In the latest episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast I talk with Marie Paretti, Virginia Tech Engineering Education Professor, who brings a rare blend of expertise with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, an M.A. in English, both from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She explains how her dual background shapes her view of communication and engineering as parallel systems—each rooted in inputs, processes, and outputs—and also shares what effective interdisciplinary work really requires. Marie also accounts for how she grounds her teaching in workplace practicality by understanding what your audience actually needs (which is very different from what your audience needs when you’re a student). If you're an engineering student who’s nervous about going into the workforce, this is a great episode for you. And if you’re an engineering student who’s NOT nervous about going into the workforce, this is a great episode for you.