Spotlight on Marissa Pimentel ’10, MBA ’15
Heidi Williams
As project manager for SCU’s Department of Projects and Planning, civil engineering alumna Marissa Pimentel ’10 is in charge of remodels and modifications to campus buildings, and supports the capital improvement programs—managing schedules, communications, and more. Here, we put the spotlight on this shining star.
How did your SCU education prepare you for your position?
MP: My civil engineering focus was on transportation and municipal development. I gained a lot experience with CAD [computer aided design] and hands-on projects where I learned so much about time management, prioritizing, and delegation of tasks. Those work management skills have been a great asset. My first role for University Operations was doing CAD drawings for campus buildings, utilities, managing all the space within our technology and making sure changes from construction were up-to-date in our system. Knowing the campus so well gave me a leg up with that.
What does an average day on the job look like for you?
MP: Customer management, always. And it could include budget or contracts meetings, overseeing the different construction companies working on campus, handling move-ins, settling activation of buildings…. A typical day has lots of design construction meetings, paperwork, and initializing new projects.
It’s a good day when…
MP: …you don’t get a call from a contractor! Most of the days are good around here. Sometimes there are roadblocks on our side or on the construction side, but people are accommodating and understand that you can’t plan for everything. If situations arise, we try to get users and construction teams involved early to rectify them.
What keeps you at SCU?
MP: I’ve been fortunate to have an opportunity to move up within my division through different roles where I’ve expanded my knowledge and responsibilities. It’s been serendipitous. I have a real affinity for this place, and I like the history I have here. It’s a very different perspective working here compared with being a student at SCU. Seeing how the university runs, how financial decisions are made, what technology is used, and how they keep the lights on is a mystery to students. To see how it all actually works is fascinating, and I love being a part of it.