Derick Hallahan is a senior supervising engineer at Parsons Brinckerhoff and has been involved in many important transit projects as a civil engineer and project manager throughout his career, including 10 years at Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Hallahan has carried out a variety of assignments with federal, state and local transportation agencies, including: transit/highway studies in suburban Washington, D.C., transit system master planning in Baltimore, final design and construction coordination for an intelligent transportation system in New York City, development of an environmental impact statement for a subway extension and major redevelopment plan in New York City, preliminary engineering/final design services for a commuter rail tunnel between New Jersey and New York City, a transit program management assignment in Washington, D.C., transit master planning efforts for a major rail yard in New York City, and engineering/feasibility study for a major transit infrastructure project along the Northeast Corridor in New Jersey.
He was selected to attend the Eno Center for Transportation Leadership 2011 Transit Mid-Manager Seminar in Pittsburgh, Pa., and he participated as a 2007 Fellow in the American Road & Transportation Builders Association Young Executive Development Program in Washington, D.C. He is also a member of the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York Continuing Education Committee and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
At Parsons Brinckerhoff, Hallahan spearheaded an internal continuing education program to coordinate courses for employees to maintain their professional license requirements and has been a member of Parsons Brinckerhoff's Professional Growth Network which seeks to promote an awareness of career development opportunities for the firm's emerging professionals throughout the U.S.
In addition to his work for Parsons Brinckerhoff, Hallahan has taken part in a wide range of community and volunteer activities intended to provide educational and career opportunities to students and promote the engineering profession:
- He led outreach efforts with local colleges/universities to provide summer internship opportunities for 20 interns over a three-year period and coordinated mentoring sessions for these interns, some of whom he continues to mentor
- He partnered with Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J., to offer students engineering experiences during their year-long (two-semester) senior design project
- He worked with Garrett Morgan Academy (GMA) high school in Paterson, N.J., to develop an Engineering Design and Development (EDD) senior project, the capstone course in the Pathway to Engineering Curriculum, as designed by Project Lead the Way and taught to GMA students
- He participated in Senior Experience, a student internship program with Bergen County Academies high school in Hackensack, N.J.
A Career in Transit
“Since the beginning of my career I have lived or worked in major metropolitan areas, including Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and New York City. My experiences have fostered a balanced understanding of the critical transportation needs that American cities and states face in order to drive local and national economies, as well as maintain quality of life. Improving and maintaining the transportation infrastructure is vital for sustaining/creating employment growth and expanding overall accessibility, both locally and nationally. These types of issues initially attracted me to the field of civil/transportation engineering and, over the years, strengthened my appreciation for this country's magnificent transportation infrastructure.
“I have been fortunate that my career has provided me with a variety of project experiences with federal, state and local transportation agencies. Partnering with federal, state and local officials, while also working with the public, has enabled me to directly experience the personal impact resulting from transportation infrastructure projects.
Tomorrow's Employees
“I have also had opportunities to work with and mentor younger professionals who are in the early stages of their careers, as well as students who are contemplating engineering, architecture, planning and/or construction careers. I find working with these individuals highly rewarding and it helps to promote the profession to professionals who will make positive contributions to the public transit industry.
Community Impact
“Early in my career, I had the opportunity to be engaged in planning studies that involved a significant amount of public outreach and input. Through interactions with the public at various transportation hearings, I was able to directly experience the integral impacts of public involvement on the shaping of a project. At one particular meeting, I experienced the personal passion and opinions from individuals with opposite views of the project, an impacted property owner versus a frustrated commuter. This experience provided me with early insight on how transportation projects impact the surrounding communities and environment and the importance of evaluating project alternatives that need to be operationally efficient and cost effective, yet also minimize impacts.
“My career experiences have further exposed me to all phases of transportation projects, from the early planning stages to detailed design and construction. I have been fortunate to learn from some very talented mentors throughout my career who have advised me on how to approach challenging assignments and have instilled in me the importance of proper communication and collaboration amongst team members.
A Rewarding Experience
“What I like most about the public transit industry is working on projects and systems that people depend on every day professionally, socially and personally, contributing to their quality of life. I have always lived in areas where transit accessibility is important and I enjoy being a transit user both at home/work and when exploring new transit systems in my travels.
“It is also rewarding to work on challenging transit projects that require a multi-disciplined approach and constant collaboration amongst team members to ensure that projects are advanced using sound engineering judgment; are safe and operationally efficient; are environmentally and community sensitive; and are cost effective. One of the most satisfying benefits of this profession is that at the end of a project, the products of your work efforts may be seen and utilized by many for decades to come."
