ASCE Plot Points Podcast

One of the most important and divisive transportation trends of 2019, dockless scooters have taken U.S. cities by storm. Kristin Musulin, senior editor for Smart Cities Dive, breaks down the positives, problems and possibilities (1:04). In today’s Origin Story, we hear from Greg Kuklinski about how his love for civil engineering goes all the way back to his days in the crib (10:34). And in a particularly insightful round of Member Memos, we go further down the scooter rabbit hole (14:20). Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS * SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY * SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY * SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER

ASCE published “Becoming Leaders: A Practical Handbook for Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology” in 2008, co-edited by Carolyn Emerson and the late Mary Williams. The book proved so essential that, 11 years later, Emerson helped put together an updated and expanded second edition. Emerson talks about challenges she saw for women in civil engineering more than a decade ago and what progress she has seen since (2:00). In today’s Extracurricular segment, Marsha Anderson Bomar tells us about her chocoloate obsession and her career as a restauranteur (14:30). And in Member Memos, we ask if you have seen any improvements during the last decade for women in civil engineering (19:30). Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS * SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY * SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY * SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER

You have to know yourself before you can be yourself. For Clint Martin, that meant taking on the Appalachian Trail thru-hike for nearly six months in the woods before starting his first full-time civil engineering job. He talks about how the experience helped make him a better civil engineer (1:20). We hear an Origin Story from Vanessa Eslava, a civil engineer in San Diego who gives back to the students of her community (14:45). And Member Memos asks what civil engineers do to “find themselves” in the right frame of mind for a big project (18:36). Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS * SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY * SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY * SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER

Storytelling is an essential skill.  The ability to share information about a project or about the kind of work you do has the power to influence and connect audiences. It can also be the difference between booking a job or not. The way you frame and tell your own story is absolutely critical. So today we tell stories about telling stories. Alex McDowell, an award-winning production designer for dozens of Hollywood films, talks about the way he is blending storytelling and data-driven research for ASCE’s Future World Vision (1:43). In Changing the World, Ariel Christenson explains how she crafted her “infrastructure story” to advocate for infrastructure investment on Capitol Hill (15:39). And in this week’s Member Memos segment, civil engineers talk about how storytelling helps them with their work everyday (20:06). Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS * SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY * SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY * SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER

Mental health is not something you can simply snap your fingers and fix. And it’s not something you should ignore either. On today’s episode of “ASCE Plot Points,” Elyssa Dixon speaks candidly about the steps she’s taken to make herself healthier and happier (1:08). Then in the debut of a segment called “Extracurricular,” Joe Natale explains how his love for the performing arts has had a positive effect on his career (12:20). And in Member Memos, civil engineers offer tips on how they manage stress in the workplace (16:46). Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS * SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY * SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY * SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER

Previously on ASCE Plot Points … We met civil engineers from around the world. We got a better picture of what civil engineers looks like – through their work, their personalities and their stories. In fact, we met so many amazing people and heard so many great stories, we needed to hit pause and take a break. But we’re back. Season 2 of ASCE Plot Points begins Oct. 1. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS * SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY * SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY * SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER

The only thing more stressful than making a plan is not making a plan. Especially when it comes to your career. On today’s ASCE Plot Points, Kelly Doyle Keselica explains how mapping out your own personal vision can provide a guideline for your life (1:06). In this week’s Civil Engineers Are Not Boring segment, ASCE Past-President Kristina Swallow details her unique, daring, and definitely not boring hobby (12:02). And finally, ASCE’s 2019 New Faces of Civil Engineering college honorees get one sentence to outline their own personal visions for their civil engineering careers (16:56). Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS * SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY * SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY * SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER

Every generation sees the world through a different lens. But has the smartphone revolution made the current generation gap more difficult to navigate than previous changes? On today’s episode, Muhammad Elgammal discusses the situation from his unique perspective: young professional in the field/wise teacher in the classroom (2:33). In the Career Minded segment, Maria Lehman, business development director for Parsons’ New York region, talks about the skills she thinks young civil engineers need to develop to propel both their own careers and the industry (14:44). And in Member Memos, we hear tips on workplace communication between civil engineers who hail from different generations (19:17). Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS * SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY * SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY * SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER

Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs has been a staple of teacher training for decades, providing a guideline for working with young students. But what if you took the theory and applied it to what a community needs to reach its full potential? In a sense, that’s what civil engineers do every day. On today’s episode, we hear from Logan Johnson, the Neighborhood Development Project Management for NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire, working to help the communities in her home state (2:35).  Then Lauren Swett talks about how she inspires others as the chair of ASCE’s Leader Training Committee (10:50). And in Member Memos, civil engineers explain how their work has brought them closer to their communities (14:02). Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS * SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY * SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY * SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER

