The Civil Engineering Podcast

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, we talk with two engineers from Alaska that decided to start their own firm and really focused on people development within their firm. They are Garret K. Gladsjo, P.E.and Lucas Chambers, P.E., co-owners and principal engineers at proHNS LLC. We talk about how investing in your staff […] The post Why People Development Is Important When Growing a Civil Engineering Firm – Ep 188 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, I talk to Jamie Graham, P.E., PTOE, Traffic and Transportation Department Manager at Carroll Engineering Corporation, about project development plans and how they can set your projects up for success. Jamie also talks about the skills he looks for in project engineers when he is building a team. Engineering Quotes: Here Are […] The post Project Development Plans: Ensuring Project Success – Ep 187 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Ryan Getz, P.E, Managing Partner at WGA Consulting Engineers, about how he grew his civil engineering firm from seven to 50 people, and the role that your staff plays in building a business. Ryan also gets into the importance of reinventing yourself and how […] The post The Secret to Building a Not So Average Civil Engineering Firm – Ep 186 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, the ninth episode in our Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs Series, I talk to Brian Barker, P.E., M.S., Principal at Deuel & Associates about how to start and grow a civil engineering company successfully, specifically some of the challenge you will face when you start, and how to overcome them.  Brian also talks about […] The post How to Grow a Civil Engineering Company Successfully – Ep 185 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, which is part of our Women in Civil Engineering series, I talk with Elia Twigg, PE, who is the local agency manager and Senior Project engineer for CONSOR Engineers about her career work in the private AND public sector, and how she had to manage more than 20 people at the age […] The post Transitioning From Private to Public Sector: Being Thrown Into the Fire – Ep 184 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Christina Tipp, PG, CEG, a professional geologist, and Jason Island, P.E., QSP/D, a senior civil engineer, both from SHN, about the crossover between geological engineering and civil engineering, and how and when you need to get geological engineers involved in your civil engineering projects. […] The post The Importance of Geological Engineering in Civil Engineering Projects – Ep 183 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode,  I talk to Michael Dooley, P.E., LEED AP, the Principal at Bayer Becker about in-house training programs for civil engineers. Mike is involved with several professional organizations, including the Urban Land Institute (ULI), National Association for Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP), University of Cincinnati Real Estate Roundtable, and Tristate Society of Healthcare […] The post Five Tips for Improving In-House Training Programs for Civil Engineering Firms – Ep 182 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In the episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk about a topic that is of the utmost importance to civil engineering professionals which is relationship building. I will look at it from the perspective of someone that is not comfortable networking, whether they are shy, an “introvert”, or they’re just uncomfortable in social settings, […] The post Building Your Networking Skills as a Civil Engineer- Ep 181 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, the eighth episode in our Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs Series, I talk to Kevin Riggs, P.E., President & CEO at Cole Design Group, Inc. about growing a civil engineering company and developing your team. He also shares a very interesting story of how he went from an employee to owner of a large […] The post From Employee to Owner of a Civil Engineering Company (In Just 60 Days) – Ep 180 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, which is part of our Women in Civil Engineering series, I talk to Hannah Albertus-Benham, a Senior Water Resources and Environmental Engineer at Wood, about the challenges of working in a highly scientific project with real impacts on a community, as well as harnessing teamwork, communications, and collaboration to be successful. Engineering […] The post Harnessing Teamwork, Communications, and Collaboration (to Make Civil Engineering Projects Successful) – Ep 179 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, the seventh in our Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs (CEE) series, I talk to Bonnie Moss, P.E., President at MBCO Engineering, LLC, as part of our Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs series about growing your civil engineering firm and why being proactive offers a business a lot of advantages. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the […] The post Growing Your Civil Engineering Firm: Being Proactive, Not Reactive – Ep 178 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

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 […] The post Civil Engineering Education and Ph.D. Programs in Civil Engineering – Ep 177 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

