Meet PEA Group’s Newest Professional Engineer – Lucas Driesenga

PEA Group is excited to announce Lucas Driesenga has officially passed the professional engineering exam, earning his professional engineering license in the State of Michigan.

Although he was scheduled to take the test in April of 2020, he was informed in March that the test was canceled due to the pandemic. Not deterred, Lucas continued studying through materials he received from coworkers, the Civil Engineering Reference Manual (CERM), and practice exams.

The exam was an 8-hour paper and pencil exam divided into two 4-hour segments. The first 4-hour segment took place in the morning and the second later that afternoon. Lucas took the Water Resources and Environmental depth exam, which was the focus of the afternoon section. Due to Covid-19 safety protocols, the exam was given in a large banquet hall in Warren, where the 80 participants each sat at their own table, spaced at least six feet apart, and all of the examinees wore masks throughout the exam.

Since passing the exam, Lucas was able to apply for his PE license, which he received this month. A PE license requires a four-year bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, passing the FE and PE exams, and having four years of experience working under a licensed PE. A licensed PE must stamp every set of drawings to receive approval for construction. With the PE license, Lucas is now able to stamp official PEA Group drawings.

Lucas took this step in his career as he has ambitions to move into a management role, overseeing project engineers. When asked, he stated, “A PE license comes with great responsibility to ensure our infrastructure is built to last. Professional Engineers abide by an ethical code that you must work within your field of expertise and seek guidance when encountering a problem in a different field than your own. In doing this, we hope to provide our clients with the best product possible while utilizing all of the resources available to us.”

Congratulations, Lucas Driesenga, PE, on your achievement.

About Lucas Driesenga

Lucas has been apart of the PEA Group team for 3 years and currently works as Senior Staff Engineer. Lucas received his BS in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University in 2017. He works with project engineers to produce construction plans that include paving, grading, utilities, and drainage. Additionally, Lucas utilizes Civil 3D, assists with the permitting and approval process, reviews submittals and shop drawings, assists with construction administration, and performs inspections.