Janet Named Professional Women in Construction Volunteer of the Year: Celebrating Her Commitment to Advancing Opportunities in the A/E/C Industry
November 2024
Since 2021, Janet has been a passionate advocate dedicated to advancing underserved students through her work with the Professional Women in Construction (PWC) Boston Chapter’s Outreach and Scholarship Committee. Her dedication to creating opportunities and fostering industry engagement has made a significant impact on aspiring architecture, engineering, and construction (A/E/C) students.
Janet’s involvement includes participation in school outreach initiatives for scholarships and organizing annual student events, which have inspired many students to explore career possibilities in the A/E/C field. She has been heavily involved in enhancing student engagement by building partnerships between PWC and various student organizations, such as the ACE Mentor Program, CREST, and Haley & Aldrich. She played a role in bringing in speakers from diverse disciplines to represent PWC at various events, providing students with valuable insights into the diverse career paths available within the industry.
One of Janet’s noteworthy contributions was when she volunteered to speak at the STEM club at Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) and participated in the A/E/C career poster session at UMass Boston. Janet was invited as a guest speaker at the UMASS Boston Senior Design class to present “What is Project Management” and discuss why it is important including understanding the importance of establishing project goals, defining scope and team responsibilities, and setting realistic schedules and budgets. In these settings, she shared her educational journey, daily work experiences, and the transitions she made from a technical role to a management position. Her message resonates with students: career paths don’t have to be linear, and motivation is key to navigating one’s professional journey.
Janet is passionate about empowering the next generation of A/E/C professionals through her work at Northstar and within the broader industry. As chair of Northstar’s Internship Recruitment Committee, she plays a role in shaping the company’s future workforce working closely with interns from colleges such as Northeastern University, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston College, Bentley College, Babson College, and Boston Architectural College, as well as through partnerships with organizations like CREST. These interns gain hands-on experience with Northstar’s owner’s project management teams, contributing to projects that include market readiness assessments, punch list administration, site walk-throughs, and attendance at weekly OAC coordination meetings.
Janet is dedicated to promoting diversity and expanding opportunities for underrepresented students in the field. Through collaborations with PWC and Haley & Aldrich, she proposed an internship program to provide exposure to students from colleges often overlooked by A/E/C companies, furthering her commitment to creating inclusive pathways into the industry.
Moreover, Janet has mentored three female and underrepresented students through internships, actively encouraging their participation in PWC events and scholarship programs. Her guidance has been instrumental in their professional development, helping to pave the way for a more inclusive future in the industry.
Janet’s unwavering commitment, impactful initiatives, and inspiring mentorship have earned her the PWC Volunteer of the Year award at the organization’s annual awards event. Her efforts not only enhance the lives of individual students but also contribute to a stronger future for the A/E/C industry.
In her acceptance speech, Janet shared, “Serving on the Outreach and Scholarship Committee has been a great experience for me. I have had the opportunity to learn something new or reflect on our journey. Personally, being a woman wasn’t my biggest challenge in this industry; navigating it as an international student was. Over the years, I’ve witnessed many other international students struggle to adapt to U.S. culture or secure visas to stay in the U.S. Organizations like PWC are coming up with creative ways to open opportunities for underrepresented communities.”
Janet Tse is a Senior Project Manager with Northstar. With over 10 years of combined experience in the commercial real estate and engineering industry, her notable projects include portfolio-wide capital improvement projects and tenant fit-out projects, all executed in occupied buildings. Prior to Northstar, Janet spent four years as a structural engineer in the oil and gas sector. She holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University and an MBA and MS in Finance from Boston College. She actively participates in Northstar’s intern program and Professional Women in Construction (PWC), advocating for diversity and encouraging students to explore careers in the A/E/C industry.
