Tim Jones

In his role with the Phoenix Fire Department, Tim Jones can appreciate Arizona State University’s dedication to innovation and its community.

“I’m involved in a profession that demands innovation in order to stay afloat and react to the demand of a rapidly growing city,” says Jones, who has held positions as a project and human resource manager, an instructor and someone responsible for first-responder safety during emergency incidents.  

The Tempe, Arizona, native chose to pursue a degree in environmental and resource management at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU because it focuses on the protection and sustainability of the environment, two things that are very important to him.

Larry Olson, an associate professor and the program chair for environmental and resource management, has been an important part of Jones’ time at ASU, during which he has balanced his education, his full-time job and raising his 12-year-old daughter with his wife. 

“Dr. Larry Olson assisted me in settling into a challenging degree program while trying to balance home and work life,” Jones says. “His patience and mentorship were very helpful when enrolled in courses such as the Chemistry of Hazardous Materials and Principles of Toxicology.”

Jones finds engineering to be fun when he is using mathematical concepts to solve challenging problems. In one project he worked on, he says it was rewarding to find the solution to a complex water treatment problem that involved both inorganic chemistry and intricate math concepts.

He also worked with the City of Glendale on its recycling program while he was a student.

“The project involved innovation and technology, advertising, public education, budgeting and alternative funding options for municipalities,” Jones says. “It captured all of the potential responsibilities of an environmental manager.”

After graduation, Jones will continue his work with the Phoenix Fire Department. He will bring with him the new skills he has learned at the Fulton Schools — an institution that Jones believes challenges students to be innovative and prepares them for complex and rapidly changing industries. 

“Engineering has drastically improved my critical thinking abilities,” he says, “which is applicable to so many things in life, including small projects at home to more complex challenges in my profession that assist in protecting the safety of first responders.”

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ Fall 2021 class here.