2023’s 30 Under 30 EC&M Electrical All Stars: Ian Smith

IAN SMITH

Job Title: Electrical Engineer

Company: CDM Smith

Location: Fairfax, Va.

Age: 29; Years on the Job: 6.5

Interests: Traveling and photography

Ian Smith has always been interested in all things electrical.

“As a kid, I was always playing with anything that used power and was also ‘the button pusher,’” he says.

Born and raised in Arlington, Va., he attended Virginia Tech, where he studied electrical engineering.

“I believe the combination of a strong technical education combined with in-depth field experience has made me a much stronger engineer,” he says. “I continue to grow by both researching new technologies and taking on new types of projects with new challenges, as well as continuing to work on projects in construction and address real-world issues that come up along the way.”

As an electrical engineer, every work day has different work and new challenges.

“I could be working on construction services for a project in construction, the design of a new drinking water plant, a rehabilitation of a sewage pump station, conceptual design of a mega desalination plant, or an arc flash study,” he says. “Each day holds something new.”

His favorite and most challenging parts of his job are the variety and pace of work.

“Things are always changing, and we are always working on new and different projects,” he says.

New technologies allow his company to deliver better products/solutions and eliminate tedious tasks, he says.

“I try to help us be at the forefront by being an advocate for new methods and new technologies,” he says.

Five to 10 years from now, he hopes to have further expanded his technical knowledge and moved into a more technical role. He says he’s honored and humbled to be a part of the 30 Under 30.

“I am surrounded by so many intelligent and inspiring people that to be selected as a 30 Under 30 is a real honor,” he says.