Communication Mechanics: A Podcast for Engineers

In a very special season finale, Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with episode co-host Dr. Mihir Pathak to speak with five Georgia Tech Woodruff School Alumni who were selected to be part of the 2025 class of 40 under 40 honorees. Join Kevin Cone, Dr. Joe Harms, Dr. Robert Herbert, Dr. Akanksha Menon, and Shay Natarajan as they share their insights, career successes, challenges, and advice for current students and new engineers._Show Notes and Timestamps: 01:00 Introduction to Episode and Co-Host 03:01 Introducing 40 Under 40 Honorees 05:42 Why honorees think they were selected for the award 10:26 Honorees who went into academia and why they chose academia 13:35 Connection between studying engineering and pursuing sports 15:32 Balancing engineering and full time sports 17:45 Insight into investment in companies 25:07 Major obstacles honorees faced and how they overcame them 35:06 Advice for current students and early career engineers 42:42 Final advice, support and resources, and thanks Resources for Georgia Tech Students in Need: Center for Mental Health Care and Resources Stamps Health Services_For more information about this episode's guests, please see links and details below:Mihir PathakCurrent title and organization: cofounder at antitechShay NatarajanCurrent title and organization: Partner, AllianceKevin ConeCurrent title and organization: Assistant AD | Student-Athlete Development, Georgia Tech Athletics AssociationAkanksha MenonCurrent title and organization: Assistant Professor, Georgia Tech Robert HerbertCurrent title/org: Assistant Professor, Louisiana State UniversityJoseph HarmsCurrent title/org: Assistant Professor, Washington University School of Medicine_A transcript of this episode is available here. Episode edited by Lee Hibbard. 

In this episode, Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with Mike Tinskey, Professor of the Practice in Mechanical Engineering and Interim Associate Chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Georgia Tech, to talk about best practices for communication across power differences in different engineering contexts. _Show Notes and Timestamps 01:01 Intro to Topic and Guest 02:55 Defining Power Differences 07:53 Advice for new engineers regarding risk and consequences 09:56 The importance of Audience and Communicating Up in the workplace 13:46 Communicating to direct supervisors and asking questions without signaling incompetence 16:17 Communicating to Executives and how to present information effectively 19:45 Communicating upwards and clear signaling of informing versus requesting decisions 22:49 Students interacting with sponsors and advice for Capstone students 25:14 Lateral communications within power structures 28:56 Communicating with machinists and technicians and other specialised roles 30:50 Advice for how new engineers can demonstrate respect for experiential knowledge while also communicating their design goals 33:05 Advice for students as they navigate power differences for the first time 34:53 Importance of listening and receiving communication and the importance of engagement 39:20 Final advice for communicating across hierarchiesA transcript of this episode is available here. Episode Edited by Lee Hibbard.

In this episode, Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with Dr. Brandon Dixon, Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies at the Woodruff School and Director of the Laboratory of Lymphatic Biology and Bioengineering at Georgia Tech. The two discuss how undergraduate engineers can get involved with lab work and how best to solicit lab directors for opportunities in different labs. _Show Notes and Timestamps: 01:01 Introduction to Topic and Guest 02:05 Value of lab involvement as an undergraduate 04:20 Advice for students interested in labwork and available labs 07:06 How does student communication shape their perception by lab faculty? 11:49 What qualities are lab directors looking for in potential students for labs? 14:03 Which ways of communicating are preferred by faculty? 16:10 How to demonstrate being a good fit for the lab and crafting identity in communication 19:05 Demonstrating readiness and fit without over or underselling yourself 21:16 How can students show preparation if they don’t have any research yet? 23:30 What kind of language signals understanding of research vs. wanting a lab job? 25:33 What are common questions asked during the meeting stage? 27:37 Good questions from students during the meeting 31:28 Good practices for following up after email exchange 33:41 Reasonable window for a next steps follow up email 36:37 How best to communicate a change in plans without burning bridges 38:08 One takeaway piece of advice for students interested in lab research; outroA list of undergraduate research opportunities is shared here.Take a look at an example email solicitation here. A transcript of this episode is available here. Episode Edited by Lee Hibbard. 

