Lab Manager speaks to Katie Scanlon of Svigals + Partners

Katie Scanlon is an architectural designer with Svigals + Partners in New Haven, Conn. Lab Manager recently spoke with Katie about her career, experience, and personal interests.

Q: How did you get started in your career? Did you major in your field in college, get an internship, switch careers mid-stream, etc.?

A: I began as a biology major, then shifted to sports medicine with an eye toward becoming a physical therapist. But my creative ambitions took hold and, much to my parents’ dismay, I dropped my medical career track for the fine arts program. After graduation, I pursued a few different careers including event, portrait and journalism photography, primary school teaching, and restaurant management. Along the way, I was always compelled to photograph architecture and sketch lots of architectural ideas until finally it clicked that people get paid to do these things professionally. So I went back to school, first at the community college level and then for my Master of Architecture which really propelled my career. In hindsight, my medical background has definitely been an asset in understanding and designing laboratory environments.

Q: What is the biggest work-related challenge you’ve faced? How did you overcome it?

A: I was only recently out of school when the architect employing me decided to take an extended trip abroad. He hired a temporary architect for light consultation, but essentially left me to manage the workload in his absence. The moment he left, three clients reached out to request immediate services beyond the expected scope—and my employer was not going to return for almost a month. I reached out to a professor of mine and asked if they would also consult on a short-term basis to help keep things moving. It worked out surprisingly well and I learned quite a lot in that one extremely busy month! 

Read the full Lab Manager article here.