Our People – Elyse Johnson | The New PE on the Block
Elyse Johnson is a Mechanical Engineer at iFactor. To celebrate Engineers Week 2020, specifically Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, we sat down with Elyse to learn more about one of California’s newest professional engineers.
Q: What is your favorite project you’ve worked on, and why?
A: Every project I learn something new!
Q: If you could give one piece of advice to a young professional entering the engineering field, what would it be?
A: Ask a lot of questions and accept every opportunity to learn.
Q: What is the greatest work of engineering genius?
A: Air conditioning, of course!
Q: What might we find you doing on a typical Sunday afternoon?
A: Making big batches of food so I don’t have to cook during the week.
Q: If you had one superpower, what would it be?
A: Be in two places at once.
Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: When someone says they don’t want any dessert, but then they ask for a bite of your dessert.
Q: As a kid, I thought we would have _____________ by now.
A: Virtual filing cabinets in our brains.
Q: How would you describe your job to a 3rd grader?
A: Do you ever come in after playing at recess on a really hot day, and the classroom feels nice and cool? I’m the one who makes that happen.
Q: How many stamps do you have in your passport, and what stamps do you hope to add in the next five years?
A: 6: Canada, Australia, England, France, Italy, Greece. I am planning to go to Thailand, Cambodia, and Singapore in the next year.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A: Traveling makes you aware of how other people live. It also makes you more interesting at parties.
Q: How long was the longest line you’ve ever stood in, and what was at the end of the line?
A: 2.5 hours for the Radiator Springs Racers ride at Disney California Adventure Park when it first opened.
Q: Most people don’t know this, but I’m pretty awesome at _____________.
A: Packing boxes. I played a lot of Tetris as a kid.
Q: What’s something most people don’t know about you?
A: I love music of all kinds! I have everything from Glenn Miller to Mac Miller on rotation. Because I love music, I have been to quite a few concerts, including Aerosmith, Paul McCartney, Queen, Guns and Roses, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, E-40, Florence and the Machines, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc… But my all-time favorite is the Rolling Stones. I have seen them three times, including last August at the Rose Bowl.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about living in California?
A: Del Taco. The weather is nice too.
Q: What would your autobiography be titled?
A: “ ‘Eating Raw Cookie Dough Hasn’t Killed Me Yet’ and other words of wisdom by Elyse Johnson”