Networking Is Hard, but Chatting Is Easy

This is a guest post by Dr. Rae Taylor I originally moved to America for a job, assuming I probably wouldn’t be staying very long. But after deciding to settle in America and to move on from that job, and in fact that entire career path, I had to think about what I would be […]
From Laid Off to Starting an Engineering Firm – Ep 250

In this episode, we talk to Aaron Moncur, a mechanical engineer who runs a mechanical design firm called Pipeline Design & Engineering and the host of the podcast “Being an Engineer,” a podcast that collects and shares industry knowledge and best practices associated with the discipline of engineering. We talk about his career journey and […]
The Challenges of Achieving Work-Life Balance as a Maintenance Engineers

Finding an equilibrium between our professional and personal lives is a vital ingredient for boosting productivity and improving our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Behind the elegant facilities and seamless production processes are maintenance engineers who guarantee the reliable and safe operation of equipment. They perform their duties under strict regulations and deadlines. I ask […]
7 Mistakes to Avoid As an Engineering Mentor

The mentor/mentee relationship is one that needs to be defined early on to ensure that engineers get what they need out of it. Most of the time it goes great, and everyone is happy. Sometimes though, things go wrong and that’s how relationships get damaged. Because of this, you need to ensure you’re not making the […]
Large Diameter Foundations in Geotechnical Engineering – Ep 027

In this episode, I talk to Kathryn Petek, Ph.D., P.E., a senior associate and geotechnical engineer at Shannon & Wilson, Inc. in Seattle with nearly 20 years of experience in design, construction, and research about large diameter foundations. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Kathryn:
Civil Engineering Education and Ph.D. Programs in Civil Engineering – Ep 177

In this episode, that is part of our Women in Civil Engineering (WICE) series, I talk to Eva Lantsoght, Ph.D., a Full Professor at San Francisco de Quito & Assistant Professor at the Delft University of Technology. We talk about civil engineering education and how it differs throughout several countries. Eva also touches on the […]
Sustainability and the Fourth ‘R’

I learned at a young age the three Rs that are commonly related to sustainability: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. But I believe there is one more very important “R” that is missing, and that is Responsibility. Engineering is a caring profession, and specifically civil engineering stresses that we protect and advance the welfare of the public. […]
What to Learn and When in Your Engineering Career?

What does getting ready for graduation, starting a new job, preparing to take your FE/PE, or picking a new hobby have in common? They all require some type of game plan to make progress and include direction of where you want things to go. If you don’t know where you are going, any road will […]
How to Get a Group of Engineers to Actually Make Decisions

Engineering, much like other kinds of knowledge work, is fundamentally about making decisions. While factories produce physical devices, engineering teams produce decisions — decisions on how products and services will be designed, implemented, maintained, and retired. Decision-making is at the very core of what we do. It’s surprising, then, that we have so much trouble […]
Timber Structural Systems (in Modern Digital Workflows) – Ep 054

In this episode, we talk to Eli Gould, U.S. Representative at Wood Construction Group, about timber structural systems in modern digital workflows. He talks about some of the challenges in modern timber systems and discusses some of the emerging standards used for data and descriptions in timber structural systems. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of […]