The Engineering Commons Podcast

In a conversation with electrical engineer Cherish Bauer-Reich, we consider factors that encourage or dissuade women from entering the engineering profession. Over the past thirty years, Jeff has seen a definite increase in the number of women attending engineering school. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) reports that women now comprise around 14% of … Continue reading Episode 49 — Women in Engineering →

We talk with electrical engineer Bob Schmidt about troubleshooting in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. Please help us improve the podcast by filling out our 2014 Listener Survey! Adam, Brian and Jeff agree that troubleshooting computer software problems can be a frustrating process. Our guest for this episode is Bob Schmidt, an electrical … Continue reading Episode 48 — Troubleshooting →

Adam leads the group on a discussion of project management in this episode of The Engineering Commons. Please help us improve the podcast by filling out our 2014 Listener Survey! Brian feels any technically interesting project is probably of sufficient complexity to require a project manager. Since Adam has a certificate in Project Management, he … Continue reading Episode 47 — Project Management →

Jeff, Adam, and Carmen discuss the highlights and back stories from last year’s episodes of The Engineering Commons podcast. Please help us improve the podcast by filling out our 2014 Listener Survey! Carmen is hoping that when he moves into his new house, and can convert the Dr. Suess bedroom into a office, he will … Continue reading Episode 46 — Review 2013 →

We talk with civil engineer, author, and coach Anthony Fasano about steps one can take to ensure a successful engineering career. Although Jeff’s engineering career hasn’t led to huge financial success, he considers it to have been successful, as he has gotten to work on a lot of interesting projects, and meet many fascinating people. … Continue reading Episode 45 — Success →

In this episode, we consider how engineers deal with ambiguity, uncertainty, and risk. Carmen would be willing to take a 50/50 shot at $1001 tomorrow over a certain $500 today. Most people are risk-averse when dealing with gains, and would take the sure money. According to the article “The Five Neglects: Risks Gone Amiss,” (Berger, … Continue reading Episode 44 — Ambiguity →

We talk about context and learning with Chris Gammell, founder of the Contextual Electronics series of instructional videos. Adam’s favorite lab course in school was Bituminous Materials, which investigated the properties and characteristics of asphalt. Our guest, Chris Gammell, recently tweeted about Christmas Ale from the Great Lakes Brewing Company, and we inquire about his … Continue reading Episode 43 — Context →

Guest Erica Lee Garcia explains the role of process improvement tools such as Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, and Statistical Process Control in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. Although process improvement tools are widely used in manufacturing, not all engineers are familiar with their usage. Our guest is Erica Lee Garcia, a Professional Engineer … Continue reading Episode 42 — Six Sigma →

Guest Sophi Kravitz helps us understand some of the issues involved with starting a one-person consulting firm. Jeff started out on his own in 1994, but had a rocky beginning before landing on his feet. Carmen fears that, left to his own devices, he would spend his days watching Seinfeld reruns. Our guest, Sophi Kravitz, … Continue reading Episode 41 — Going Solo →

Guest Stefan Jaeger joins us to discuss the portrayal of engineers in literature and mass media. If his work life were a procedural crime drama, Brian’s not sure whether he’d be portrayed as a hero or a villain. Brian enjoyed the movies Real Genius and Sneakers for their representations of quasi-engineers. Our guest, Stefan Jaeger, … Continue reading Episode 40 — Engineering Fiction →

We enjoy a wide-ranging conversation about nuclear power with guest Akira Tokuhiro in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. Out at the road construction job site, Adam notes that most of the energy is provided by diesel fuel. Our guest, Dr. Akira Tokuhiro, is a Professor of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at the University … Continue reading Episode 39 — Nuclear Energy →

We talk with engineer Bill Porter about his work with underwater robots, electronics, and science education. Our guest, Bill Porter, works for the Naval Surface Warfare Center, where he develops autonomous underwater vehicles. Bill was a guest on The Engineering Commons podcast a little more than a year ago, in an episode titled STEM Education. … Continue reading Episode 38 — Underwater →

Guest David E. Goldberg talks with us about shifting expectations for engineers, and reveals the crucial skills needed by tomorrow’s engineering professionals. Listening and questioning are important skills for today’s engineer, but these subjects are rarely addressed in the engineering curriculum. Our guest is David E. Goldberg, who is the Jerry S. Dobrovolny Distinguished Professor … Continue reading Episode 37 — Emergent Expectations →

We talk about amateur radio with Alan Wolke, W2AEW, in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. Jeff got interested in amateur radio around the age of twelve or thirteen, while leafing through his father’s Heathkit catalogs. Amateur radio allows licensed enthusiasts to use allocated radio frequencies (RF) for non-commercial communications. The term “ham” was … Continue reading Episode 36 — Ham Nation →

We consider engineering as a knowledge network in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. Adam relies on his colleagues to help him coordinate his work, as well as to provide him with technical guidance–such as in conducting a Proctor soil compaction test. Carmen similarly has to share information within his office about running a … Continue reading Episode 35 — Knowledge Network →