Engineering Influence from ACEC

What does it take to undo 100 years of harm to one of America's great rivers? In this episode of Engineering Influence, we sit down with the team winner of ACEC's 2026 Grand Conceptor Award, McMillen Engineering.

McMillen, Inc. earned ACEC's top honor for the Klamath River Renewal Project, the world's largest dam removal and river restoration effort. Once the third-largest salmon-producing river system on the West Coast, the Klamath had been blocked for over a century by four aging hydroelectric dams.

McMillen coordinated among six Tribal nations, more than 21 agencies, and dozens of public, private, and nonprofit partners.

They turned decades of division into a unified path forward. The results speak for themselves: within months of final dam removal, salmon and lamprey returned to upstream reaches not accessed for generations.

Hear how precision engineering, Indigenous-led collaboration, and a bold vision for restoration came together to set a new global standard.

In this episode of the Engineering Influence Podcast, we sit down with Joe Bates of the ACEC Research Institute to break down the findings from the Q2 Engineering Business Sentiment Report.

Joe dives into the latest data on how engineering firms are feeling about business conditions, workload, hiring, and the overall economic outlook. Whether you're a firm principal, project manager, or industry observer, this episode delivers the insights you need to understand where the engineering business landscape is headed.

About the ACEC Research Institute: The ACEC Research Institute is the research arm of the American Council of Engineering Companies, dedicated to advancing knowledge and providing data-driven insights for the engineering industry.

📢 Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode of Engineering Influence!

Read the Full Report Here: https://www.acec.org/resource/engineering-business-sentiment-q2-2026/

A big thank you to Autodesk, the sponsor of Engineering Influence at this year's convention. Autodesk partners with the AECO industry and its leaders to shape a more connected, data-driven future, empowering engineers to work more intelligently and to make confident decisions to drive meaningful impact. This enables firms to evolve, stay competitive, and deliver stronger business outcomes, all while designing a better world. So thank you again to Autodesk.

Recording from the 2026 ACEC Convention, Politico's Jonathan Martin discusses congressional culture, the shift from centrist policymaking to polarized primaries, and the need to address gerrymandering. The episode highlights the rise of authenticity and the popularity of long-form media like Martin's "On the Road" podcast and discusses Martin's new book, "This Will Not Pass." 

Communities across the country are facing a new era of water challenges — from shifting climate patterns and extreme rainfall to growing stormwater demands, groundwater stress, and pressure from water-intensive industries. In this episode, we sit down with water‑resources expert Camilla Correll to explore how watershed governance is evolving, what climate trends matter most for the next decade, and how innovative stormwater infiltration, capture, and reuse strategies are reshaping local infrastructure. We also dig into funding gaps, federal policy shifts, and the practical steps engineers and communities can take to build resilient, future‑ready water systems.

Welcome to Engineering Influence, a podcast from the American Council of Engineering Companies coming to you from our 2026 convention and legislative summit in Washington, D.C. Host interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham about the state of American politics, the erosion of institutions, parallels between the 1920s and today, the rise of nationalized and atomized political discourse, and the question of whether 'Trump' or 'Trumpism' will define the coming years. Meacham discusses his new book,  "American Struggle," and emphasizes the ongoing nature of the American experiment and the role of history in understanding and responding to current challenges.

A big thank you to Autodesk, the sponsor of Engineering Influence at this year's convention. Autodesk partners with the AECO industry and its leaders to shape a more connected, data-driven future, empowering engineers to work more intelligently and to make confident decisions to drive meaningful impact. This enables firms to evolve, stay competitive, and deliver stronger business outcomes, all while designing a better world. So thank you again to Autodesk.

In this episode of the Engineering Influence Podcast, ACEC’s Thomas Grogan sits down with Dan Palo of Barr Engineering to unpack one of the most important—and often overlooked—topics shaping our future: critical minerals.

What exactly makes a mineral “critical”? Why are materials like lithium, rare earth elements, copper, and uranium suddenly at the center of conversations around energy, infrastructure, and national security?

