The Engineering Commons Podcast

Electrical engineer John Chidgey joins us in this episode of The Engineering Commons to talk about ladder logic, podcasting, and an engineer’s role in making the world a better place. An open invitation to discuss general engineering issues got Jeff started in the world of podcasting. Carmen, Brian, and Adam became trapped involved as co-hosts … Continue reading Episode 67 — Pragmatic →

We discuss some of the considerations that go into choosing a threaded fastener in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. It can be more complicated than you might think! Carmen has a tendency to make up words every now and then; this leads to quizzical reactions from his co-workers. For many years, Jeff has … Continue reading Episode 66 — Nuts and Bolts →

In a lively discussion of how to best prepare today’s engineering students for tomorrow’s engineering challenges, we talk with Dave Goldberg and Catherine Whitney about their new book, A Whole New Engineer. Any “dot-com” dreams that Brian harbored during his college days have long since dissipated. Carmen suggests that ridiculous buyout amounts are now measured … Continue reading Episode 65 — A Whole New Engineer →

We answer nine questions about the engineering profession, gathered from a quaint little website called Reddit, in this episode of The Engineering Commons. You may notice a common thread in our responses, as there is rarely a clear-cut solution, and the answer often depends on the situation! Carmen turns to application (app) notes or textbooks … Continue reading Episode 64 — Reddit Questions →

Michael Lachman, who started his career as an aerospace engineer, leads us through the pros and cons of following up an engineering degree with an MBA. Adam doesn’t have much interest in business, so he doesn’t think he’s a likely candidate to pursue an MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree. Our guest for this episode … Continue reading Episode 63 — Engineering MBA →

Electrical engineer Meagan Pollock explains how engineers can be more effective role models. We also learn about promoting equity in the workplace, discover how digital movie projection technology is used to improve medical care, and consider whether or not software engineers deal with entropy. Jeff doesn’t recall any technical role models growing up, but benefited … Continue reading Episode 62 — Role Model →

Our conversation with Dr. Janusz Kozinski, Founding Dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering, covers the trials and tribulations of starting a new engineering school, as well as the the attributes and mindset of a “renaissance engineer.” Additionally, we learn a little bit about the skill sets that will be expected of tomorrow’s engineering professional. … Continue reading Episode 61 — Renaissance Engineer →

Geological engineer Pamela Rogalski shares her insights about using social license to enact change in organizations and communities during this episode of The Engineering Commons. Adam notes that bureaucracies seem rather opposed to the concept of change. Our guest for this episode is Pamela Rogalski, a licensed professional engineer from Canada who has worked as … Continue reading Episode 60 — Social License →

We talk with aeronautical engineer Mark French about degrees and careers in Engineering Technology, as well as delving into wind tunnels, guitars, and how to launch a ping-pong ball at supersonic speeds. While Carmen is unsure if he’s a technologist, he’s pretty certain that Daft Punk is Technologic. Our guest for this episode is Mark … Continue reading Episode 59 — Engineering Technology →

In a completely off-the-cuff discussion, Adam, Brian, Carmen and Jeff wander through subjects including finite state machines, power circuit wiring, and the economic implications of technological advances. Jeff is busy preparing to teach a Software Carpentry course, as well as revising the Mechatronics course he taught the past two years. Although there are certain conceptual … Continue reading Episode 58 — Miscellany →