Generation STEM

We’re back Closers,

We’re back Closers, with Episode 25 of CoB

Episode 24 of the CoB podcast debuts our first interview from the 2018 PowerGen International Conference. We sat down with special guest Bob Yeager, President of Power & Water Solutions at Emerson, to discuss the future work force and how companies like Emerson are tackling the challenges of  talent acquisition and retention as well as knowledge transfer from an ever aging industry onto younger employees.

On today’s episode of the CoB podcast, we recap 2018 with a Podium of our favorite 2018 trends as well as discuss what we believe to be the best technology developments and trends of the year. We finish the episode with some predictions for 2019.

Credit:

‘Backbay Lounge’ by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Hey Closers!

Welcome to Episode 21, a follow up on our series breaking down the basics about our electrical grid in the US. In the past episodes we looked at the past/present of our electrical grid, now we're looking to future and we knew from the beginning we'd need to seek expert help.

From the dynamic duo that brought you the world-famous kumquat analogy in Episode 19, the COB team is joined again by Jason Abiecunas (AVP and Director of Distributed Energy Resources) to discuss the future of our electrical grid and the period of unprecedented change we are experiencing with respect to energy.

If you have any comments or questions you want us to answer, you can DM us on Twitter/Instagram (@cobpodcast) or email us at [email protected].

As a follow-up to our first installment of the Engineering in the Developing World series, we bring you Part 2 of that series focused on engineering on the global scale, and how that often radically differs from a Westerner’s perspective.

 

In the studio for Epi 20 we have Doug Mackenzie, Electrical Engineer and avid engineering globalist. Doug takes us through his trip with the IEEE-sponsored trip into the remote Himalayan plateaus to install an electric microgrid for the village residents. Doug takes us through the journey to the plateau, interesting obstacles that arose throughout the project and a fascinating use for the heavy-duty lightbulbs that the village kids thought of.

 

Doug also lends critical insight/advice to any young professionals who may be considering investing time/energy into an engineering role abroad.

 

If our Closers have any comments or questions you want us to answer, you can DM us on Twitter/Instagram (@cobpodcast) or email us at [email protected].

Happy Halloween Closers!

Welcome to Episode 19, first in a (non-consecutive) series addressing the past, present, and future of our electrical grid in the US. In Episode 19 we focus on a quick look back at the history of our grid and a macro-snapshot of where it is now.

Right in time for Halloween, we start off with another installment of our segment, The Podium, focused on the #scaries that make your COB co-hosts pulses quicken.

This episode's discussion is focused on the snapshot of our grid as it stands today. Your COB co-hosts are joined by Jason Abiecunas (AVP and Director of Distributed Energy Resources) and Bill Roush (Sr. RE Consultant) to discuss what components make up our grid and some of the lesser known aspects of our grid that a lot of people are too afraid to ask. The biggest surprise of our discussion: Who would've thought the entire macro-economic picture of the electrical grid supply/demand could be summed up with kumquats?!? Jason and Bill break it down for us and give our Closers real take-away knowledge to level up your understanding of the dynamic electrical grid.

And as a special Halloween goody for our Closers, our very own COB co-host James McDaniel has included a special cover of an immortal rock anthem specifically curtailed for this episode. Take a listen at the end of the episode!

If you have any comments or questions you want us to answer, you can DM us on Twitter/Instagram (@cobpodcast) or email us at [email protected].

Episode 18 kicks off a multi-part (but never sequential) series, because c'mon, we're engineers. This series covers engineering in the developing world and people with firsthand experience in that arena.

We start with a quick feedback and updates (F/U) for some loyal Closers, then followed up with a new segment: Resume Busters. The four co-hosts bring in our college resumes and pull no punches when it comes to candid feedback and tips to our Closers who are grinding through the hiring/interview season.

To kick off our engineering in the developing world, we sit down with Charles Moseley, Program Director at Black & Veatch. Charles has spent his entire life managing and executing large engineering projects in some of the most challenging countries. Charles shares his harrowing stories from his international experiences and advice for young professionals who want to broaden their horizons/experience base towards the international stage.

If our Closers have any comments or questions you want us to answer, you can DM us on Twitter/Instagram (@cobpodcast) or email us at [email protected].

We’re off to a fast start in Episode 17, not quite as fast as the Chiefs in Weeks 1-3, but we’re close! Episode 17 is chock full with a huge interview that we are excited to bring to our Closers!

We start with a quick feedback/updates and a fall-installment of Can’t Lose/Must Wins.

Then into our marquee for Episode 17, with the COB co-hosts sitting down with Steve Edwards, CEO of Black & Veatch. We have a very engaging discussion with Steve about his background, the day-to-day of a CEO, his day-to-day advice for young professionals and of course wrapping up with a friendly competition. Steve serves as judge and jury as the co-hosts pitch our best ideas to retain Millennials in the workplace! Take a listen to see who gets crowned champ in this gold-plated House Cup competition!

If you have any comments or questions you want us to answer, you can DM us on Twitter/Instagram (@cobpodcast) or email us at [email protected].

It’s Episode 16, and we’re excited to bring in Part 2 of our 21st Century Agriculture series. But before we get there, even more clutch than the Chiefs pummeling the Steelers in Week 2, the results of our COB Twitter poll are in! Listen to see who was crowned the winner of drafting the best fantasy roster of famous scientists/pioneers!

This episode brings our follow-up discussion to our previous ‘agricultural innovation in academia’ discussion with a real-world ‘ag startup’ that is breaking ground in providing infrastructure solutions to rapidly expanding indoor agricultural applications. We sit down with Kim Lovan and Zack Olson, co-founders of NextGen Ag, to discuss what they are seeing in this emerging market and some hot takes on the changes happening now that are going to facilitate tectonic shifts in the food industry’s future.

Wrapping up today’s episode, instead of discussing the next chapter in Elon’s biography as per our MO for Book Club, we instead provide an overview of the epic interview between Elon and Joe Rogan that has been setting the social-sphere on fire in the previous weeks. Take a listen and get the download to stay in the know!

If you have any comments or questions you want us to answer, you can DM us on Twitter/Instagram (@cobpodcast) or email us at [email protected].