How Delia's lifelong desire to understand how things work became the foundation for a career built on discovery.
Following curiosity.
Curiosity has a way of taking us places we never expected.
For Delia Do, Engineer II – Geotechnical at ANS, it's taken her from her family's nail salon to a microbiology laboratory, through a few unexpected career turns, and eventually across the country to help establish ANS's Portland office.
None of it was part of some grand plan. But throughout every chapter, Delia has followed the same instinct: to understand how things work and discover what might happen if she tries something new
Finding the better way.
Long before Delia was solving engineering challenges, she was getting an education in people, processes, and the occasional difficult customer. Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, she helped at her family's nail salon, handling everything from scheduling appointments to navigating conversations that didn't always go as planned.
Later, while working at Noodles & Company, she discovered something a little unexpected about herself. She loved the dinner rush.
While most people might have been counting down the minutes until things slowed down, Delia enjoyed the energy of a busy kitchen. She liked working alongside her team, figuring out the rhythm of incoming orders, and finding small ways to make everything run more smoothly. Even then, she was thinking about how one adjustment could improve the entire process.
Delia has always enjoyed understanding the moving pieces behind a problem, especially when there's a better way to put them together.
Finding her way to engineering.
Engineering wasn't Delia's original plan. She started at The Ohio State University studying pharmacy, but after spending time in a hospital setting, she realized direct patient care wasn't quite what she'd imagined for herself. She still loved science and mathematics. She just needed to find a different way to put those interests to work.
Environmental engineering offered a new direction, combining technical problem-solving with the responsible use of natural resources. Along the way, Delia spent four years in a microbiology laboratory researching natural products and their potential antibiotic applications. It was fascinating work, but she also discovered that a career spent doing repetitive laboratory research probably wasn't for her.
Then came ANS. At a career fair, the company's involvement in renewable energy caught her attention. Geotechnical engineering wasn't exactly on her radar, but the opportunity to apply her technical interests to renewable energy projects was enough to spark her curiosity.
She joined ANS as an intern in Columbus and eventually transitioned into a full-time role. And somewhere between the calculations, soil behavior, and foundation design, she found something that clicked.
"It feels like I'm solving a problem and it's nice to see how all the pieces fit together."
For Delia, that's where the fun is. Not simply arriving at an answer, but working through the details until everything makes sense. After a few unexpected turns, she'd found work she genuinely enjoyed.
A new chapter, of helping others find their way.
During her first year as a full-time engineer, Delia began traveling to Oregon for fieldwork. Having spent her entire life in Ohio, she quickly fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and started wondering what it might be like to live somewhere new.
When she heard ANS was preparing to establish an office in Portland, she saw her chance. Rather than waiting for an opportunity to come to her, she approached ANS leadership and asked to be considered. Before long, she was trading Columbus for Portland and stepping into an entirely new chapter.
Today, Delia supports geotechnical projects while helping a small but growing team find its footing. The move has also given her an opportunity to put another interest to work: teaching. Having spent three semesters as a teaching assistant in college, she's always enjoyed helping people work through problems and discover their own ways of understanding them. Now, she's bringing that same curiosity and patience to training colleagues in Portland.
Beyond the technical work, Delia appreciates the relationships taking shape, from grabbing lunch together to the little things that make a new office feel like a team.
What began as curiosity about a new place has become an opportunity to grow professionally, build relationships, and help others find their footing along the way.
The Roads Beyond Engineering.
Outside of work, Delia's curiosity takes plenty of other forms.
She's been biking since childhood, and during college it became a way to explore beyond her familiar surroundings. She's also developed a love for hiking, thanks in part to the outdoor nature of her work at ANS.
Camping, however? Absolutely not. She enjoys the scenery and fresh air, but she'd prefer to return to an actual bed afterward.
She's also drawn to creative pursuits, including drawing, painting, and cooking from scratch. The results aren't always perfect, but that's part of the enjoyment. When she's in the mood to read, she gravitates toward science fiction and fantasy, especially stories with a little magic or something unexpected. Horror movies are another favorite.
For all her interests, though, Delia doesn't consider herself someone constantly chasing the next big adventure. She's happy with a simple life, good friends, a few hobbies, and the occasional opportunity to do absolutely nothing.
Cerulean Blue, the a suprising vibrancy.
Delia doesn't have a carefully mapped-out ten-year plan. She wants to keep learning, developing her technical abilities, and remaining open to whatever opportunities come along.
When asked what color crayon best represented her, she chose Cerulean Blue. It's a color she appreciates because the crayon itself can seem unassuming, but once applied to paper, it reveals a surprisingly vibrant blue.
It's a fitting choice for someone whose story has unfolded in unexpected ways. From a family business to a research laboratory, and now helping establish an ANS office across the country, Delia has discovered that sometimes you don't know what an experience will reveal until you give it a try.
And while she may not know exactly what comes next, that doesn't seem to bother her much.
After all, there's more than one way forward. And sometimes, curiosity is all it takes to discover another.
