Engineering Insights

Leo Gonzalez is a mechanical engineering alumni of San Francisco State University with 25 years of experience. He has worked at some of the biggest companies in the world like Xerox, Sun microsystems, and now Oracle. His specialties include Product Development, Manufacturing, Technical Program Management and Operations Engineering. In his free time, Leo encourages the youth to follow their passions into the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine) fields.

Leo shares with us:

* why he studied mechanical engineering.

* his career path within many varied sectors.

* advice for recent graduates.

* insights into the evolution of Silicon Valley.

* and much more...

Reach out to Leo Gonzalez via LinkedIn.

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Discussion timestamps:

03:47 Intro

04:42 Why Leo pursued the engineering path.

07:15 How he was inspired and encouraged by a mentor to pursue drafting.

08:42 Leo's first job as a mechanical engineer at Xerox.

10:12 Working with the earliest 3D Computer Assisted Drawing computers.

11:06 Leo talks about the numerous jobs he has had over the years and the flexibility of the mechanical engineering degree.

12:30 What Leo does as a hardware engineer at Oracle and why Oracle acquired Sun microsystems.

14:23 Talk about working in a state of the art factory in the early 2000's.

16:13 Leo gives us a sense of the how many teams are involved in a project.

18:09 The importance of soft skills.

18:32 Leo talks about his presentation to engineering students in Baja Mexico.

22:34 Advice on how to find your passion.

23:46 What some recent engineering grads are missing when entering the work force.

26:31 Why you need to understand the manufacturing process.

26:31 Being active in the community, promoting science and technology to the youth.

29:43 Future technologies that excite Leo.

30:59 The best career advice Leo has ever received.

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Image credit to Robert on Flickr.

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Anna Lee studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of California Berkeley. She has worked at Lab126, a consumer device research and development branch of Amazon. She is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. In May of 2015, Anna became a co-founder at Lioness - building vibrators and software that help women learn more about their own bodies. Lioness won 2nd place at the South by Southwest 2014 Business Startup Challenge and has been featured in many magazines including Marie Clair and Bloomberg.

Anna shares with us:

* why she studied mechanical engineering.

* her passion for consumer products.

* advice on securing internships and your first job.

* insights into the startup life.

* and much more...

Reach out to Anna Lee via LinkedIn.

Listen to the episode on iTunes.

Stream the episode below or by clicking here.

Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

Already heard it once or twice? Leave us a review here and like our Facebook page.

Discussion timestamps:

05:04 - Intro

05:47 - Why Anna studied Engineering.

03:24 - Takeaways and lessons learned from interning at MOOG.

10:35 - How Anna landed her first internship.

12:23 - Interning at Lab126 in the Emerging Technologies team.

13:10 - Landing the internship at Lab126.

15:16 - Anna's mindset at the end of college - focusing on product design.

16:37 - Why Anna decided to stay with Lab 126.

17:44 - Anna talks about some of the products that she worked with at Lab126 - Kindle Voyage and Dash Button.

19:46 - Seeing your final product in the hands of the consumer.

20:53 - The value of spending time in machine shops and factories.

22:19 - What is Lean Six Sigma?

25:12 - Anna talks about Lioness and next steps in the product development.

28:53 - The importance of teamwork and getting to know your teammates.

30:54 - Introducing Skydeck - a Berkeley accelerator.

33:27 - Talking about mentors.

33:27 - Necessary qualities when working at a start up.

36:28 - Talking about creativity.

37:17 - Social changes that excite Anna.

38:40 - Advice to engineering students.

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Teardown of the Hitachi Magic Wand by Anna Lee.

Homepage of the Berkeley Skydeck accelerator.

The Amazon Voyage e-reader breakdown via ifixit.com.

The Amazon Dash button.

Free Myer Briggs test via 16 Personalities.

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Heather Murdock studied Civil engineering at Queen’s University in Canada. After graduation she began work as a junior civil engineer at Hatch - an engineering design firm. Last year, the society of Professional Engineers of Ontario awarded Heather with the Sterling Award - presented annually to a young engineer who demonstrates leadership potential within the engineering profession. She was also named volunteer of the year by Engineers Without Borders Canada. Heather is currently pursuing a masters degree in Flood Risk Management at the UNESCO-Institute for hydraulic and environmental engineering - which is the largest international graduate water education facility in the world.