Today is International Women in Engineering Day, and to celebrate the amazing work that women engineers around the world do, we talk to Natalie Carmen, P.E., as part of our Women in Civil Engineering Series. Natalie is a civil engineering project manager with the design, engineering, and planning firm Stewart, and talks about her experience […] The post Working in a Multi-Disciplined Civil Engineering Project Design Team – Ep 176 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In the episode that is part of our Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs series, I talk to Peter Atherton, P.E., President and Founder of ActionsProve, LLC, and author of Reversing Burnout, about the recently released Future of Work in Engineering & Architecture 2021 Report. The 2021 report was conducted by Actions Prove, in partnership with the Engineering […] The post Future of Work in Engineering & Architecture 2021 Report – Ep 175 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, that is part of our Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs series, I talk to Rene Portieles II, P.E., the Chief Executive Officer of Epic Forensics & Engineering, Inc. about his journey of starting an engineering company and how today, they are building a vision-driven civil engineering company around one […] The post How to Build a Vision-Driven Civil Engineering Company – Ep 173 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Luna Lu Ph.D., the ACPA Professor and Director of the Center for Intelligent Infrastructure at Purdue University, about intelligent infrastructure and how it can benefit civil engineers and the community. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Dr. Luna Lu Ph.D.: Can you please provide […] The post Intelligent Infrastructure: A New Vision for Civil Engineering Professionals – Ep 172 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Professor Malcolm Chrisp, who is the Head of the School of Energy, Infrastructure & Society, at Heriot-Watt University. Joining him today are five of his master’s level students who have been helping him explore a possible Celtic Crossing, a submerged floating tube bridge linking […] The post Submerged Floating Tube Bridge (SFTBs) Explained – Ep 171 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Peter Moore, P.E., LEED AP, ENV SP, F.ASCE, President of Chen Moore and Associates, and official nominee for worldwide ASCE President-Elect in 2021 about his experience over the years being a leader at a very fast-growing civil engineering company. The interesting part about his […] The post Leading a Fast-Growing Civil Engineering Company in Today’s World – Ep 170 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Maria Lehman, P.E., F.ASCE, ENV SP, the Director of U.S. Infrastructure at GHD, and an official nominee for the worldwide ASCE President-Elect 2021. Maria will be talking about America’s infrastructure, the ASCE Report Card, the needs of the civil engineering profession, and how civil […] The post Civil Engineers Need To Lead the System of Systems – Ep 169 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, the third in our Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs series, I talk to Jenny Snape, P.E., Managing Partner at Batture, LLC about building a vision-driven company with a social mission that does both profit and pro-bono work. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Jenny: How did you end up joining […] The post The Importance of Having a Vision-Driven Company (and Developing Your People) – Ep 168 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Tabitha Lafferre, E.I., an Assistant Professor of Engineering Technology at Fairmont State University about how the ASCE 2020 Report Card for West Virginia’s Infrastructure was a way of connecting engineering students with experienced professionals. Joining Tabitha in the conversation is one of her students, […] The post ASCE 2020 Report Card – West Virginia | Bridging the Gap for Young Civil Engineers – Ep 167 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, which is part of the Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs series, I talk to Brian Smith, P.E., civil engineer and founding partner of Urban Design Partners, about growing a civil engineering firm, but specifically around growing your people. Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Brian: How does one go about learning how […] The post Growing a Civil Engineering Firm: People Development Strategies – Ep 166 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, I talk to Milos Vasiljevic, PE, Program Manager at HDR, about fostering innovation on major infrastructure projects, and I mean mega projects. Milos has worked on some really interesting projects and will discuss some of the details and benefits of working on these megaprojects. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the Questions […] The post Fostering Innovation on Major Infrastructure Projects – Ep 165 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, I talk to Douglas Frost, P.E., a Senior Vice President at Dewberry. Douglas currently serves as the Quality Assurance Manager for the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion, and in this episode I talk to him about this project, which is the largest construction project in Virginia’s history. He also talks about Dewberry’s involvement […] The post An Exclusive Look Into the Largest Construction Project in Virginia’s History – Ep 163 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, I answer a question that I get from civil engineering students almost daily. Should they seek full-time employment immediately after completing their undergraduate studies or go to grad school and pursue a master’s degree? And I promise you, whether you are a student, a project manager, an owner, or a CEO, you […] The post Should I Go to Grad School or Apply for Civil Engineering Jobs? – Ep 161 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, I talk with three guests who are all heavily involved in the ASCE Texas 2021 Infrastructure Report Card. They are Patricia Frayre, P.E., founding principal of Frayre Engineering & Consulting, Griselda Gonzales, P.E., Principal Engineer at The Goodman Corporation, and Mark Boyd, Ph.D., PE, the principal engineer at LCA Environmental. They talk […] The post 2021 Infrastructure Report Card — ASCE Texas Section (and How You Can Get Involved) – Ep 158 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, I talk to Melissa J. Batula, P.E., the Deputy Secretary for Highway Administration at PennDOT, about her amazing career journey from starting in the private sector to now being responsible for overseeing all of the roadways in Pennsylvania as well as the 9,000 people who work for the DOT. Engineering Quotes: Here […] The post From Draftsperson to the Deputy Secretary of the Highway Administration at PennDOT – Ep 157 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

