Communication Mechanics: A Podcast for Engineers

In a very special season finale, Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with episode co-host Dr. Mihir Pathak to speak with five Georgia Tech Woodruff School Alumni who were selected to be part of the 2025 class of 40 under 40 honorees . Join Kevin Cone, Dr. Joe Harms, Dr. Robert Herbert, Dr. Akanksha Menon, and Shay Natarajan as they share their insights, career successes, challenges, and advice for current...

In this episode, Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with Mike Tinskey , Professor of the Practice in Mechanical Engineering and Interim Associate Chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Georgia Tech, to talk about best practices for communication across power differences in different engineering contexts.  _ Show Notes and Timestamps 01:01 Intro to Topic and Guest 02:55 Defining Power Difference...

In this episode, Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with Dr. Brandon Dixon , Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies at the Woodruff School and Director of the Laboratory of Lymphatic Biology and Bioengineering at Georgia Tech. The two discuss how undergraduate engineers can get involved with lab work and how best to solicit lab directors for opportunities in different labs.  _ Show Notes and Times...

In this episode, Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with Georgia Tech alum Foster Finley to challenge the myth that technical communication is objective by examining how engineers make strategic, audience-driven choices in real work.  Take a look at Foster's book list here . _ Show Notes and Timestamps: 01:00 Introduction to topic and guest 02:18 Why reading is fundamental for engineers 03:33 Why all...

In the season 4 premiere, Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with returning guest Dr. Amit S. Jariwala and new guest and fellow instructor Marty Jacobson to discuss the conventions of Design Communication. The episode covers how early-career engineers make communication decisions as they move from "student writing" into professional practice, design teams, and real constraints.  _ Show Notes and Time...

In the season 3 finale, Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with returning guest Dr. David MacNair and new guest Dr. Caitlin Kelly . The three discuss the importance of 'training the trainer' and ensuring graduate TAs and communication center tutors have the tools they need to give feedback to the students they work with.  _ Show Notes and Timestamps: 00:43 Introduction to guests 01:00 Introduction to...

In this episode, Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with recent Georgia Tech graduate Keshav Pransukhka to learn more about his experience as an engineering intern and discuss advice for students going into internships for the first time.  _ Show Notes and Timestamps 00:43 welcome and introduction 01:15 internship information 04:17 First communication expectations and challenges 06:23 Value of commun...

In this episode, Jill Fennell speaks to Russell Ford, Chairman and CEO of StandardAero and Georgia Tech alumnus, about the importance of communication in leadership. Using Mister Ford's Top Ten Rules for Technical Leadership as a framework, the two discuss strategies for effectively communicating and growing in leadership roles as an engineer. _ Show Notes and Timestamps: 00:43 Introductions and G...

In this episode Dr. Jill Fennell has a conversation with Kathryn Woods about the principles of confident communication in high stakes scenarios, sharing important strategies for giving effective presentations and forming positive public speaking habits.  Notes and Timestamps: 00:43 - Introduction and Guest 01:14 - Transition from SLP to Coaching Professionals in Public Speaking 02:34 - How pe...

In the season 3 premiere of Communication Mechanics, podcast host Dr. Jill Fennell is joined by   Laura Garcia , Director of Undergraduate Career Education at Georgia Tech. Together they discuss navigating different aspects of Career Fairs from a communication standpoint, detailing information to help students before, during, and after their career fair experience.    Notes and Time...

In the Season 2 Finale, Jill sits down with Dr. Alena Alamgir, Director of Technical Communication for Materials Science at Georgia Tech. The two discuss preparing documentation and application materials for the highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, or NSF GRFP.  Show Notes and Timestamps: 00:54 Intro and Welcome 01:33 The Basics: What is NSF GRF...

In this episode, host Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with Mark Ligler, Vice President of Factory Automation Systems in Georgia and member of the Woodruff School Advisory board , to talk about the importance of communicating safety in engineering.  Notes and Timestamps: 00:54 Introductions and guest introductions 01: 33 Importance of safety to future engineers 04:32 Helping others communicate safe...

In this episode, host Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with Dr. David Torello , Director of the Clark Scholars Program and the College of Engineering's Dean's Scholars Program in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. The two discuss code commenting, an oft overlooked communication genre in Engineering, and consider best practices and use cases for creating effective code comment...

In this episode, host Jill Fennell talks to Dr. David Smith , lecturer in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and Scott Elliot , manager of the Machine Shop at the Montgomery Machining Mall about the importance of creating technical drawings that communicate information effectively between engineers and machinists.  Show Notes and Timestamps: 00:54 - Welcome and Introductions 02:56...

In the first episode of Season Two of Communication Mechanics, Dr. Jill Fennell is joined by Dr. Andy Frazee , Director of Writing and Communication in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech. Lending his expertise in the first year writing sequence of English 1101 and 1102, he offers strategies and connections between required communications courses and technical course...

In Part 2 of the final episode of Season 1 of the podcast, Dr. Jill Fennell speaks to three members of the team that won in the category of Best Mechanical Engineering Project at the Spring 2024 Capstone Engineering Expo, the Mechkiwis . Seniors Isabelle Gustafson, Miguel Daly, and Sana Hafeez share the experience they and their fellow teammates - Claudia Vitale, Lena Moller, and Maxwell Gart - ha...

In Part 1 of the final episode of Season 1 of the podcast, Dr. Jill Fennell speaks to three members of the team that won in the category of Best Mechanical Engineering Project at the Spring 2024 Capstone Engineering Expo, the Mechkiwis . Seniors Isabelle Gustafson, Miguel Daly, and Sana Hafeez share the experience they and their fellow teammates - Claudia Vitale, Lena Moller, and Maxwell Gart - ha...

In this episode Dr. Jill Fennell speaks with Dr. David MacNair , Director of Laboratory Development at Georgia Tech, about technical reports and the importance of moving beyond chronological narratives in engineering communication.  Show Notes and Timestamps: Introduction to topic and guest 00:54 Technical Reports and their role in Engineering 04:28 Communication challenges for novice report...

In this episode Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with Dr. David Anderson , Principal Engineer at Exponent, to talk about the importance of understanding audience in Engineering Communications.  Show Notes and Timestamps Episode Introduction 00:56 Why engineers should prioritize audience 2:02 How did you realize the importance of understanding audience 03:20 Audience influence on design decisions 05...

In this episode, Dr. Jill Fennell has a conversation about applying to graduate school with Dr. Andrei Fedorov , Associate Chair for Graduate Studies at the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech.   Show Notes and Timestamps: Introduction and Guest Introduction 00:54 Purpose of graduate school application documents 02:03 CRISP acronym for a successful grad school applicatio...

In this inaugural episode, podcast host Dr. Jill Fennell sits down with Dr. Amit S. Jariwala , Director of Design and Innovation at the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering to discuss the Goals and Tenets of the Webb Communication Program.  Show Notes and Timestamps:  Introduction, meeting the host and guest: 00:00 Webb Communication Program Goals: 03:45 Program History and Purpose:...