The Engineering Student Experience Podcast

In this episode, Paul tries to demystify the important, but often misunderstood, position of "department chair" by interviewing Dr. Berit Givens (Dept of Mathematics and Statistics) and Dr. Shokoufeh Mirzaei (Dept of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering), both of whom are department chairs at Cal Poly Pomona. During the conversation, Berit and Shokoufeh describe the role and responsibilities of a department chair, share their experiences of being a chair, and explain how a chair impacts students and faculty. Paul also shares his experiences of being the associate chair of his department, in which he assists his chair with various duties. Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode produced and edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on March 19, 2024 at Cal Poly Pomona.

In this episode, Paul interviews Davy McDowell, who is the Chief Operating Officer of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). During the conversation, Davy provides an overview of the process engineers go through to become professionally licensed. He also discusses the types of engineering jobs that typically require professional licensure, what the professional licensure exams (FE and PE Exams) are like, when it’s recommended to take the exams, and tips for preparing for the exams. NCEES is an organization that assists states and territories in the professional licensure process: https://ncees.org/ Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode produced and edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on November 1, 2023 via Zoom.

In this episode, Paul interviews Dr. Victor Okhuysen who is a Professor in the Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Department at Cal Poly Pomona. During the conversation, Dr. Okhuysen provides an overview of the field of manufacturing engineering. He compares manufacturing engineering with other engineering disciplines, discusses career paths available in manufacturing engineering, and gives various tips for all engineering students. You can read more about the Cal Poly Pomona's Industrial & Manufacturing Department here: https://www.cpp.edu/engineering/ime/index.shtml National Association of College and Employers (NACE) website for career readiness competencies: https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/career-readiness-defined/ American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) magazine breaks down mechanical engineering jobs by sector (about half of mechanical engineers work in manufacturing): https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/infographic-where-do-americas-mechanical-engineers-work Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on May 2, 2023 at Cal Poly Pomona.

In this episode, Paul interviews two Cal Poly Pomona engineering students, Elizabeth Sanchez (industrial engineering) and Esteban Alderete (aerospace engineering), who also are US Marine Corps veterans. During the interview, Elizabeth and Esteban share their experiences of active-duty service, transitioning back to civilian life, and being engineering students. They also provide advice for people who are thinking about joining the military, and advice for veterans who are considering pursuing an engineering degree one day. Cal Poly Pomona Veterans Resource Center: https://www.cpp.edu/veterans/index.shtml TELACU Veterans Upper Bound program: https://telacu.com/telacu-education-foundation/college-readiness-programs/veterans-upward-bound/ Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on March 22, 2023 at Cal Poly Pomona.

In this episode, Paul interviews two Cal Poly Pomona engineering students, Jared Changizian (mechanical engineering) and Michael Youssef (electrical engineering), who discuss a very common experience for engineering students -- having to repeat a course due to receiving a low grade. During the interview, Jared and Michael describe the emotions and thoughts they experienced when they found out they had to repeat engineering courses. They also discuss how they eventually overcame these difficulties and became stronger as a result. Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on March 21, 2023 via Zoom.

In this episode, Paul provides an overview of ABET, which is the agency responsible for accrediting engineering programs. He discusses why accreditation is important for students and what an engineering program must do to receive accreditation. During the episode, Paul mentions that all of his department's program educational objectives are listed on his department's website. You can view the program educational objectives, along with the seven student outcomes mandated by ABET, in the "ABET Accreditation" section of this website: https://www.cpp.edu/engineering/me/index.shtml More information about ABET can be found here: https://www.abet.org/accreditation/ Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on January 3, 2023.

In this episode, Paul explores the field of air pollution control (or air pollution abatement) with Anoosheh Oskouian and John Von Bargen from Ship & Shore Environmental, a company based in Signal Hill, CA that specializes in designing and constructing air pollution abatement systems. Anoosheh is President and CEO of the company, and John is the Vice President and Director of Engineering. During the interview, Anoosheh and John discuss the importance of air pollution abatement in our everyday lives, how Ship and Shore Environmental works with businesses and local air quality regulatory agencies to meet the air pollution abatement needs of businesses, the types of engineers who typically work in this field, the history of air pollution control in the US, and many other topics. About Ship & Shore Environmental: Ship & Shore Environmental, Inc. is a Long Beach, CA-based, woman-owned business specializing in the design, evolution, manufacture, and deployment of industrial air pollution capture and control systems. S&SE helps major manufacturers and other organizations around the world meet volatile organic compounds (VOC) abatement challenges by providing customized energy-efficient air pollution abatement systems across various applications, resulting in improved operational efficiency and tailored “green” solutions. Since 2000, S&SE has advised governmental groups and leaders on the full spectrum of environmental needs. Today, S&SE offers a host of innovative engineering and manufacturing capabilities and maintains multiple offices around the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia. With over 100 specialized experts spread across the globe, the company remains dedicated to delivering tailored solutions for clients on both land and sea. For more information, visit www.shipandshore.com. Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on August 2, 2022 at Ship & Shore Environmental in Signal Hill, CA.

