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TGEP 9: Earthquake Engineering – Dream Big and Aim High!

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Earthquake EngineeringIn episode 9 of The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast, we talk to Menzer Pehlivan, Ph.D., P.E. a geotechnical engineer with a specialization in seismic hazards and resiliency. Menzer knows four languages, has a Ph.D., spent two years working in New York, was featured in a movie, and is now working at Jacobs in Seattle. And in this episode, we have the privilege to talk to this successful engineer about earthquake engineering, and diversity and inclusion in the engineering world.

Engineering Quotes:

earthquake engineering

earthquake engineering

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Menzer in This Episode:

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COVID-19 and the AEC Industry

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This is a guest blog by BigTime Software, Inc

AEC Industry

Navigating how to operate your business through the COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge. While much is still unknown, and we’re a little over a month in the shelter-in-place order, we were curious to see how professional services firms in the architecture, engineering, and consulting industries are adapting.

What we found is that the AEC industry is depending on the resilience of the U.S economy, and the majority do not plan to consider staff reductions. Business owners seem to be taking on the risk themselves, as they likely view their firm as more than just a business, but a personal investment.

Learn more about the choices AEC firms of various sizes are making regarding the CARES Act, business strategy, recovery plans, and more in the infographic below.

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Continuous Learning: Providing Coaching and Accountability

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 This is a guest blog by Mike Burns

Continuous LearningLast month’s blog discussed Embracing a Risk-Intelligent Approach. The guidance stated that we shouldn’t be paralyzed by unknown unknowns, allowing a risk-intelligent culture to support sustainable growth. In these uncertain times, as we respond to broad human suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, I’d like to expand on mitigating unknown unknowns as an introduction to our continuous learning discussion.

A risk-intelligent approach creates a culture where teachers, students – leaders, managers, and staff thrive in a continuous learning environment. As this culture matures; mitigating inherent risks and exploring opportunities becomes a natural output of our sustained discussions. Concurrently, these discussions will surface strategic risks, informed by our trajectory and influenced by systemic threats, e.g.financial crisis, geopolitical events, and pandemics.

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An Engineering Growth Framework for Engineers and Engineering Managers

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This is a guest blog by Amanda Jerelyn

Engineering Growth Framework

Without a proper career path in front of you, chances for further progress seem diluted at best. An engineering growth framework addresses such concerns expediently by providing ground rules and a wide-ranging action plan for those who wish to move ahead in their careers.

The growth framework offers tremendous insights; it focuses on how current jobs and operations can be improved, opens new doors for future opportunities, and accomplishes organizational goals, missions, and objectives.

An all-inclusive engineering growth framework also makes the entire process extremely fair and transparent so that there aren’t any blind corners or discrepancies for those who wish to evaluate their own performance. Both employees and employers can be on the same page, as well as know precisely what the next step should be.

Engineering Growth Framework

It also acts as a definite tool to keep engineers aware of where they stand and what they need to do in order to move up the ladder. It therefore becomes quite a dominant motivational factor for those who identify themselves as a “go-getter”!

How to Utilize an Engineering Growth Framework

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EMI to Serve as COVID19 News Outlet for Engineering Related News

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Like most people, the team here at the Engineering Management Institute is concerned about the COVID 19 coronavirus.

While there are many reputable news and medical sources out there to help you stay informed, here at EMI we’d like to use our platform to keep you up to date on any news related to engineering projects, conferences, events, and so on.

If you have any information related to these items that you would like to broadcast to a wider audience, please let us know.  You can email our content manager here with information you’d like to share, or leave comments below this post. [Read more…] about EMI to Serve as COVID19 News Outlet for Engineering Related News

Revisiting Your 2020 Resolutions: 3-Month Check

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 This is a guest blog by Manny De La Cruz

If you take the time to look at the calendar, you will notice that it is already March. At the time of this writing, several significant events had already occurred in 2020. The mere mention of the following words will conjure up the high-pitched, almost childlike delivery of the phrase “Oh, yeah!” Australia, Mr. Peanut, Kobe, Coronavirus, and Megxit — just to name a few. Was I right? 

Unfortunately, another significant event is occurring in 2020. That’s right — the general abandonment of New Year’s resolutions. In December 2019, I did a latinXfactor series webinar for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, where I highlighted that 46% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions and only 8% of that population will see them realized. In that webinar, I proposed that students pursuing STEM degrees should not only commit to personal resolutions but also to resolutions that would aid their professional development. This same concept should also be applied to professionals in STEM.  

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Be Wary of the Echo Chamber

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 This is a guest blog by Tim Austin, PE

Echo ChamberA few years ago, I attended a conference sponsored by the Florida Engineering Society. The keynote speaker was retired astronaut Story Musgrave. Story is a powerful speaker, and I tremendously enjoyed the many tales of his unparalleled career. One particular story that he shared struck a chord.    

Story was the astronaut who worked on the Hubble Telescope during Servicing Mission 1 to fit the corrective lens. He shared that, in his preparations, he consulted with the world-renowned figure skater, Dorothy Hamill. Many wondered why an astronaut would consult with a figure skater regarding the repairs to the telescope.  

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TCEP 129: Two Civil Engineering Presidents on the Steps They Took to Success

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Civil Engineering PresidentsIn episode 129 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, our fourth episode in our Women in Civil Engineering series, I talk to two female civil engineering presidents from different cities in Texas. They are Julia Harrod, P.E., F.NSPE who is the President of MWM DesignGroup and Bonnie Moss, P.E. who is the President of MBCO Engineering. We talk about the steps they took to become successful civil engineering presidents and they also provide some great advice on how you can become a productive and successful civil engineering professional in your field.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask These Two Civil Engineering Presidents:

  • What are the ups and downs of being a business owner?
  • Tell us about the philosophy of work/life balance.
  • How do you prioritize your tasks for the day?
  • How did you obtain the necessary financial experience and skills to run a company?
  • What is it like to be a civil engineer in Texas?
  • Tell us about the hiring process you follow.
  • Did you always want to be the president of a firm?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode:

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Engineering in the 21st Century: 3 Most Essential Basics to Remember

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This is a guest blog by Anastasia Moore

Engineering in the 21st CenturyRapid change has become the epitome of the 21st century. Over the past years, humanity has made a significant step in the development of all industries known to us, and even more changes are yet to come.

Fast-paced technological progress has made tangible adjustments to every sphere of our lives, and engineering is not an exception. What people thought was impossible twenty years ago is now our new reality, and there is no way to hide from these changes.

How to stay relevant and competitive as an engineer? What should a specialist keep in mind to succeed? In this article, we are going to take a closer look at this matter and find the answers!

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How to Start Your Own Engineering Practice

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How to Start Your Own Engineering Practice is a guest blog by Allison Hail

How to Start Your Own Engineering PracticeSo you want to start your own engineering practice? Becoming an independent engineering consultant can be very lucrative. It also gives you freedom over the work you do. But it is a very different lifestyle than working for an engineering firm. There are several important items to consider before taking the plunge.

Find Your Niche

As any engineer will tell you, engineering is an enormous field of work. Even within your specialization, there is a huge variance in the kinds of projects you might take on as an engineering consultant. With innovations occurring every day in the tech sector, this variety is only set to increase.

This presents a wide array of possibilities to specialize your practice. While it may not be wise to be picky about the type of projects you take on at first, aim to be carving out a niche for yourself over time. Building a profile as the go-to person for certain kinds of projects will reduce the time you need to spend finding new clients. As word of mouth spreads, clients should start coming to you off the back of your reputation.

Stay on Top of the Admin

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