Heather shares with us:

* why she studied civil engineering.

* her passion for cities and the built environment.

* advice on securing internships and your first job.

* insights into the bidding process.

* and much more...

Reach out to Heather Murdock via LinkedIn.

Listen to the episode on iTunes.

Stream the episode below or by clicking here.

Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

Already heard it once or twice?  Please leave us a review here and like our Facebook page.

Discussion timestamps:

07:00 - Intro

08:02 - Why Heather decided to study Civil Engineering.

08:39 - Internship at Air Liquide in Buenos Aires at a hydrogen plant.

09:49 - Advantages of working in a larger company.

10:30 - Internship hunting tips.

11:54 - An introduction to Bio Civil Engineering.

13:04 - An introduction to gabions and aquaflora.

15:21 - Pros of working in a smaller company early in ones career.

16:48 - Leveraging language skills for opportunities.

18:00 - Why Heather is passionate about water management engineering.

19:21 - Landing the first job out of college at civil engineering firm Hatch.

23:14 - Advice for the interview process: Be focused and know your strengths.

26:18 - Taking climate change into account when designing for flood events.

30:17 - The engineering bidding process. Insight into a design build contract.

34:35 - Working closely with construction companies.

36:12 - Crucial qualities for a civil engineer.

37:05 - The Banff Leadership program.

40:26 - Masters degree at UNESCO IHE in flood risk management.

43:42 - Introduction to Engineers Without Borders Canada.

47:36 - Heather's favorite engineering structure.

50:04 - Final words to engineering students.

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Interesting articles:

In Teeming India, Water Crisis Means Dry Pipes and Foul Sludge - New York Times

Jared Wolff is the principal electrical engineer at Silicon Valley startup Mark One, a health wellness and fitness company which successfully raised over $4M to mass produce the Vessyl. Jared is a graduate of Computer Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a minor in Communications. He has worked on the hardware teams at Apple and at Cisco, and he has been in the startup trenches since 2011.

Jared shares with us:

* why he studied Computer engineering.

* his passion for consumer electronics.

* advice on securing internships.

* insights into the startup life.

* and much more...

Reach out to Jared Wolff via LinkedIn.

Or by email: [email protected].

Check out Jared's blog.

Listen to the episode on iTunes.

Stream the episode below or by clicking here.

Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

Already heard it once or twice?  Please leave us a review here and like our Facebook page.

Discussion timestamps:

08:06 - Intro

08:49 - How Jared ended up studying Computer Engineering.

10:39 - Why Jared pursued a minor in communications.

11:28 - Working on Line Cards at Cisco.

13:24 - Contributing to the 4th generation iPods at Apple.

14:23 - Tips for landing food internships working on consumer products.

16:10 - Advantages of working in a large company early on in your career.

17:34 - Why Jared moved to Silicon Valley.

18:31 - What was Sifteo and what product was being developed?

19:31 - What is a Hardware Engineer?

20:08 - Objectives of good hardware engineering.

21:28 - Projects tackled at Sifteo.

22:48 - Seeing your final product in the hands of the consumer.

23:45 - Experiencing his first layoff.

24:40 - Going on a motorcycle adventure to Alaska.

26:01 - The influence of venture capitalists within startups.

27:24 - Work done at OUYA.

29:24 - Lessons learned from failures.

30:14 - Introducing Mark One.

32:03 - Introducing the Vessyl and Pryme - Mark One's products.

34:34 - Work life balance at startups.

36:30 - Tips to make a good team great.

38:45 - Relax, nothing is under control. Uncertainty in the startup life.

39:58 - Advantages of working in startups.

42:10 - Necessary qualities when working at startups.

42:58 - Exciting future technologies.

43:38 - Book recommendations.