It being Valentine’s Day week, it seemed like a good time to find out how civil engineering won your heart. In today’s ASCE Plot Points, we hear Origin Stories of true love from five civil engineers: Molly Bennett, a senior staff engineer for the City of Cheyenne, WY (2:24); Sam Hovde, a civil engineering student at the University of Wisconsin–Platteville (4:44); Elyssa Dixon, an environmental engineer for SoundEarth Strategies in Seattle (10:10); Shiffy Feldman, a civil engineering student at the University of Illinois at Chicago (13:35); and Brian Ditzler, a project engineer for the Timmons Group in Richmond, VA (14:59). And in Member Memos, we hear from Beth Albrecht and Ken Mika about what made them fall in love with civil engineering during college (6:38). Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS * SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY * SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY * SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER

Even if your job or role at work isn’t explicitly to consider big-picture planning, it’s still probably a good idea to stay aware of a larger context beyond just your desk. We’re here to help you improve your big-picture thinking skills by asking civil engineering leaders how they manage the big picture in their work. Today, we talk with Roger Millar, the secretary of transportation for the state of Washington, who discusses the way he approaches the unique challenges in his state (2:27). Then, Rossana D’Antonio, deputy director for the Los Angeles Department of Public Works, talks about her team’s forward-looking embrace of sustainability concepts (10:23). And in Member Memos, April Lander, Sharon Stecker, and Chloe Gharios share leadership lessons (14:43). Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS * SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY * SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY * SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER

Effective communication is more essential to civil engineering than ever. The great irony, one you’ve likely recognized, is that as technology and social media make communicating with other people easier than ever, the ability to truly connect with someone only gets more difficult. Jaffer Almosawy, a civil engineer for GCW Inc. in Las Vegas and a 2018 ASCE New Face of Civil Engineering, navigates the world of civil engineering communications remarkably well. In today’s episode, he talks about the importance of developing both your interpersonal communication skills and your social media game (1:25). Chuck Karunathilake, a design engineer for Mark Thomas in Santa Ana, CA, tells us his civil engineering Origin Story (12:18). And in Member Memos, we hear about how social media can help your civil engineering work (14:38). Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS* SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY* SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY* SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER

When you were a little kid, everybody asked you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And your answer truly could be whatever you wanted it to be. Baseball player? Sure. Firefighter? Yep. Ballerina. Why not? The more ambitious your dream, the more creative your hopes, the better. So now that you’re an adult, why stop approaching your career with the same dream-chasing wonder? Today, we hear from civil engineers who never stopped going after their dream job. Jazzy Quinabo is a civil engineer for Jacobs, who is working on a long-term assignment that puts her all over her home state of Hawaii helping future generations of children (1:25). In this week’s Changing the World segment, Don Nguyen tells about a bridge project he’s working on in Seattle that has him excited (8:25). And in Member Memos, we hear more about what a civil engineer’s dream job looks like (11:14). Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS* SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY* SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY* SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER

At its core, civil engineering is a service-driven profession. So it shouldn’t be surprising that so many young civil engineers enter the profession motivated to help their communities, near and far. On today’s episode of ASCE Plot Points, we look at that culture of kindness. The executive director of Engineering Without Borders USA, Cathy Leslie, talks about her work, about EWB-USA, and what she sees in today’s young engineers (2:56). In this week’s Changing the World segment, we hear from two Colorado State University students, Cheyenne Maio-Silva and Jasmine Akers, who are working on a Community Engineering Corps project in South Dakota (12:47). And finally, our Member Memos crew tells us how their civil engineering work is giving back to the community (15:36). Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS * SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY * SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY * SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER

It’s the perfect New Year’s resolution. It improves your physical fitness. Saves you money. Helps the environment. What activity could do all of these things? Riding your bike more often, of course. Jeremy Chrzan can help. He’s the multimodal design practice lead for the Toole Design Group in Silver Spring, MD, and on today’s episode of ASCE Plot Points, he talks about his work connecting the community to the bike lane (1:52). Then Peyton Gibson, a young civil engineer in Denver, tells her Origin Story on how she got to where she is today and what she hopes to accomplish (15:03). And in this week’s Member Memos, Josue Vaglienty takes for a ride on his bike commute to work (17:39). Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. * SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS * SUBSCRIBE IN GOOGLE PLAY * SUBSCRIBE IN SPOTIFY * SUBSCRIBE IN STITCHER