#Eweek2026 Spotlight | Sarah Restad
Creating a difference through engineering
For National Engineers Week 2026, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
Who (or what) inspired you to become an engineer?
My dad was an electrical engineer, and I knew I always wanted to go into engineering. I swore I’d never be an electrical because I liked to tease my dad about it. I went into college as a chemical engineer and realized it just didn’t click for me. I made the switch to electrical engineering because it just worked with how my brain works and I never looked back!
Who is an engineer you look up to and/or admire?
There’s a ton of engineers I admire. Everyone in the electrical department at Cushing Terrell is awesome. I work with Jeff Haidle, one of the co-directors of our department, most often and he’s an awesome mentor, especially when it comes design and working through complex problems.
What is your area of expertise and why did you choose it?
I’m not sure I have just one area of expertise. I really like learning everything that goes into electrical so each week or month I try to dive into a different part of what makes up the electrical umbrella. I do really love doing fault studies, which are essentially designed to look at what happens to electrical gear if there’s a fault in the system and what we need to do to ensure safety for the gear and anyone working on it.
What is one of your favorite projects and why?
The Billings Clinic Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was probably one of my favorites. It was a huge effort electrically because light can be very dangerous for premature infants, so Jeff Haidle and I had to do a lot of tests to ensure the design was safe and so we could create a healing environment. It was a super cool project, and the grand opening was last year so it was great to see it done and see the staff really enjoying the space.
Sarah has worked on projects for Billings Clinic, much like the facility pictured here.
Tell us something about the field of engineering that is surprising or not common knowledge.
I think something that’s not common knowledge about engineering is how human focused it is. We tend to think of engineering as someone doing math, but engineering is really all about supporting people in a space, and there’s a lot of considerations that go into it. The coolest part of starting this job for me was learning how engineering in the built environment can make such a difference. I think lighting is one of the best examples: we really have to think about how lighting will make people feel and function in the space.
What things can you not help but engineer in your life?
Where to start…. The lighting in my house will never know peace. Every time I see something cool or interesting at work, I get the idea to change my lighting or program it differently at my house. Buying a house was a bit of nightmare because I couldn’t help myself and had to open every panel and look at every outlet. (I don’t think the real estate agent was a big fan of mine). My family is also made up of a lot of engineers, so when we get together games turn into engineering challenges really quickly.
What piece of advice would you give a young person interested in becoming an engineer?
I think one big thing is that there’s no one way to be an engineer and there’s no certain way an engineer must look. I think its really easy to get caught up in what an engineer should be and not give yourself credit for what you can bring to engineering. Another big thing is that engineering is so broad, it can take you in whatever direction you’re interested in life, and you’ll spend your life learning cool new things about how the world around you works.
Are you involved in activities that help engage students/young people in engineering?
I’ve been involved in quite a few different activities to help students engage in engineering. We often have high schooler students come to our Billings office to job shadow each department to get a feel for what they are interested in. I recently received an awesome letter from a young person who, after the job shadow, decided electrical engineering was what she wanted to do. It’s awesome to work with younger people who have an interest in engineering; they’re always so driven and curious, and I know they’ll be awesome engineers in the future.
Sarah at a Glance
- Electrical Engineer in Training
- Located in Billings, Montana
- Defining characteristics: Drive and curiosity; loves learning new things and understanding how things around her work
- Interests: Sarah is a Culture Ambassador in Billings, which means she helps nourish a thriving workplace culture and helps welcome new team members
Sarah and her fiance were recently engaged in December 2025.
Sarah and her neighbor’s cat (she’s a big cat person)
