receiving less guidance from my teammates. This experience helped me gain more experience and confidence in using AutoCAD Civil 3D software as well as allowed me to hone my client communication, teamwork, and problem solving skills.

During the Summer of 2022, I was a Production Intern for Kimley-Horn in their Richmond Office. I was primarily tasked with generating conceptual designs for commercial land development projects using Autodesk Civil 3D. I generated designs for multiple types of commercial sites including gas stations, car washes, restaurants, electrical substations, and retail spaces. Through this internship I learned a lot about conceptual design, working within the scope of local municipal codes, basic site analysis and evaluation, communicating with national and local clients, as well as working with a multi-discipline staff in a highly competitive, results-driven industry.

I was an Intramural Supervisor for the Department of Recreational Sports at Virginia Tech. My responsibilities included managing a staff of up to 18 student employees per shift, maintaining a working knowledge of the rules of all sport offerings, and responding to all participant injury and conduct issues. This position required me to maintain a certification in CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers with First Aid. This job helped me develop strong conflict resolution, leadership, communication, and management skills as I was presented with unique challenges that required me to think on my feet and be creative.

I was a teaching assistant for an introduction to Civil Engineering class at Virginia Tech. I led a class of 20 students once a week where we discussed a variety of professional topics. These topics included: resume and cover letter writing, interview preparations, elevator pitches, public speaking, and career fair preparation. I generated slide decks for each class and was responsible for grading the work submitted by my students. This experience was a great experience as I got to serve as a mentor for young engineers and helped them grow to become better professionals.

I was a Environmental Compliance Intern for the Federal Highway Administration for Summer 2021. I was tasked with compiling enviornmental documents and permits including: Categorical Exclusions, Wetland permits, and ESA Section 7 and NHPA Section 106 analyses.

I was a summer intern in the Highway Design Branch of the Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division of the US DOT. I was tasked with compiling project documents such as safety standards forms and required material spreadsheets that help generate engineering estimates.

I was tasked with developing lesson plans for elementary classes held weekly, helping plan and execute a week long day camp for 150 elementary aged children + 50 volunteers, and provide an office technology inventory including recommendations for computer hardware and software upgrades.

My role at the Metro Richmond Zoo, as a Summer Employee, involved being a Cashier, working in the Food Service Department, grounds keeping, and general maintenance. I was employed during at the Metro Richmond Zoo during the summers of 2016 and 2017.

In May of 2024 I graduated from the Virginia Tech Graduate School with a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Sustainable Land Development. Outside of my academic pursuits, I was hired as the Graduate Assistant for Intramural Sports within the Department of Recreational Sports at Virginia Tech, a position which I held for the duration of my graduate studies.

In May of 2022, I graduated from the Edward Via School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech with Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. I pursued many interests as an undergraduate student, non perhaps more significant to my experience than my time as an Intramural Official and later Supervisor during my final 3 years.