In this episode, Paul talks with Isabel Gutierrez to learn what it's like to create and grow a company. Isabel is the CEO and founder of Vistendo, and earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona in 2019. Vistendo is a company dedicated to ending the suffering related to untreated brain dysfunctions including brain injuries and mental health disorders. The technology developed by Vistendo helps to detect concussions right on-the-field and monitors those who are injured to prevent serious injury and long-term suffering. During the interview, Isabel describes her journey of having an idea for a product, forming a company while still in college, and growing the company for the past few years. She also discusses the time demands required to run a start-up company, the importance of people skills in the workplace and for finding investors and partners, the traits of successful leaders, and many other topics. Vistendo's website: https://vistendo.com/ Isabel's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelguti/ Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on July 19, 2022 at Cal Poly Pomona.

In this episode, Paul interviews two Cal Poly Pomona engineering students, Eric Belcastro (civil engineering) and John Hartman (electrical engineering), who started pursuing an engineering degrees later in life. Eric and John talk about their transition back to school, and describe their day-to-day experiences inside and outside the classroom as students who are significantly older than most of their classmates. They also provide advice for people who are older and thinking about returning to school to pursue an engineering degree. John Hartman's songs on Spotify John Hartman's songs on Apple Music Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on April 28, 2022 at Cal Poly Pomona.

In this episode, Paul explores the food retailing industry by interviewing Diego Wood and Michael Gillett, who work for the Hussmann Corporation. Hussmann designs, builds, and maintains display cases in many supermarkets, convenience stores, and other places that sell temperature-controlled food products. Diego is a Specialty Engineering Leader and Michael is a Principal Engineer at Hussmann’s facility in Chino, California (just 10 miles away from Cal Poly Pomoma). During the interview, Diego and Michael provide an overview of the food retailing industry and discuss the engineering behind display cases and refrigeration systems used in the industry. Additionally, they highlight the importance of communication with customers and in the workplace, share their thoughts on the future of the food retailing industry, and provide advice on how engineering students can succeed in any engineering workplace. About Hussmann Corporation: https://www.hussmann.com/about-us/legacy-innovation Careers at Hussmann: https://www.hussmann.com/careers/job-openings Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on January 10, 2022 via Zoom.

In this episode, Paul explores what it's like to be an engineer at an air quality agency by interviewing Dr. Simin Mehrabani, who works at the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD). The South Coast AQMD is a government agency responsible for improving the air quality for over 15 million people in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. Simin received a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Southern California, and currently is a Senior Air Quality Engineer for the South Coast AQMD. In this role she supervises a team of air quality engineers who review engineering evaluation reports and issues permits to industries involved in coating and printing operations. In the interview, Simin discusses the various divisions within the South Coast AQMD, how the South Coast AQMD works with state and federal agencies to improve air quality, the types of jobs available to engineers at air quality agencies, and how engineering students can gain a foothold in this field. South Coast AQMD website: http://www.aqmd.gov/ South Coast AQMD air quality mobile app: https://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/news-archive/2020/enhanced-mobile-app-dec10-2020.pdf South Coast AQMD Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP): http://www.aqmd.gov/home/air-quality/clean-air-plans/air-quality-mgt-plan West Coast Section of Air & Waste Management Association (AWMA) website: https://wcsawma.org/ Rule 219 for equipment not requiring a written permit: http://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/rule-book/reg-ii/rule-219.pdf Rule 1401 on toxic air contaminants: http://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/rule-book/reg-xiv/rule-1401.pdf Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on December 28, 2021 via Zoom.

In this episode, Paul explores what it's like to be an engineer at an electric utility agency by interviewing Everett Aragon and Moein Lak, both of whom work at the Southern California Edison. SoCal Edison is a large electric utility transmitting and distributing power throughout much of Southern and Eastern California. Everett Aragon is a Senior Engineering Manager in the Technology Integration Group, with a B.S. in Computer Engineering and Electric Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona (Class of 2008), and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from USC. Moein is an Engineering Manager who focuses on distribution, and has a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering. In the interview, Everett and Moein discuss the structure of SoCal Edison, the different types of engineers who work for the organization, the importance of advanced degrees and getting professional licensure in their field, and the importance of communication both with the public and with their colleagues. We also discuss the long-term challenges and opportunities facing electric utilities around the world, such as modernizing electrical grids that are becoming more and more complex every year. SoCal Edison internships: https://www.edisoncareers.com/page/show/early_career/ SoCal Edison's Distribution Resources Plan External Portal: https://ltmdrpep.sce.com/drpep/ Pathway 2045: https://www.edison.com/home/our-perspective/pathway-2045.html Reimagining the Grid: https://www.edison.com/home/our-perspective/reimagining-the-grid.html Moein mentioned IEEE a couple times: https://www.ieee.org/ Everett and Moein wanted to mention, “The guests share their experiences and do not represent SCE.” Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on August 25, 2021 via Zoom.

