Bio:

The great engineer Jenna Kooker grew up in Maryland and spent time along the Chesapeake Bay. Kooker can thank her parents for her love of nature and the water. Kooker works at a coastal engineering firm, Edgewater Resources. She has combined her background of civil engineering and interest in the water and coastal environment into a role she's passionate about. Living in the Midwest after college has given Kooker a new appreciation for lakes. She loves spending time outside, sailing and hiking, or staying in to cook with family and friends..

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How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?

I've always had an interest in architecture, which probably stemmed from visiting cities as a kid, like NYC. I liked the wide variety of job opportunities that civil engineering held, which led me to the intriguing field of coastal engineering.

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What do you do?

I am a Civil/Coastal Engineer for Edgewater Resources, and I wear many different hats in my role. Typically, I work on the design of small craft marinas and shoreline protection, and I perform feasibility studies and cost analyses.

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What excites you in the work you do? 

I love that no project is the same as others I've worked on before. Each time you start something new, you really have to look at the big picture and consider the combination of environmental, social, and economic elements.

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Who or what inspires you professionally? 

I am inspired by my coworkers, the landscape architects who help bring character to my ideas and the engineers who help me design something that works. Each person in this small company has a huge impact in helping my ideas become a reality.

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What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?

I was selected to present about coastal engineering at the SWE conference in 2022. I enjoyed sharing my work and projects around the world, as well as raising awareness of the coastal engineering field so we can make a positive impact on our planet.

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Featured Project Name: 

Neenah Shoreline Improvements

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Featured Project Location: 

Neenah, WI, Lake Winnebago

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Featured Project Completion Date: 

TBD

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Role in Featured Project: 

Lead Coastal Engineer

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Featured Project Description:

This project includes two public parks in the City of Neenah that sit along the coast of Lake Winnebago. The shoreline protection elements are old and deteriorating, in need of a revamp. The project emphasizes the social significance of these parks to the City, keeping in mind the sentimental, historic features in the new design, as well as inviting a local steel manufacturing company to contribute to the shoreline protection solution. Soft or green shorelines are incorporated wherever possible.

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Photography Credit:

Suzie Fromson, Jenna Kooker