Clarissa Campbell of Kallangur has graduated from the University of the Sunshine Coast with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering and is now working as a stormwater engineer with Moreton Bay Regional Council.

“My role involves managing stormwater flows through planning, design and construction of the piped water network, water treatment devices, and flood mitigation measures, including the construction of levees,” said Clarissa, 24, who majored in in Environment and Water.

“Council provides property based flood reports and flood warnings to residents using the Moreton Alert disaster communication system based on rainfall and stream gauge data from the Bureau of Meteorology. We have some of the best region-wide flood maps in Australia.”

Clarissa said the traditional gender divide was no longer an issue in engineering.

“While there were still more men than women in my uni course and at the engineering conferences and events I attended, in my area at the Council the female engineers outnumber the males by five to three, so things are certainly changing.”

Clarissa, who attended Caboolture State High School, began her studies at USC intending to become a high school physics and maths teacher, but ended up switching to engineering.

“Towards the end of my Science and Education degree I realised the subjects I enjoyed most were the maths, physics and science courses,” said Clarissa.

“The majority of these courses were also studied in the engineering degree, so I knew quite a few engineering students. Basically, I just realised I wanted to do more with the maths and physics than the teaching.”

Clarissa finished the Science and Education degree then, with so many science and maths subjects already completed, it only took her two years to complete the Bachelor of Civil Engineering.

Applications are now open to start studying at USC mid-year. For more information visit www.usc.edu.au/midyear or contact Student Administration at information@usc.edu.au or 5430 2890.

— Jane Cameron