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Book recommendations:

The One Thing - Gary Keller

The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) - Seth Godin

Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success - Adam M Grant

The School of Greatness: A Real-World Guide to Living Bigger, Loving Deeper, and Leaving a Legacy -- Lewis Howes

Megan Lenz is a professional structural engineer at Leslie E. Robertson and Associates (LERA) - a structural engineering firm in New York City that has been involved with the design of famous buildings and skyscrapers such as the Freedom tower in NYC, the Shanghai World Financial Center, the Newseum in Washington DC, and many more. Megan studied Civil and Environmental engineering at Queen’s University in Canada and did her master's of structural engineering at the University of California Berkeley.

Megan shares with us:

* why she studied Civil and Environmental engineering.

* her passion for structural engineering.

* advice on securing internships.

* insights into the bidding process.

* the value of spending time on the construction site.

* and much more...

Reach out to Megan Lenz via LinkedIn.

Listen to the episode on iTunes.

Stream the episode below or by clicking here.

Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

Already heard it once or twice?  Please leave us a review here and like our Facebook page.

Discussion timestamps:

Episode related content

Four year time-lapse of the construction of Tower 4:

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Geoff Purdy is a graduate of Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University. Right after his bachelors, he began work as a Coiled Tubing Field Engineer for Schlumberger - some of that time was spent on the Hibernia, the largest oil platform in the world. Four years ago, Geoff joined the team at Chevron Energy Technology Company in San Francisco as a process engineer. He currently spends about half of the year at the Tengiz oil field in Kazakhstan.

Geoff shares with us:

* why he studied Chemical engineering.

* stories of work on an oil platform.

* the pros of working in a large company.

* tips on integrating with a multicultural team.

* his involvement with Tengizchevroil.

* And much more...

Reach out to Geoff Purdy via LinkedIn.

Listen to the episode on iTunes.

Stream the episode below or by clicking here.

Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

Already heard it once or twice?  Please leave us a review here and like our Facebook page.

Discussion timestamps:

6:08 Setting foot on the Hibernia.

7:44 Coiled tubing field engineering and technology.

9:10 Hands on work at Schlumberger.

9:33 An unexpected working schedule.

10:45 Shift work on the Hibernia.

11:38 What attracted Geoff about the Oil & Gas sector.

13:00 Expected payback periods.

13:14 Landing his first internship.

14:48 Networking with direct relations.

15:13 What companies look for besides grades and experience.

16:49 Roles and responsibilities as a Process Engineer at Chevron San Francisco / Scaling up lab processes.

20:06 Cross departmental chain of communication / Finding a fit for new technologies.

22:44 Developing financial literacy.

23:51 Pros & cons of joining large organization early on.

27:29 The 5 year Horizon training program at Chevron.

28:52 The role of mentors.

29:45 Overview of TengizChevroil company / multicultural work environment.

31:19 Rotational schedule.

32:10 Work that Geoff is doing in Tengiz.

33:19 Collaborating and integrating with new teams in new environments.

34:47 Advantages of struggling with a problem before looking up the answers.

36:03 Persevering through challenges.

37:08 Potential next steps for Geoff at Chevron.

37:57 Technologies that Geoff is keeping an eye on.

39:53 Advice for future engineers / developing a passion for excellence.

Episode related content:

The Construction of the Hibernia - Super Structures of the World:

Image credit: Glenn Beltz. Platform Holly near Santa Barbara, California.

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Vi Lam is a professionally licensed engineer and project manager. She has a bachelors of Chemical and Environmental engineering from the university of Toronto in Canada as well as a certificate in Management, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. For the past six years, Vi has been working at AECOM, a Fortune 500 global provider of professional technical and management support services. For the past two years, she has been working out of the San Francisco office, in the Wastewater devision as a Project Manager, where she is involved with the San Francisco Sewer System Improvement Program. Vi is also a formally trained graphic designer and visual artist.

Vi shares with us:

* why she studied Chemical and Environmental engineering.

* her passion for art and graphic design.

* the importance of wastewater management.

* the pros of working in a large company.

* teamwork tips.

* her involvement with the the San Francisco sewer improvement program (SSIP).

* the value of effective communication.

* And much more...

