GeoHeroes - Carrie (Foulk) Rodriguez

GeoHeroes - Carrie (Foulk) Rodriguez About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Carrie (Foulk) Rodriguez, Geotechnical Group Leader at BSK Associates, who shares her inspiring journey from a youth spent moving around the U.S. to becoming a leading figure in the geotechnical industry. Carrie discusses her early life, education, and varied career path, highlighting the pivotal moments and challenges that shaped her professional trajectory. She also provides insights into her leadership style, involvement in GBA, and her thoughts on the future of the geoprofession. Listeners will gain valuable advice for aspiring engineers and a deeper understanding of the geotechnical landscape. Series Summary In this podcast series Guy Marcozzi will interview past, present, and future leaders in the geoprofessional industry to explore their personal and career journeys. The goal is to understand what motivates these individuals and what insights they have for the future of the profession. The podcast will examine the skills and qualities that have contributed to their success, as well as their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. About Our Guest Carrie (Foulk) Rodriguez – Carrie Rodriguez is a senior geotechnical engineer at BSK Associates in Livermore, California. She has been in this business for about 22 years, and is the geotechnical technical lead for BSK, as well as the geotechnical group manager in Livermore. She has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington (1996) and a master’s degree in geotechnical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (2002). She is professionally licensed as both a civil engineer and geotechnical engineer in California. She is a director-at-large on the GBA board of directors. Our Host Guy Marcozzi – Guy Marcozzi is the current GBA president and an experienced CEO, President and Board Member with a demonstrated history of working in the engineering, science and data technology industries and in leadership for various boards of ESOP, non-profit, professional and business organizations. Discussion Topics: Introduction 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome Early Life and Education 01:21 Carrie's Early Life and Background 05:28 High School and College Journey Career Path 11:17 First Jobs and Lessons Learned 12:43 Transition to Geotechnical Engineering 17:14 Balancing Career and Family Leadership 21:31 Current Role and Reflections 23:52 Advocating for Geotechnical Engineering The Geoprofessional Landscape 24:50 Changes in the Geoprofession 27:05 Engaging the Younger Generation 32:17 Harnessing Social Media and Technology Speed Round 36:36 [BOOK] John Muir: The Eight Wilderness Discovery Books by John Muir 36:48 Personal Insights and Advice 39:20 Optimism index 40:43 Biggest accomplishment 42:40 What would you change if you had it to do over again 44:19 Advice to someone entering the profession 46:18 Best advice you've received Final Thoughts 48:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Calls-to-action: Visit the GBA Website at https://www.geoprofessional.org for other training resources and reference materials and/or to become a member. Visit https://www.gbapodcast.com for future Podcast Episodes Contact us at [email protected] with any podcast-related questions or comments Subscribe Subscribe to the GBA Podcast https://www.gbapodcast.com/subscribe This episode was produced by the following GBA Members: Ryan White, PE, GE – Principal Geotechnical Engineer/PBS Engineering and Environmental LLC