In this episode, Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with Georgia Tech alum Foster Finley to challenge the myth that technical communication is objective by examining how engineers make strategic, audience-driven choices in real work. Take a look at Foster's book list here._Show Notes and Timestamps: 01:00 Introduction to topic and guest 02:18 Why reading is fundamental for engineers 03:33 Why all communication is rhetorical 08:13 Importance of audience understanding 10:35 Project failure and communication 14:04 Audience as codesigner versus audience as recipient of facts 17:42 Rhetorically skilled engineers in the workplace 22:01 What employers are looking for in technical positions 24:24 Risk of engineers making assumptions 26:14 How students can handle interpreting data and audience influence 28:50 Role of persuasion in an engineer’s job 31:26 How can students practice these principles in everyday communication 34:03 Advice for students preparing for cross functional roles and internships 37:43 Engineering as building and as advocacy 40:33 One nontechnical book you would assign engineers to read 42:14 Wrap up and importance of rhetorical consideration, readingA Transcript of this episode is available here. Episode edited by Lee Hibbard. 

In the season 4 premiere, Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with returning guest Dr. Amit S. Jariwala and new guest and fellow instructor Marty Jacobson to discuss the conventions of Design Communication. The episode covers how early-career engineers make communication decisions as they move from "student writing" into professional practice, design teams, and real constraints. _Show Notes and Timestamps: 01:00 Welcome and Introductions to Guests - Amit Jariwala and Marty Jacobson 01:36 Communication Design Processes: Creating Specifications 03:27 What defines a strong input or specification 06:27 Role of the spec sheet in early design decisions and how you discuss them 09:02 Common misunderstandings students have about requirements 12:10 examples of good or bad Specs 15:47 Ensuring Measurable Specifications 20:05 How do students talk about design processes to different stakeholders? 20:57 How do students build trust that their designs are feasible and reliable? 22:27 Undercutting utility through qualitative language 25:55 Specific Qualitative Phrases 29:46 advice for students resisting to commit to numbers early in the process 33:43 Advice for students trying to balance flexibility and actionability 38:06 Wrapping up and last points of adviceA transcript of this episode is available here.Episode edited by Lee Hibbard.

In the season 3 finale, Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with returning guest Dr. David MacNair and new guest Dr. Caitlin Kelly. The three discuss the importance of 'training the trainer' and ensuring graduate TAs and communication center tutors have the tools they need to give feedback to the students they work with. _Show Notes and Timestamps: 00:43 Introduction to guests 01:00 Introduction to conversation about training writing reviewers 01:57 How to train the trainer and give constructive feedback 03:14 Distinction between grading and feedback 09:17 How to approach talking to GTAs and Tutors about what they need to know to give feedback on a report or project 15:54 Helping GTAs and Tutors to understand the importance of audience when helping others with their communication 21:54 Difference between client/user focused writing and instructor focused writing 26:48 How to explain how GTAs and Tutors should make clear what major problems are vs other major issues in writing 37:01 Advice for peer reviewers 44:02 Advice for new GTAs and Tutors before they meet with their first students 47:18 What should GTAs tell students when they’re encouraging them to come to the communication center? 51:04 Wrap up and thanksA transcript of this episode is available here.Episode edited by Lee Hibbard.

In this episode, Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with recent Georgia Tech graduate Keshav Pransukhka to learn more about his experience as an engineering intern and discuss advice for students going into internships for the first time. _Show Notes and Timestamps 00:43 welcome and introduction 01:15 internship information 04:17 First communication expectations and challenges 06:23 Value of communication training in college 07:41 Communicating with different audiences 10:05 Strategies for dealing with different audiences 12:47 Amount of communication during internship 14:07 Slide Design Strategies 17:07 Advice for students when designing slide decks 20:41 Building confidence during internship work 23:36 Advice for students who have yet to have an internship 26:04 Success of communication practice 28:38 Advice to students starting their internships 30:45 What students should understand before their internshipA transcript of this episode is available here.Episode edited by Lee Hibbard. 

In this episode, Jill Fennell speaks to Russell Ford, Chairman and CEO of StandardAero and Georgia Tech alumnus, about the importance of communication in leadership. Using Mister Ford's Top Ten Rules for Technical Leadership as a framework, the two discuss strategies for effectively communicating and growing in leadership roles as an engineer._Show Notes and Timestamps: 00:43 Introductions and Guest introductions 01:21 Communication’s importance in leadership 03:14 Evolving views on communication upon entering leadership roles 06:48 Helpful communication habits and tools 08:29 Introduction to Russ Ford’s Top Ten Rules for Technical Leadership 10:48 The rules as they relate to technical communication 17:25 The Rule of Engagement 20:18 The Rule of Focus 22:41 The Rule of Time Management 29:14 The Rule of Responsibility 34:13 Tips for Developing leadership habits early 37:12 Common mistakes early career engineers make 39:12 One Rule that resonates most 43:03 One thing you wish every engineer understood about communication and leadership 43:27 Thanks and outro_Click here for the full list of Russ Ford's Top 10 Rules for Technical Leadership.A transcript of this episode is available here.Episode edited by Lee Hibbard.