Having a healthy work-life balance is a difficult challenge even in the best of times, but it is becoming more and more necessary during these times of economic stagnation and uncertainty. That is why, in this week’s episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, Ken Mika, P.E. M.ASCE, a project engineer and office leader for Geosyntec’s Green Bay, […] The post Work-Life Balance Strategies for Civil Engineers – Ep 156 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, I talk to Gil Hantzsch, P.E., FACEC, the CEO at MSA Professional Services, Inc., about his career journey of becoming a CEO. He provides some great learning and development advice throughout the episode, which makes it one of my favorites. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Gil: How […] The post Learning and Development: Understanding People Starts With Understanding Yourself – Ep 155 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

For many engineers, a face-to-face performance review is the most stressful work conversation they’ll have all year, and for managers, the discussion can be just as tense. In this week’s episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I provide practical tips on how engineers and managers can prepare for and get the most out of their […] The post Navigating the Annual Review Process as a Civil Engineering Professional – Ep 154 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Ron Burg, P.E., the Executive Vice President of the American Concrete Institute, also known as ACI. Ron discusses some interesting trends in the world of concrete, but also provides some important strategies for career development for civil engineering professionals based on his long and […] The post Concrete Trends and Career Development Strategies for Civil Engineering Professionals – Ep 153 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Jason Dunn PE, PMP, Vice President at BRPH, who serves as the VP of Project Management as well as Chief Risk Officer (CRO). Jason talks about everything you need to know about obtaining the PMP certification, and tells us how getting his Project Management […] The post PMP Exam Prep Tips: How the PMP Can Benefit Your Civil Engineering Career – Ep 152 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Maysill Pascal, P.E., Regional Senior Engineer and Sales Manager at USW, a MENARD Group USA Company. We talk about her career journey and her traveling around the globe, and how that has helped her career, but also how she has dealt with it emotionally. […] The post Everything Civil Engineers Talk About Doing, but Never Get To Do – Ep 151 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Tony Mette, P.E., S.E., and Jay Chamberlain, P.E., who both work at THP Limited, a firm that specializes in large scale, complex structural engineering, building restoration, and parking projects. I talk to them about Parksmart, a system designed to advance sustainable mobility through smart […] The post Smart Parking Solutions: Developed to Be a Destination – Ep 150 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Brian Saunders, founder and CEO of BigTime Software. Brian talks to us about the business of engineering, and more specifically, about scaling an engineering firm and provide some great on how you can grow your engineering firm. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the […] The post The Business of Engineering — Scaling an Engineering Firm – Ep 149 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

