GAI Senior Director, Environmental and Energy Services Bob Houston Jr. marks 50 years as a GAI employee this year. An environmental services specialist and Vietnam War veteran, Bob established the Robert J. Houston Military Excellence Scholarship for Eberly College of Science at Penn State University, a program targeted to undergraduate and graduate students who are either enrolled in ROTC, whose parents are military veterans, or who are themselves veterans of military service. We were fortunate to speak with Bob about his long career at GAI, his wartime experiences, the value of the work we do, and his pledge to help students further their higher-education goals.
Q: Hello, Bob, and congratulations on your half-century tenure with GAI. Can you start off by telling us a bit about what led you to a career in environmental science and consulting?
Bob Houston Jr.: Upon my return from active military duty, I was fortunate to be admitted to the University of Pittsburgh’s ecology program where I had the opportunity to take part in research being conducted within the biology department’s Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology. We were doing research supported by grants from Westinghouse Energy, among others.
I was studying the chemistry of fly ash for Westinghouse, and GAI was studying the engineering properties of fly ash for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and several large utilities. I developed a relationship with GAI when EPRI contracted GAI to develop the Fly Ash Disposal and Utilization Manuals for the industry. The federal government was concurrently implementing the National Environmental Policy Act. GAI was asked to provide environmental regulatory compliance services by several of our clients; I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and joined GAI.
Q: You had served in Vietnam prior to beginning your GAI career—can you tell us a bit about what was going on in your life at that time—and how those experiences shaped your outlook on life and work going forward?
Bob: I was fortunate to have an Army ROTC scholarship at Penn State. Upon entering active duty in 1969, I was assigned to the Memorial Branch of the Army Quartermaster Corps. After a year of training, I became the Mortuary Services Officer at the Da Nang Mortuary in Vietnam.
For a year, I was responsible for the identification, embalming, and shipment of just under 5,000 of our military heroes from all three branches of our armed services. That year had a dramatic impact on me and those I served with. We were responsible to the families and our country to do our very best in preparing the remains of our fellow Americans for return to their loved ones. I learned to be focused on our vital and important mission and on our responsibility to those who gave everything to our nation. That experience put in perspective all the issues I have subsequently faced, including four bouts with cancer.
Q: You’ve established the Robert J. Houston Military Excellence Scholarship for your alma mater, Eberly College of Science at Penn State University. Tell us what inspired you to establish and endow the program and what you hope the scholarship will help achieve.
Bob: I come from a family of four generations of military veterans and have firsthand knowledge of the value that a good education has not only for those we educate, but for our society and nation as well. I was fortunate to have scholarships for both my undergraduate and graduate education, and I feel a strong obligation to try to offer the same opportunities I have had to future generations.
My hope is that these scholarships will help prepare future generations to make discoveries far beyond our current dreams.
Armed with a good education and life-fulfilling experiences, I have been lucky to be able to help others who in many cases have sacrificed far more than I have. My hope is that these scholarships will help prepare future generations to make discoveries far beyond our current dreams.
Q: You obviously have a strong connection to GAI—can you tell us why you feel the company is a good place to put your skills to work?
Bob: From the get-go, GAI provided me with the opportunity to pursue my career goals and build for the future. We are a collection of entrepreneurs and excellence. GAI is a great place to build a career and meaningful client relationships. We thrive on our ability to serve our clients and their needs. I always tell our staff that we are really, really good but not always perfect; if we establish great client and internal relationships, when a problem occurs, we can solve it together.
Q: How do you believe that the job you do benefits the greater community, and what advice would you give to a young person just starting out in the consulting workforce?
Bob: My career and our firm are all about the community. It is our mission to assist our clients to build our nation’s transportation, energy, and engineered infrastructure in accord with our communities’ and our nation’s goals and future needs.
My advice to those entering the workforce is to set your career goals based on your passion and your vision for the future, and to never ignore an opportunity or sacrifice your values.
