Celebrating DHC’s Women in Engineering
By Victoria Nago | June 20, 2025
All Posts
In celebration of Women in Engineering Day, we’ve interviewed Christine Strong and Victoria Nago, two women engineers who are making their mark on the industry.
Christine Strong is an Associate Engineer concentrating on the structural design of temporary structures including scaffold and structural shoring as well as permanent seismic anchorage. Outside of work, Christine enjoys practicing and teaching yoga, hiking with friends, and picking up new hobbies. She also volunteers as the International Project Lead for Engineers Without Borders, designing systems that harvest clean drinking water for communities in Peru.
Q: What inspired you to become an engineer?
A: At a young age, I was fascinated by TinkerToys and toy helicopters rather than dolls. I was always internally motivated to figure out better ways to solve problems. In high school, I discovered a passion for service and decided a future in civil engineering would allow me to seamlessly blend my talents and interests to build a better world.
Q: What advice do you have for future women/girls in engineering?
A: Take up space and never forget that you belong in the room. The ratios of men and women in engineering and construction are extremely unbalanced. It can be intimidating to step into the field, but remember, you have so much value to contribute.
Q: How is your work shaping the industry and the world in a positive way?
A: My work contributes to the function of our society, supporting the building and maintenance of structures that contribute to various community goals including health, education, housing, and more. Every day, I make decisions that are critical to maintaining worker safety. I work with teams to create innovative ways to get work done within tight budgets and timelines while mitigating risk and prioritizing constructability.
Q: What qualities do you have that make you good at what you do?
A: I am a hard worker, a team player, and a great communicator. I’m always ready to get projects done, work things out, and consider the interests of everyone involved.
Q: Why is it important to have women engineers?
A: Women bring diverse perspectives to the table that can contribute to the well-rounded success of projects and companies. Interpersonal skills like empathy and collaboration may be more likely to flourish in workplaces with diverse leaders and contributors, leading to stronger company culture and better business outcomes.
Q: What are your hopes and dreams for the next decade, relating to women and engineering?
A: I hope to see more women shaping the industry and continuing to trailblaze for the future engineers to come. I dream of a world where women represent an equal presence in engineering, construction, and leadership roles.
Victoria Nago is an Associate Engineer concentrating on the structural design of temporary structures including excavation shoring and temporary support of utilities. In her spare time, Victoria enjoys going to the beach, going on adventures with family and friends, and trying out new recipes.
Q: What inspired you to become an engineer?
A: In high school, I had the best physics teacher who was also a former engineer. All the projects and experiments we did applied the principles we learned in a fun way. That creative application of math and science sparked my interest in becoming an engineer.
Q: What advice do you have for future women/girls in engineering?
A: Be diligent in your work, keep learning from your peers and mentors, and believe in your capabilities!
Q: How is your work shaping the industry and the world in a positive way?
A: I’d like to think that my work and efforts are creating more connections in the industry and are cultivating the mentality that we are on the same team doing our best to keep everyone safe and provide excellent service.
Q: What qualities do you have that make you good at what you do?
A: I am organized, patient, and always ready to learn.
Q: Why is it important to have women engineers?
A: Women engineers can bring another perspective to a project. They also tend to be good at looking at the overall picture and are good at multitasking which are both important to keep projects on time and on target.
Q: What are your hopes and dreams for the next decade, relating to women and engineering?
A: In the next decade, I hope to see more women in engineering. I also hope that engineering will seem more welcoming and less intimidating of a profession to women as well.