Arica DiTullio, PE is one of hundreds of skilled GAI professionals who help clients create better communities, transportation infrastructure, energy generation and delivery, and more from our office locations throughout the United States. Today we’ll find out a little about what makes Arica tick—the background, motivation, and methods that she brings to the table every day for GAI and GAI’s clients.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your area of specialization and what drew you to it?
Arica DiTullio: I lead GAI’s Environmental Engineering Division in our Power Generation Business Sector; I specialize in environmental engineering projects at power plants and industrial facilities. I have been working at power plants since 2008, and I enjoy the complexity and diversity of the projects. Growing up in Pittsburgh’s Mon Valley, my family would take our boat on the rivers, through the locks and dams, and see the steel works glowing along the riverbank at night. This sparked my interest in figuring out how things work and being a part of the interaction between industry and the environment. I share our clients’ passion for environmental stewardship.
Q: What role do you play at GAI and what sorts of projects do you typically contribute to?
Arica: I am both a division manager and a project manager. My time is spent supporting the career and technical growth of my team while also directing the calculations, studies, and reports needed for the projects that I work on. I manage environmental compliance and engineering projects at multiple power plants across the region. My focus over the past few years has been serving as project manager on the design for coal-fueled power station decommissioning, which includes leading a team of civil, environmental, mechanical, electrical, process, and structural engineers to safely retire coal assets. I also manage coal-combustion residuals landfill inspection programs and the preparation of discharge monitoring reporting for power plants.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
Arica: My favorite aspect of my job is collaborating with a dedicated team of skilled professionals to solve a variety of problems. I really enjoy supporting our clients, who value our contributions and have a true regard for our expertise. I find it very rewarding to take part in developing projects from their inception, and then watch them get built and function the way they were designed to function.
Interestingly, I chose to explore my options at one point and spent about 2 years working elsewhere. Then GAI approached me with an opportunity to grow my career by moving into a more active leadership role. I came back to GAI, and I’m very happy I did so. It was really like ‘coming home’ for me, and I definitely appreciated returning to the company’s collaborative and supportive environment.
Q: Why do you feel GAI is a good place to put your skills to work?
Arica: I started at GAI as an intern, and from the very beginning GAI afforded me the opportunity to learn from talented and experienced engineers and scientists. I have had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects, from noise studies at natural gas compressor stations to wastewater treatment at power plants. At GAI, we continue studying and learning, watching environmental regulations develop, and utilizing emerging technologies to help our clients. Many of our clients view us as an integral part of their team, and we take pride in being a key part of the electric generation process.
Q: What does your typical day look like?
Arica: Every day is unique. My work is a combination of meetings, directing engineering designs, checking project scopes and budgets—and on my best days, I enjoy onsite collaboration with our clients at power plant or landfill facilities.
Q: How do you measure your success?
Arica: I measure success by the growth and satisfaction of project team members and by earning repeat clients. I want my coworkers to feel fulfilled by and enjoy what they do here at GAI. I also want to be an indispensable asset to our clients and build long-lasting relationships.
Q: How do you feel that the job you do at GAI benefits the community and the world?
Arica: Our projects include engineering controls for the disposal or treatment of waste and wastewater created in the power generation process. We also design projects to reduce and/or manage flooding or restore streams and wetlands. In this way, my job directly benefits the community by helping better protect the environment and improving public safety.
Q: What inspires you and what are you passionate about?
Arica: I love problem solving and working with people, so engineering consulting is a great fit for me. When I was a young woman in high school, becoming an engineer seemed like such an ambitious and almost farfetched goal. But persisting through studies was well worth my effort, and a professor at Pitt directed me to GAI as a place where I could pursue my career goals in my area of interest. I am passionate about women in STEM, reaching and mentoring the young women who want to solve problems and build the future.
Find out more about GAI’s Environmental Engineering services—message GAI online and start the conversation about how our multidiscipline professionals can meet your unique project needs.
Arica DiTullio, PE specializes in civil and environmental engineering with experience in managing multidisciplinary projects in collaboration with civil, structural, electrical, mechanical and process engineers. Her expertise spans wastewater, water quality analysis, hydrologic and hydraulic computations, site grading, erosion and sediment control, and stormwater management with a comprehensive understanding of federal, state, and local permitting and regulations.