In this episode Dr. Jill Fennell has a conversation with Kathryn Woods about the principles of confident communication in high stakes scenarios, sharing important strategies for giving effective presentations and forming positive public speaking habits. Notes and Timestamps: 00:43 - Introduction and Guest 01:14 - Transition from SLP to Coaching Professionals in Public Speaking 02:34 - How personal experience influences teaching 04:31 - Background in SLP and the Science of Communication Confidence 08:04 - Physical reaction to nerves and public speaking 11:57 - Strategies for staying calm during high stakes speaking situations 14:40 - Voice, Tone and Pacing in presentations 24:31 - Presentation habits that undermine confidence and correcting them 31:43 - Making improvements to long term struggles 40:36 - Final Tips and Notes A transcript of this episode is available here. Episode edited by Lee Hibbard.

In the season 3 premiere of Communication Mechanics, podcast host Dr. Jill Fennell is joined by  Laura Garcia, Director of Undergraduate Career Education at Georgia Tech. Together they discuss navigating different aspects of Career Fairs from a communication standpoint, detailing information to help students before, during, and after their career fair experience.  Notes and Timestamps: 00:43 Introduction to Topic and Guest 01:51 How Students should prepare for the career fair 03:44 Details for students to include beyond the basics at fairs 09:07 How do students research different communication norms in different industries 09:59 Mapping out career fair day 11:41 The balance between authenticity and tailoring 12:51 What to know about Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and Scorecards 16:06 The importance of networking skills and non technical skillsets 22:56 Building Rapport quickly at the Career Fair 26:37 Importance of Attire and Dress 29:11 Tracking accomplishments, experiences, and self-reflection 31:14 Addressing Failure and the STAR method 34:57 Followup after the career fair and the importance of thank yous 36:48 Prepping for followup and making notes post conversation with recruiters 38:07 Timeline between fair and interviews 40:06 Underrated communication tips and importance of resources 41:10 Wrap up and access to support and workshopsA transcript of this episode is available here.Podcast edited by Lee Hibbard.

In the Season 2 Finale, Jill sits down with Dr. Alena Alamgir, Director of Technical Communication for Materials Science at Georgia Tech. The two discuss preparing documentation and application materials for the highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, or NSF GRFP. Show Notes and Timestamps: 00:54 Intro and Welcome 01:33 The Basics: What is NSF GRFP? 04:07 How many years does the Fellowship fund? 04:59 Restraints on who can apply 05:59 Documentation and Composing Required Documents 13:48 Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts as Criteria in Practice 18:00 Practicing Framing Research Problems to Align with NSF Priorities 20:38 Questions for advisors before applying 22:14 Considering and soliciting recommendation letters 30:13 Preparing for Applicant Workshops and Primary Purpose of Workshop Attendance 36:05 How to get the most out of attending the workshops and actionable steps for applying 39:43 When the solicitation comes out and episode wrap upA transcript of this episode is available here. We will return for Season 3 of Communication Mechanics in the Fall of 2025. Episode edited by Lee Hibbard. 

In this episode, host Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with Mark Ligler, Vice President of Factory Automation Systems in Georgia and member of the Woodruff School Advisory board, to talk about the importance of communicating safety in engineering. Notes and Timestamps: 00:54 Introductions and guest introductions 01: 33 Importance of safety to future engineers 04:32 Helping others communicate safety needs 08:04 Poor safety communication leading to issues 11:15 Building a safety culture 13:55 Effective safety communication 18:30 Leaders and Managers communicating the importance of safety 20:37 Safety communication in high vs low risk fields 22:45 Common mistakes in safety communication 24:46 Common mistakes in safety signage 28:18 Role of the engineer as a safety communicator 36:08 Challenges engineers can fix by anticipating them 40:48 Final thoughts and advice on learning engineering safetyA transcript of this episode is available here. Podcast edited by Lee Hibbard.