In this episode, Paul interviews Andrew Diamond and Jonny Yi, both of whom are aerospace engineering students (and amateur podcasters) at Cal Poly Pomona. Andrew and Jonny transferred to Cal Poly Pomona from a community college back in Fall 2019. In the interview, Andrew and Jonny discuss why they went to community college, how they prepared to transfer to a university and what the transition was like, the differences between their community college and Cal Poly Pomona, and they provide advice for engineering students who are at a community college and hope to one day transfer to a university to finish their degree. Andrew and Jonny's "Aeroholics Anonymous" podcast can be found on all podcast platforms. Here is the RSS feed: https://rss.com/podcasts/aeroholicsanonymous/ Andrew mentioned the atrium of building 17 at Cal Poly Pomona with large models of planes and satellites. Here is a picture of the atrium. Here is the amazing caricature of Paul and Dwayne (the rock). All college students should complete the FAFSA every year: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on September 1, 2021 via Zencastr.

In this episode, Paul explores what it's like to be an engineer at a water utility agency by interviewing Steve Johnson and Gerardo Maldonado, both of whom work at the Desert Water Agency (DWA). The DWA is responsible for importing water and managing groundwater in the Palm Spring and Cathedral City area (desert communities a couple hours east of Los Angeles). Steve is the Assistant Manager with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona (1993) and Gerardo is a Staff Engineer with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona (2019). In the interview, Steve and Gerardo discuss various projects they've worked on, they compare working for a public agency like DWA versus working for a private company, and they provide tips for engineering students who want to enter the field of water management. Website for the DWA: https://dwa.org/ Internship opportunities at the DWA are occasionally posted here: www.dwa.org/careers Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on June 11, 2021 via Zoom.

In this episode, Paul explores a critically important (but underappreciated) component of our economy -- large warehouses -- by interviewing Mark Wry, who is a Senior Engineering Manager at Under Armour. Mark has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and M.S. in Systems Engineering, both from Cal Poly Pomona. Mark describes what it's like to be an engineer in a large warehouse, the various types of jobs performed by engineers in these facilities, tips for gaining a foothold in this field, and future trends in warehouses and supply chains. Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on April 9, 2021 via Zoom.

In this episode, Paul explores the themed entertainment industry by interviewing Andrew Skowron and Jego Santos Fonseca, both of whom work at Universal Studios Hollywood (Andrew as a Rides Manager and Jego as a Quality Engineer). Andrew and Jego describe what the themed entertainment industry is all about including how various types of engineers participate in the industry, how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the industry, and how to improve your chances of landing a job in the industry. Here are links to the various organizations mentioned during the episode: Jego's YouTube Channel (Tink Tank) Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Creative Walt Disney Imagineering Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on January 21, 2021 via Zoom. Sorry about the poor audio quality for Paul -- he had mic issues that didn't become apparent until post-production. He will be upgrading his recording equipment soon!

In this episode, Paul catches up with Monica and Jared who are now in their second year of college. Monica and Jared were interviewed as freshmen back in Episode 14. They are joined by Dr. Jessica Perez (Electromechanical Engineering Technology Department, Cal Poly Pomona) who frequently teaches a first year engineering experience course. Monica and Jared share how they’ve changed as engineering students and as people during the past year, how they are dealing with the challenges related to online instruction, and they provide advice for freshman engineering students. We hope to follow-up with Jared and Monica a year from now to continue learning how their opinions and interests evolve over time. Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on December 16, 2020 via Zoom.

In this episode, Paul provides an overview of graduate ("grad") school. He covers how to apply to grad school, the differences between obtaining a Master's degree and a Ph.D., who should consider applying to grad school, factors to consider when selecting a university, and finding a faculty advisor. Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. This episode was recorded on November 25, 2020 at Paul's home studio (a.k.a., his bedroom).

In this episode, Paul interviews Dr. Phyllis Nelson and Dr. Anas Salah Eddin, both of whom are faculty members in the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department at Cal Poly Pomona. We discuss the sub-disciplines within electrical engineering, career paths available to electrical engineers, and various tips for electrical engineering students. We also touch upon the differences between electrical engineering, computer engineering, and computer science. You can read more about a typical electrical engineering program by checking out the Cal Poly Pomona Electrical & Computer Engineering Department's website: https://www.cpp.edu/engineering/ece/ Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Melody Neu ran the soundboard. Paul edited the episode. Recorded on March 6, 2020 at Cal Poly Pomona.

In this episode, Paul revisits with two engineering students, Hooman Kasraei and Robert Freeman, who reflect upon the past couple months of adjusting to life during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. If you want to hear their initial thoughts from a couple months earlier when the university suddenly shifted to remote instruction, check out Episode 11. Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on May 22, 2020 via Zoom.