Listen to the episode on iTunes.

Stream the episode below or by clicking here.

Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

Already heard it once or twice?  Please leave us a review here.

Discussion timestamps:

5:15 - Why Vi studied chemical and environmental engineering.

6:21 - Early community involvement teaching painting and cartooning to kids.

7:26 - Combining art and engineering.

9:09 - Landing her first internship as a forensic engineer.

12:57 - Tips for internship hunting.

13:55 - Why Vi pursued a certificate in Management, Technology, and Entrepreneurship.

15:29 - AECOM.

16:30 - How Vi landed her job at AECOM.

18:47 - Early air quality projects that Vi worked on.

20:19 - Challenges of communicating with the public.

21:36 - Advantages of starting your career with a large organization.

22:43 - The Canadian professional engineering certification.

24:12 - The Project Management Professional certification.

27:10 - Why Vi is passionate about waste water management.

28:45 - The San Francisco sewer system improvement program.

30:18 - Organizing human resources to work on the sewer improvement.

32:08 - No such a thing as a typical work week.

33:34 - Making a good team great.

34:52 - Good graphic design.

35:39 - Using graphic design to communicate technical information.

37:33 - John Snow and the London cholera breakout.

39:22 - Marrying the tech world with the public sector.

40:26 - Final words to future engineers.

Selected Links from the Show:

* AECOM homepage.

* AECOM wikipedia page.

* Project Management Institute wikipedia page.

* The Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK) from Amazon.

Reach out to Vi Lam via LinkedIn.

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John Snow and the London cholera outbreak:

Engineer Joseph Bazalgette and the London sewer system - from 7 Wonders of the Industrial World:

The San Francisco Sewer System:

London Real interview with James Altucher:

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Katie Crawford is the career counsellor for the College of Engineering at the University of California Berkeley. Katie provides counseling services to students at all stages of career development to clarify interests and establish goals. We sat down to discuss the job hunting process and general advice useful to all engineering students.

In our conversation, we discuss:

* The resume screening process.

* What employers are looking for in a candidate.

* The importance of real world experience through internships and volunteering.

* Job hunting strategies.

* The value of networking.

* Communicating your personal story.

* Why you need a LinkedIn profile.

* And much more...

Selected Links from the Show:

* List of questions from Managing Oneself: PDF or Rich Text Format.

* career.berkeley.edu for resume, cover letter, interview tips.

Reach out to Katie Crawford via LinkedIn.

Listen to the episode on iTunes.

Stream below or by clicking here.

Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

Already heard it once or twice? Leave us a short review here.

Discussion timestamps:

5:31 - Intro

6:23 - Who sees your resume first?

9:06 - What do companies want to see in your resume?

10:51 - The shotgun and the sharpshooter approaches to job hunting.

12:45 - What is your story and what are you pursuing?

13:45 - Getting to the phone interview.

15:29 - Getting ready for the phone call.

17:06 - The in person interview - preparation and self promotion.

18:36 - Why you should be on LinkedIn.

21:25 - Where does networking fit in?

23:04 - Networking tips: "Creating relationships and keeping up with them."

24:56 - Job/career fair tips.

25:44 - How does this advice relate to internship hunting?

27:41 - How to create an internship for yourself.

28:41 - Have as many experiences as you can, as early as you can.

30:34 - The best career advice Katie has received.

Episode related content:

* Internship and entry level job related data from the National Associate of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

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Arian Aghajanzadeh has a bachelors of Chemical Engineering from the University of California Berkeley, and a Masters in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University where he was Awarded the Energy Engineering and Economics Dean's Certificate. Upon graduation, Arian came back to the Bay area and began work as a Process Engineer at Applied Materials - the world’s largest semiconductor equipment and materials company. About a year and a half ago, he joined the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory as a Scientific Engineering Associate in the High Tech and Industrial Systems Group.

In our interview, we discuss:

* why Arian studied Chemical Engineering.

* the masters program at Cornell.

* how his interests shifted towards renewable energy technologies.

* his experiences at a large company.

* the importance of good management.

* his work at the LBLabs.

* the value of presentability.