In this episode, host Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with Dr. David Torello, Director of the Clark Scholars Program and the College of Engineering's Dean's Scholars Program in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. The two discuss code commenting, an oft overlooked communication genre in Engineering, and consider best practices and use cases for creating effective code comments. Show Notes and Timestamps: 00:54 - Introducing guest 02:02 - Code Commenting as Communication 03:14 - Purpose of Code Commenting 05:44 - Mapping out Communication for Code Commenting 09:17 - Genre Expectations for Code Commenting 15:33 - Audience needs and Usability of Code Commenting 23:02 - Code Commenting Ethos and Impact of Code Comments 24:53 - Trustworthiness of Code Comments 30:29 - Quality of Code Comments 34:15 - Student Perspectives on Code Commenting 37:56 - What David wants to see from Code Comments 42:04 - Advice for students wanting to keep their skills fresh 46:14 - General advice for code commenting and understanding communicationA transcript of this episode is available here.Episode edited by Lee Hibbard.

In this episode, host Jill Fennell talks to Dr. David Smith, lecturer in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and Scott Elliot, manager of the Machine Shop at the Montgomery Machining Mall about the importance of creating technical drawings that communicate information effectively between engineers and machinists. Show Notes and Timestamps: 00:54 - Welcome and Introductions 02:56 - Thinking about technical drawing as communication 05:40 - what engineers need to know about the role of the machinist 07:43 - examples of students not knowing the machinist’s needs 11:45 - Importance of anticipating communication needs between engineer and machinist 13:39 - Contracts and Machinist’s response to questions or uncertainties in a drawing 16:18 - Information that should (and should not) be included in technical drawings 21:34 - Machine Design assignment David gives to refresh specific skills 27:26 - Advice for students in ME 1670 to best understand the genre 32:02 - what is the most important aspect of technical drawing from the machinist’s point of view 34:28 - what is and is not the machinist’s job? 38:36 - recommendations for students working with Montgomery Mall for the first timeA transcript of this episode is available here. Edited by Lee Hibbard

In the first episode of Season Two of Communication Mechanics, Dr. Jill Fennell is joined by Dr. Andy Frazee, Director of Writing and Communication in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech. Lending his expertise in the first year writing sequence of English 1101 and 1102, he offers strategies and connections between required communications courses and technical courses for early career engineering students. Show Notes and Timestamps: Introduction to Topic and Guest: 00:56 Learning transferring skills in English 1101 and 1102: 2:37 Understanding Audience, Purpose, and Genre: 6:08 How Decision and Design courses in ME are similar to 1101 and 1102: 11:34 ME 1670 and English 1101/2 and maximizing transfer between the two:  14:04 Importance of collaboration and intersection between collaboration and communication: 16:53 Transferable concepts and the importance of process: 20:09 Scaffolding design reports and process work in ME and English: 24:01 Revision skills and internalizing process: 26:05 Transferring basic writing skills from 1101/2 to ME 1670: 33:13 Communication decisions and the power of intentional decision making in your communication: 40:34 Final advice on transfer, intentionality, and communication decisions: 43:56A transcript of the episode is available here.Episode Edited by Lee Hibbard

In Part 2 of the final episode of Season 1 of the podcast, Dr. Jill Fennell speaks to three members of the team that won in the category of Best Mechanical Engineering Project at the Spring 2024 Capstone Engineering Expo, the Mechkiwis. Seniors Isabelle Gustafson, Miguel Daly, and Sana Hafeez share the experience they and their fellow teammates - Claudia Vitale, Lena Moller, and Maxwell Gart - had creating communication materials for their project and designing a successful expo presentation.Shownotes and Timestamps: 01:11 Third category: Innovative nature of the team’s solution 09:38 Fourth category: Presentation energy at the Expo 13:01 Team’s delivery during pitch and how it contributes to audience investment 16:40 Presentations and matching the energy levels between presenter and audience 23:09 Unexpected challenges or successes 27:48 Advice and Tips for future presenters and engineering students 29:46 Wrap up and outroThanks for listening to season 1 of the podcast. Season 2 will begin in early 2025. 