Learning is essential to our existence.  It is an indispensable tool for every career and organization. In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I provide five ways that AEC firms can deliver training and make sure that their professionals continue to learn during what many people are calling the ‘new normal.’ Engineering Quotes: Here […] The post How AEC Professionals Can Continue to Learn and Grow in This New ‘Normal’- Ep 148 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Bret Tushaus, project director at Deltek, about digital transformation and how AE firms will need to be tech-savvy and innovative to survive and thrive in the world we live in today. He also shares an inspiring story about his career change that brought him […] The post Surviving and Thriving in the Age of Digital Transformation – Ep 147 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Dan Oblinger about hostage negotiation. Dan explains how hostage negotiation fits into consulting engineering and also provides five specific ways that engineering firms should look at to evaluate their negotiation and communication abilities. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Dan: […] The post What Does Hostage Negotiation Have to Do With Consulting Engineers? – Ep 146 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode I talk about what high school students and young adults should know about a career in civil engineering. This episode is intended to be a resource that you can share with high school students and their parents to inform them about the profession of civil engineering. You can also view this episode […] The post What High School Students and Undergraduates Should Know About Civil Engineering – Ep 145 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In episode 144 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Jennifer Goodman, writer and editor at Construction Dive, about how the coronavirus crisis has changed commercial construction and what the general outlook will be for the rest of the year and beyond. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Jennifer Goodman […] The post How the Coronavirus Crisis Will Change Commercial Construction in the U.S. – Ep 144 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, I talk to Will Buckby LLB MCIHT, a Contracts and Projects Lawyer at Beale & Co. Will discusses the impact COVID-19 is going to have on the construction markets and projects, what relief is available out there for contractors and consultants, and what notices they should be giving to their employees. Disclaimer: […] The post COVID-19: Mitigating Impacts on Construction Projects – Ep 143 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, I talk to Jonathan Hard, CEO and President of H2L Solutions, Inc. (H2L). H2L specializes in cyber and information assurance and provides cybersecurity solutions for government and commercial customers. Jonathan talks about cybersecurity, both what individual engineers can do to protect themselves in the world of homeworking and what engineering companies need […] The post Cybersecurity Tips for Civil Engineers Working Remotely During COVID-19 – Ep 142 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, I talk with Andy Platz, PE, who is the CEO and President at Mead & Hunt. Andy talks about his career journey of how he went from being a fresh graduate to a CEO of a company. He provides some great crisis management tips to civil engineers and also gives very actionable […] The post Tips for Civil Engineers on Crisis Management and Becoming Confident Leaders – Ep 141 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, we focus on a topic that is on everyone’s minds — the coronavirus and how it should be a wake-up call to civil engineers. And we’re discussing this with Michael Paddock, PE, PS, a licensed civil engineer and surveyor. Twenty years ago, Mike was told he had three to six months to […] The post A Near Death Experience, the COVID-19 Coronavirus, and How Civil Engineers Can Help Reduce the Spread of Pandemics – Ep 140 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, which is part of our Women in Civil Engineering series, I talk to Peyton Gibson, EIT, ENV SP, a civil engineer who works for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the Board of Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment. She also serves as the ASCE Colorado’s Infrastructure Report Card Chair, […] The post What Goes Into Developing the ASCE Report Card for America’s Infrastructure? – Ep 139 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, I talk to Steve Soldati, P.E., the Regional Sales Manager at Aegion Corporation. Steve was previously seen on episode 74 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, where he discussed effective communication strategies. In today’s episode, he will discuss emerging renewal technologies for pressurized pipelines, which can be very applicable to today’s world of […] The post Pipeline Infrastructure – Emerging Renewal Technologies for Pressurized Pipelines – Ep 138 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode, I talk to Ann Tomalavage, PE, PMP, LEED AP, a licensed professional engineer who has spent the last 20+ years training engineering professionals on how to become great project managers. Ann talks about some of the key points to becoming a successful project manager, and she also discusses the role of project […] The post The Role of Project Management in Consulting Engineering – Ep 137 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I am going to give you three actions that you can use to network effectively and build relationships. The post How to Network Effectively as a Civil Engineer — Even as an Introvert – Ep 136 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

Effective communication is key to becoming a successful engineering manager. Being able to communicate effectively teaches you to listen to your clients and other disciplines, and also helps you to understand more about the needs of projects. The post Effective Communication Is Key With People at All Levels in Civil Engineering – Ep 135 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

Take ownership of your career and never assume that others will push your career forward. At the end of the day, you are the only person who can drive things forward. The post A Young Female Civil Engineering CEO Shares Her Story – Ep 134 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.