Dan breaks it all down—exploring how these essential resources power everything from batteries and electrification to data centers and advanced technologies. The conversation also dives into the growing urgency around supply chain resilience and how the U.S. is responding through research investments, public–private partnerships, and renewed efforts to boost domestic production.

But it’s not without challenges. From complex permitting processes to workforce development gaps and the need for better recycling and reuse (circularity), the path forward requires coordination, innovation, and long-term thinking.

The episode wraps with a grounded, practical message: building durable, bipartisan support for domestic critical mineral development starts with better public understanding. Education, transparency, and collaboration will be key to securing the resources that underpin modern life.

Tune in for a thoughtful, forward-looking conversation on the materials powering our world—and what it will take to ensure a stable, sustainable supply for generations to come.

The residential market is shifting fast, and Diana O’ Lare and Mollie Carmichael of Zonda Homes break down what’s driving it—from rising rates and affordability pressures to the surge in build‑for‑rent, active adult, and multigenerational living—while highlighting the regions outperforming expectations, the looming boomer wealth transfer reshaping demand, and the policy ideas that could finally move the needle on affordability, giving engineering firms a clear view of what’s coming next.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Ardurra on Engineering Influence, host Jeff Urbanchuk picks back up with Ernesto Aguilar, President and CEO of Ardurra Group, diving deeper into the topics that matter most to engineering firm leaders right now.

After covering Ardurra's meteoric rise from a small regional firm to a national water and infrastructure leader, Jeff and Ernesto shift the focus to what sustains that growth over the long haul. Ernesto shares his perspective on one of the industry's most pressing challenges: workforce development.

Attracting the next generation of engineers, retaining top talent in a competitive market, and building a culture where people actually want to build their careers. The episode also explores the accelerating role of technology in engineering practice.

From AI to digital delivery tools, Ernesto reflects on how Ardura is approaching innovation. What does it mean to future-proof a firm? What tools are actually moving the needle? And then there's the question of value — perhaps the most important and most underrated conversation in the industry.

Ernesto makes a compelling case for why engineering firms need to start articulating the true impact of their work.

Missed Part 1? Go back and listen to hear how Ardurra grew from a regional firm to a national infrastructure powerhouse: https://youtu.be/BeB7U8SevRM 

Greg Kelly, CEO of STV, and Vice Chair of the ACEC Research Institute appeared on WTBQ-AM in New York to discuss the Institute's new research on the national shortage of engineers.  The shortage is being driven by a combination of retirements, visa limits for international graduates, and a shrinking recruitment pipeline. Greg explains how firms use internships, mentorship, and competitive salaries to attract new talent.

The conversation covers how AI will augment—not replace—engineers, the importance of human judgment in safe design, and the lasting legacy of infrastructure projects that connect communities.

Resources such as ACEC scholarships and outreach to schools are highlighted as practical steps to grow and diversify the next generation of engineers. 

What happens when an industry faces a talent shortage serious enough to threaten its future? You stop waiting and start building the pipeline yourself.

In this episode of Engineering Influence, host Jeff Urbanchuk sits down with leaders from ACEC Missouri, Missouri University of Science and Technology, and SCI Engineering to tackle one of the profession's most pressing challenges: the growing engineering workforce shortage — and what the industry is actually doing about it.

At the center of the conversation is an innovative new Missouri initiative designed to reach students long before they ever set foot on a college campus.

The program takes a "teach the teacher" approach, equipping K–12 educators with hands-on, thematic learning modules they can bring directly into their classrooms — sparking curiosity about engineering careers at the earliest stages of a student's education.

Guests break down how the initiative works in practice, from the summer teacher camp experience to the role private firms play through sponsorships that make the program possible. The discussion digs into the power of industry-academia collaboration — and why partnerships between engineering firms and universities are essential to moving the needle on workforce development.

The episode also looks ahead: what does scaling this program look like, and how can it serve as a model for attracting and retaining the next generation of engineers across Missouri and beyond? Whether you're a firm principal thinking about talent strategy, an educator looking to bring real-world relevance to your classroom, or simply someone who cares about the future of the profession.