* getting out of your comfort zones.

* And much more...

Selected Links from the Show:

* Applied Materials homepage.

* Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory wikipedia page.

* Low Power Propulsion and Control brochure for the MITRAC 500 series.

Reach out to Arian Aghajanzadeh via LinkedIn.

Listen to it on iTunes.

Stream below or by clicking here.

Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

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Discussion timestamps:

4:18 - Intro

4:58 - Why Arian studied chemical engineering.

6:58 - Early career plans?

8:20 - Why Arian pursued further studies after undergrad.

10:00 - What Arian specialized in during his masters.

12:19 - Landing the job at Applied Materials (the power of the network).

15:30 - Responsibilities as a Process Engineer at Applied Materials.

18:31 - Making semiconductor wafers in clean rooms.

20:48 - Exciting project at Applied Materials - chamber start-up in Korea.

22:35 - Advice to young engineers entering a large company / Advantages of working in a large company.

25:36 - Talk about the Energy Technologies Research division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

28:07 - Why Arian wanted to join Berkeley Labs.

29:19 - Why Arian thinks Berkeley Labs hired him: presentability.

31:07 - Working as a Scientific Engineering Associate in the Energy Technologies Research division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

33:53 - Collaboration between the private sector and the Lab.

36:10 - A typical week at Berkeley Labs - kind of like being a consultant and running startups.

39:05 - Business acumen and presentation skills crucial to success.

42:11 - Technologies that excite Arian.

44:42 - Concerns with technology investments.

45:34 - Advice to future engineers.

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Drew Felker studied Materials Engineering at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Right after college, he went to volunteer his technical skills half way around the world in Kenya. Upon returning to California, he began work at SORAA - a leading Light Emitting Diode lamp manufacturer as a process engineer and then as a supplier development engineer. A couple of years ago, Drew launched TruTech Energy offering energy efficient lighting solutions to businesses around the Bay Area. He continues to volunteer his time to both the local and global communities. And recently, he took on the role of Chief Operating Officer at a startup that is trying to develop low cost reliable space rockets.

In our conversation, we discuss:

* What attracted him to Materials Engineering.

* How he began work with laser diodes.

* His early life goals - feed Africa, go to space, be an entrepreneur.

* How he turned down his first job offer to go to Kenya... and how he got the job when he came back.

* What kind of work he did in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.

* Key skills needed to be an effective process engineer.

* How he developed his fearlessness and learned to give up control.

* The benefits of working at a startup as a young engineer.

* The importance of communication and interpersonal skills.

* Building relationships with the technicians in your company.

* The transition from engineer to business owner.

* And much more...

Selected Links from the Show:

* California Polytechnic State University College of Engineering homepage.

* SORAA LED lamp manufacturer homepage.

* Project 41 Non Profit homepage.

* Assist International non profit homepage.

* The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon challenge.

Reach out to Drew Felker via LinkedIn.

Listen to it on iTunes.

Stream below or by clicking here.

Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

Already heard it once or twice? Please leave a short review here.

Discussion timestamps:

4:02 - Intro

4:57 - Why Drew studied Engineering? Materials engineering?

6:16 - Career vision in college / early exposure to laser diodes / life goals.

7:54 - Turning down a job offer to go to Africa / taking risks.

10:00 - Volunteer work in Kenya with Assist International.

12:47 - Takeaways from volunteering in Africa: fearlessness, accepting the situation.

14:20 - Advice for those thinking about volunteering in far away countries.

15:58 - First job at SORAA as a process engineer - responsibilities and projects.

18:37 - Skill sets for success. Getting a lab research position in college.

20:28 - Developing communication skills.

23:04 - Working closely with the employees on the factory floor and the technicians.

26:20 - A little about TruTech energy.

27:04 - Pros and cons of engineering as a foundation for entrepreneurship.

30:44 - New Frontier Aerospace - a look at Drew's latest venture.

32:12 - What excites Drew about space.

33:19 - Project 41 mission.

35:13 - Using old pool pumps and bicycles to pump water.

36:43 - Getting things done.

37:59 - Future technologies that excite Drew.