October 29, 2020

We are pleased to welcome Judy Torres, CPD, CDT, our new Senior Design Plumbing Engineer, to Epstein’s MEP Engineering department! Judy started her career with Process AE in Grand Rapids, Michigan as a mechanical engineer. There, she worked on the design of mechanical systems for various building types, including load analysis, equipment and ductwork sizing, and the design of hydronic systems. After moving back to Chicago, Judy joined dbHMS as a plumbing project engineer, where her sole focus was on plumbing and FP. She also worked at Syska for one year before coming to Epstein.

Judy attended the Milwaukee School of Engineering and received her B.S. in architectural engineering with a specialty in mechanics. While there, she participated in programs such as Engineers Without Borders and High School Mentor. She also worked as a sales associate at the retail store Charlotte Russe, which she said was an experience that taught her many things she wasn’t getting from school, including communication skills, customer service, and team management.

Judy is a Chicago native, having grown up in Brighton Park and attended Martin Luther King Jr. College Prep. She now lives in West Lawn. She said math, science and art were her strengths and interests growing up. She actually wanted to be an architect in high school, but took an engineering class, which led her to join a construction competition where her team made it to the finals held in Las Vegas during ConExpo. She then learned of architectural engineering and decided to pursue that field in college.

Outside of work, she loves to spend time with her 2-year-old labradoodle, Wicket, and hit up trails, breweries (her favorite is 5 Rabbit) and wineries. She also enjoys cooking, gardening in the summer, crafting and home DYI projects, and party planning. She is the go-to party planner for her niece, and pretty much everyone else’s birthday in the family. Judy also actively volunteers in the community, particularly with the youth interested in STEM.

Some other tidbits about Judy: She is first generation; both of her parents are from Coahuila, Mexico, which borders with Texas. She speaks fluent Spanish. She loved spending her school breaks with her maternal grandmother throughout high school. She quickly learned to appreciate the luxury of always having running water, while simultaneously appreciating the escape to a tranquil simple place.

Due to COVID-19, Judy had to postpone her wedding party and is keeping her fingers crossed for 2021. We are crossing ours too!

Once again, welcome to Epstein. We are delighted to have you join us!