Click here to read more Cougar Corner profiles DANIEL WONG ENGINEERING HIS OWN PATH Daniel Wong (’83, M.S. ’85, Ph.D. ’88) has made a habit out of designing his own destiny, and since first coming to the United States in 1980, the blueprint has undergone several stages of revision. As a high school student in Macau, China, he first applied to the University of Houston on a recommendation from a friend. He had never been to the United States, didn’t know a single person, and spoke very limited English. “I hopped on a bus at the airport, rode it until I hit downtown, and from there took a taxi to campus,” Wong remembered. “I didn’t even have a place to live, but stayed with a few friends who I met at freshman orientation before finding an apartment.” The next nine years would be a model for student success. Wong was actively involved in the Chinese Student Christian Fellowship Association, had a job in the drafting department, worked his way on a scholarship, and quickly earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Facing the expiration of his student visa, Wong followed the advice of a faculty mentor and enrolled in the graduate program, accepting a research assistant position in the process. He would go on to earn both masters and doctorate degrees from UH in civil engineering. “I learned the necessary basics as an undergraduate, and it provided a solid foundation for my career, but graduate school really reinforced the need to think independently,” Wong said. “Finding problems and exploring solutions to problems is what life is all about. My graduate research required me to work with contractors, welders, electricians—I became more than an engineer; I became a project manager.” Post-graduation, Wong planned to enter academia as a professor. He applied for a number of faculty positions, but as his student visa was again approaching its expiration, he took a sure job with a local consulting firm. When the firm was bought out three years later, the consulting experience inspired him to open his own firm: Tolunay-Wong Engineers, Inc. Specializing in geotechnical and hydrogeological engineering, Tolunay-Wong Engineers offers services like erosion control, groundwater improvements, foundation design, and much more. Under Wong’s guidance, it has grown from an office of two employees to a business of 175 employees. “Running an engineering business is very different from practicing engineering,” Wong said. “It helps to know the kind of work my staff is engaged in, but things like finance and personnel management are a different world. I can’t help but think back to my graduate research at UH when I was coordinating with student assistants and contractors. That experience prepared me for my current role in ways engineering classes couldn’t.” First China, then academia, then consulting, then entrepreneurship—then public service? We told you the blueprint was complex. From 2002-2008, Wong served on the City Council of Sugar Land, Texas. This past year, he lost the Sugar Land mayoral race by a narrow margin. As a Life Member of the Houston Alumni Organization (HAO), Wong also served on the HAO Board of Directors for two three-year terms, the maximum allowed, served on UH-Sugar Land’s finance committee, and worked with UH-Victoria President Tim Hudson on the development of the second building phase for the UH-Sugar Land campus. “This university and this city have given more than I ever dreamed,” Wong said. “From Macau all the way to my success now, the least I can do is give back to the communities that have supported my dreams. The University of Houston is certainly the foundation for this civil engineer.” ( more )