Engineers Week Spotlight: David Rudloff is Making an Immediate Impact to the NSF Dahlgren Team
23 February 2021
WASHINGTON - David Rudloff, mechanical engineer, is representing Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Washington for Engineers Week. He serves in the Public Works Department at Naval Support Activity South Potomac, Naval Support Facility Dahlgren.
WASHINGTON - David Rudloff, mechanical engineer, is representing Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Washington for Engineers Week. He serves in the Public Works Department at Naval Support Activity South Potomac, Naval Support Facility Dahlgren.
Rudloff has only been aboard for a few months but has already provided great benefit for the team at Dahlgren. He is involved with several renovation projects. He also possesses a license and experience in fire protection engineering and thus has his hands in several fire protection projects as well.
“With renovation projects that require continued occupancy, the problem-solving process often includes both a technical and logistical thought process necessary to keep critical support systems operational throughout the project,” Rudloff said. “NAVFAC provides a unique opportunity to work on interesting projects while contributing to the [Command]. It was for me the right opportunity at the right time.”
Rudloff is from just outside of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in the Hudson Valley region. As a child, he loved taking things apart to see how that worked and possessed all the classic building and engineering toys.
“As a teenager, I built my first stereo from a kit, which was a great experience with my Dad, who was an engineer and offered lots of encouragement.”
Out of high school, Rudloff attended a 2-year school associated with the State University of New York and earned an associate’s degree in HVAC technology. From there, he transferred to the Rochester Institute of Technology to complete his engineering degree. He notes that engineering is a versatile field for those up to the challenge.
“Engineering can offer a challenging and rewarding career path for those who enjoy challenges. It is a process of applying a combination of physics, technology and creativity to solve problems and create new designs. With the so many facets offered by multiple disciplines, young engineers have the opportunity to specialize, generalize or engage in a combination of engineering disciplines.”
One of Rudloff’s favorite quotes that he thinks sums up the power of engineering comes from none other than Isaac Asimov: “Science can amuse and fascinate us all, but it is engineering that changes the world.”