In Part 1 of the final episode of Season 1 of the podcast, Dr. Jill Fennell speaks to three members of the team that won in the category of Best Mechanical Engineering Project at the Spring 2024 Capstone Engineering Expo, the Mechkiwis. Seniors Isabelle Gustafson, Miguel Daly, and Sana Hafeez share the experience they and their fellow teammates - Claudia Vitale, Lena Moller, and Maxwell Gart - had creating communication materials for their project and designing a successful expo presentation. Part 2 will be posted next week on Monday, November 11th.Shownotes and Timestamps 01:08 Episode Introduction and Guest Introduction 03:30 Capstone project introduction 05:10 Working on a Medical Project in an Engineering Context 07:25 Adjusting to different communication demands for the project 10:35 Team distribution of audience analysis and communication choices 13:27  Communication challenges in different parts of the project 18:25  Introduction to The Expo Judging Rubric 19:22 Team’s consultation of Judging Rubric and Expo preparations 26:57 First category: the Problem the team is solving 32:54 Second category: Solution to the problem 41:37 Usage of cadaver photos during the Expo and how to show them appropriately

In this episode Dr. Jill Fennell speaks with Dr. David MacNair, Director of Laboratory Development at Georgia Tech, about technical reports and the importance of moving beyond chronological narratives in engineering communication. Show Notes and Timestamps: Introduction to topic and guest 00:54 Technical Reports and their role in Engineering 04:28 Communication challenges for novice report writers 05:48 Significance of organization in avoiding pitfalls 07:07 Importance of organization in relation to pre-determined formats 10:34 Why writing chronologically is not the best option 12:47 Impact of poorly written reports on decision making 15:40 Importance of considering specific clients in teaching report writing 16:25 Why choosing an organizational strategy is the Engineer’s job 20:58 Examples of prioritizing client needs and the impact on report organization 22:48 Guiding students towards making effective organization decisions 26:08 Specific Organizational Strategies, importance of considering audience 28:54 When chronological IS appropriate or best 31:03 Results and Discussion sections and importance of organization within them 34:42 Actionable advice and tips for students to improve their organizational skills 40:14 Wrap up 42:09

In this episode Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with Dr. David Anderson, Principal Engineer at Exponent, to talk about the importance of understanding audience in Engineering Communications. Show Notes and Timestamps Episode Introduction 00:56 Why engineers should prioritize audience 2:02 How did you realize the importance of understanding audience 03:20 Audience influence on design decisions 05:22 Audience needs - anticipating and addressing 12:32 How can new engineers learn about different workplace roles and expectations 14:32 Sharing Information for specific stakeholders 17:03 Examples of Successes and Challenges in Engineering Communication 22:33 Unique difficulties of engineering communication 29:43

In this episode, Dr. Jill Fennell has a conversation about applying to graduate school with Dr. Andrei Fedorov, Associate Chair for Graduate Studies at the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. Show Notes and Timestamps: Introduction and Guest Introduction 00:54 Purpose of graduate school application documents 02:03 CRISP acronym for a successful grad school applications 05:42 C -Creative 06:08 R - Research 06:41 I - Integrity 08:25 S - Specific 09:09 P - Powerful 10:47 Documents for Grad School applications 11:45 Prompt based personal statements at the Woodruff School 12:19 Prompt 1: Self description and introductions 13:43 Prompt 2: What sets you apart 17:25 Prompt 3: Why this school 19:13 Personal statement deep dive 22:58 How personal should a personal statement be? 23:39 Tailoring Yourself to the School 24:19 Culture of different schools 26:19 Dos and don'ts 28:21 When to start application process 33:12 Return to communication principles 35:55 Wrap up and outro 37:19

In this inaugural episode, podcast host Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with Dr. Amit S. Jariwala, Director of Design and Innovation at the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering to discuss the Goals and Tenets of the Webb Communication Program. Show Notes and Timestamps:  Introduction, meeting the host and guest: 00:00 Webb Communication Program Goals: 03:45 Program History and Purpose: 06:32         Program structure and scaffolding: 08:28 Program Core Tenets 11:58         Implicit Task 1: Balancing Cognitive Load and Content: 18:34 Implicit Task 2: Determining what counts as information: 21:34 Implicit Task 3: Determining the actionable threshold: 22:38 Implicit Task 4: The Trustworthiness Threshold: 25:49 Implicit Task 5: Understanding Genre: 28:23                 Situational Learning: 33:26                         Audience Avatars: 36:52 Tenets’ reflection of Engineering Students’ Needs: 39:49 Program’s alignment with Industry Expectations: 42:39 Appropriateness and Responsiveness in different learning scenarios: 45:03 Working with GTAs and TAs on giving communication skills feedback: 47:24 Communication and success in engineering careers: 49:17 Advice and information for incoming students: 51:09         Unique features of program: 53:31 Student Takeaways from podcast episode: 54:14___This podcast was edited by Dr. Lee Hibbard, Lecturer in Technical Communication at the University of Michigan school of Engineering.