We welcome Tara Flaherty as a design engineer and the newest member to our Cincinnati, Ohio structural engineering team.

1. Favorite thing to do off the clock?

I have recently found a passion for dancing. I joined a few dance classes in which I’m learning the bachata, salsa + swing.

2. Most prized possession/what you couldn’t live without (outside of family and friends)?

My speakers are my most prized possession. I acquired them for free, and I worked with my dad to rebuild the speaker cases. Now they make a great centerpiece for my living room.

3. Meet my family.

I am the youngest of four. I have one older brother and two older sisters. My brother, Thomas, is known for his creativity + charisma. My oldest sister, Catherine, has a profound love of animals. My other sister, Vanessa, has a knack for writing songs + designing clothes. My father is known for his hard working mindset, and my mother for her nurturing + loving nature.

4. What are your hobbies?

I enjoy a variety of athletic activities, including running, cycling, dancing and going for long walks exploring different areas. I also enjoy occasionally crafting, making specialized cards and wood burning.

5. What made you laugh the hardest in your entire life?

My brother made a stand-up routine that imitated my parents in the fictional scenario where my mother was in the CIA. The skit was so good that it was the only time I saw my father cry; he was laughing so hard that he was brought to tears.

6. What is the most extreme thing you have ever done?

I was a part of the University of Michigan Women’s Rowing Team. I had 11 practices and dedicated approximately 30 hours to the team each week year round. The most extreme rowing experience occurred in February when we went to row on the lake during a blizzard. We couldn’t see more than 30 ft in front of our boat and had to dodge the remaining ice chunks.

7. What’s your signature dish to cook for family and friends?

I’m not much of a cook, but I enjoy baking. I tend to either bake chocolate chip cookies or banana bread.

8. What’s on your bucket list?

I had two major items on my bucket list: first, to see the Giant Sequoias and second, to see a kangaroo in the wild. I recently accomplished the first item on a trip with my mother following graduation.

9. What is a skill that you don’t have, but wish you did?

I wish I were bilingual. I took a few semesters of French language and studied abroad one summer in Grenoble, France, but never became fluent.

10. If you could design a structure anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I think designing a structure anywhere in the mountains would be cool, seeing how the elevation and additional snow loads would present interesting challenges.