When Isabell Ellison returned to her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska, for a summer internship at PND Engineers, Inc., she didn’t expect to be designing pile foundations in the Arctic or calculating snow loads on Mount Rainier cabins. That’s exactly the kind of hands-on experience, however, that transformed her understanding of structural engineering.
Finding Her Path in Structural Engineering
Currently pursuing her master’s degree in structural engineering at the University of Washington (UW), Isabell was specifically seeking a local Anchorage experience. Her interest in civil engineering began back in high school through an advanced mentorship program that paired her with a local engineering firm. “They gave me the full foundation in structural engineering by having me design a two-story building project,” said Isabell. The puzzle-solving aspect drew her in. “I love that there’s an actual end product, even if it doesn’t get built. It’s satisfying to see the complete design come together.”
Tackling Arctic Engineering Challenges
Isabell was hired at PND as a 2025 intern, then part-time in October 2025, and has been balancing real-world engineering challenges with her master’s degree coursework. One of her main projects during her summer internship involved designing piles in Utqiagvik on the North Slope of Alaska, where existing piles had been frost-jacked, causing a two-story office building to become uneven with stairs no longer level. The building was originally constructed on piers elevated 3 feet off the ground to maintain air circulation underneath, maintaining the frozen permafrost.
Isabell served as the calculations lead on this comprehensive project. “(PND Principal Engineer Jacob Kopplow, PE) gave me excellent direction,” she said. “He’d tell me, ‘This is what we need. What can you come up with?’ And I’d develop a complete package of calculations and drawings.” The mentorship experience allowed her to ask other engineers for reviews in an iterative process that took the project from design through fabrication.
When challenges arose, Isabell learned the value of asking questions, reassured by her PND mentors that all questions are valuable. Collaborative moments with senior engineers proved to be the most rewarding part of her experience.
"Being able to work on full projects from start to finish gives you the big picture of how to apply what you're learning in school..."
Designing for Extreme Conditions
Working with PND Principal Engineer Sean Baginski, PE, SE, Isabell performed design calculations for replacing two cabins at Camp Muir on Mount Rainier. The team explored timber and steel design options, but the extreme conditions made the decision clear. “The snow load up there is 1,015 pounds per square foot. There’s no way to avoid using steel with loads like that,” Isabell said.
Established in 1979 in Anchorage, Alaska, PND specializes in arctic, waterfront, and coastal engineering and has provided professional services on more than 12,000 projects in our firm’s 47-year history, including more than 4,000 projects in arctic environments, more than 1,000 marine infrastructure projects worldwide, and coastal design services along all five distinct U.S. coastlines. Isabell’s particular project experiences in extreme environments introduced engineering complexity she’d never encountered in the classroom.
“You don’t learn about arctic projects in school,” Isabell said. “I’ve had to learn about snow loads and permafrost calculations separately from my coursework.” She also participated in a pair of site visits for geotechnical work, drilling for core samples—invaluable hands-on experience that complemented her technical training with software programs such as Excel, Enercalc, and RISA 3D.
Bridging Theory and Practice
The impact on her coursework has been significant. “Being able to work on full projects from start to finish gives you the big picture of how to apply what you’re learning in school,” Isabell said. “I have a better understanding of what I want to learn and how I could best learn it, rather than just memorizing information.”
For students considering internships, Isabell’s experience demonstrates how the right opportunity can bridge the gap between theory and practice, moving beyond textbook knowledge and into real-world problem-solving skills.
Interested in an Internship with PND? Check out our Internships page to find current openings.