Nathan Lohse
Year Graduated: 
2010

Chief Operating Officer

Western Weather Group

Job Description

We provide weather instrumentation and weather forecasting to a wide range of industries. The data that our instrumentation provides drives the mathematical models used by many engineers. We work with many state agencies that ERE grads work for. I am reminded of something Professor Robert Willis told our Systems Engineering class: the primary job description of an engineer can be boiled down to “an efficient distributor of limited resources.” At Western Weather Group, we provide our clients with data to make decisions on how to efficiently distribute their limited resources, be it irrigation water, manpower, or crops. The best part of my job is applying the problem-solving and critical thinking skills that I developed through the ERE coursework.

Why did you choose this program?

My path to HSU and the ERE program was circuitous, to say the least. I first explored HSU while in high school, with the idea that someday I might be a forester. Procrastination led to my missing the opportunity to attend a four-year university directly after high school. Instead, I attended Sierra College in Rocklin, California, taking whatever general education courses I could get into. After one semester and failing several classes, I joined the U.S. Coast Guard. My military service initially took me to Kodiak, Alaska, and then to St. Petersburg, Florida. Finishing my enlistment, I decided to stay in Florida and begin coursework at Edison Community College in Ft. Myers. I moved back to California after several semesters and started again at Sierra College. I progressed through all the general education requirements, as well as many of the major requirements for engineering majors at California State Universities. I originally planned to apply to the Civil Engineering program at CSU, Sacramento, but on a whim I applied to Humboldt’s ERE program instead. I was accepted, and I began my studies at HSU in Fall 2007.

How did this program prepare you for your job?

I accepted a position as a research assistant for former ERE Assistant Professor Dustin Poppendieck, who was studying air pollution associated with fuel-based lighting in developing countries. My first job out of HSU was as an application engineer for FAFCO, Inc, the oldest solar thermal company in the US. Their primary focus was solar pool heating panels, but they had recently entered the domestic water heating market and needed an engineer to help facilitate the sales of these systems. With FAFCO, I traveled around the country helping our clients solve problems and apply the technology that we developed. I worked there for four years, and then joined my father-in-law’s company, Western Weather Group in Chico, California, with the intent to work toward ownership of the company. I am currently the Chief Operating Officer of Western Weather Group.

What would you say to prospective students who are thinking about applying to this program?

I was older than most of my classmates, and my primary focus at HSU was getting my coursework finished in a timely manner and moving onto start my career. Consequently, I did not get involved in many extracurricular activities related to ERE. This is my biggest regret from my time at HSU, aside from not picking up fly fishing (enormous opportunities in the area). As an employer of scientists and engineers, my advice to ERE students is to get involved in as many extracurricular activities and internships as possible, because not all lessons are learned in the classroom. Applying the skills you learn in the ERE program to real-world scenarios through internships and club activities speaks volumes to potential employers.