The Civil Engineering Academy Podcast

What do the Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Interstate Highway System have in common? 🤔 Here it is. 👇 They weren’t just projects to solve specific problems — they helped shape America into the huge, powerful country it is today! 🇺🇸 And since America just turned 250 years old last Saturday, we thought it'd be fun to look back at some of these greatest civil engineering marvels tha...

After diving into the new specs for the Water Resources PE, it’s time to do the same for the Transportation PE Exam and figure out what’s actually changing in 2027 if you’re taking this one. 👇 The good news? You can breathe a little easier. 😅 The exam itself isn't getting turned upside down (yet), but there are some important changes you need to know. Especially when it comes to the codes an...

Have you heard the Water Resources PE Exam is changing in 2027 and are now wondering if it’s time to panic already? 😅 Don’t worry — you can put the paper bag away because we did the work for you. 👇 In this episode, we do a deep dive into the new exam specifications effective in April 2027! We break down exactly what's changing, what's staying the same, and why a lot of engineers are maki...

Gearing up for the Construction PE Exam and wondering which materials are actually worth your money to get this done? 🤔 If yes, then here’s something you need to keep in mind. 👇 Even though the exam is closed-book, using only the PE Civil Reference Handbook and codes listed in the specs won’t cut it! ❌ With Construction having the lowest pass rates among all five Civil PE disciplines, you need...

Ever found yourself staring at the NCEES website wondering why there seems to be two exams for Structural Engineering folks — the PE Civil: Structural Exam and the PE Structural Exam? 🤔 You're definitely not alone!  This is one of the most common points of confusion for structural engineers.  In fact, just some time ago, one of our own students emailed us asking if they were supposed to use t...

Imagine this: you step away from civil engineering for years to raise your kids, and then come back to the profession and have to pull off one of the biggest achievements in everybody’s career right off the bat? 🤔 That's exactly the road Anellise Deters traveled on her way to becoming a licensed PE. And there’s more — she did that all while being a mother of three kids! Exactly. I reacted the...

Picking your study materials for the Water Resources PE exam is like going down a rabbit hole. 😵‍💫 Everybody swears by a different resource and, before you know it, you’ve got 30+ options and no clue where to even start. That’s exactly why we put this episode together! In this one, we break down our top picks for PE Water Resources study materials for each one of the three main aspects of any go...

Ever wondered what civil engineers working in land development actually do? 🤔 That’s a possible career path most civil engineers never hear about…until now! 👇 For this episode, land development & stormwater management specialist Jason Cherami, PE, jumps on the show to break down the career path that turns raw land into functional spaces for both residential and commercial uses. In this episo...

You've probably been hearing all the AI buzz in civil engineering over and over again. A new tool here. A possible new use there. But how is all the new tech being actually implemented at AEC firms? 🤔 That’s why this episode with Bhragan Paramanantham is so enlightening!  He started as a civil engineer out in the field doing normal, day-to-day tasks while asking himself “There’s gotta be a better...

From dreaming of the Air Force to finding his calling in civil engineering and becoming a PE, today’s guest is a testament to the twists life throws at us…and some of them can be a blessing! 👇 In this episode, we have Jared Foulk on the show. He’s a civil engineer in Washington who recently passed the Water Resources PE Exam, and is here to spill the beans on everything he learned on this journey...

Civil engineering shapes the world around us, but not everyone sees themselves in it. For some, finding role models who’ve been there is tough…and that’s exactly what Azael Garza had  to overcome. 👇 Azael is civil engineer with a latino heritage that went from a small-town math student to launching his own firm and working for himself at Aztlan Engineering, all while keeping the memories of his a...

AI is making its way into civil engineering fast. Whether you like it or not, it’s changing the rules of the game already. So, the only possible question left is: are you keeping up…or getting left behind? 🤔 In this episode, we chat with Peter Nabhan, a PE who pioneered the transition of a big AEC firm to adopting technology and now works at the intersection of civil engineering, business leaders...

Most people think an engineering career locks you into one path. Design, build, repeat. Endlessly. But what if it could actually open doors you never knew were there — even totally unrelated to engineering? 🤔 This week, we chat with Lorri Zella. She’s a licensed PE who took her career in a totally different direction, going from engineering to full-time real estate investing with a stop in forens...

🚨 ATTENTION 🚨 The latest stats on licensure exams are out — and some of it that’s never happened before on any point in history will make you jaw drop big time! 😯 In this episode, we dive into the 2025 Squared Report by the NCEES and break down the biggest takeaways from it regarding the civil FE and PE exams. What are the latest pass rates? What’s the perfect time to take them in your career b...

Does the PE equal a 6-figure salary?! 😯 This is one of the trends in the civil engineering job market today that, if you don’t pay attention, you may be leaving big opportunities on the table. 👇 This week, Brandon McGill jumps back on the show to pull back the curtain on what’s really going on in the civil engineering hiring scene in 2026.  As The Civil Recruiter himself, he’s in the trenches ev...

Having trouble passing the Civil PE Exam in your current discipline? 🤔 If yes, then switching exams can be the game-changer you’ve been looking for…if you do it right. 👇 While sticking with the same exam is (and always will be) your best bet, there are a few exemptions to that rule that can really turn things around for you. In this episode, we cover the only six possible scenarios in which chan...

Most licensed civil engineers don’t think about the legal risks in their career…until something goes wrong. But according to attorney Matthew Fornaro, when it does go sideways, it’s usually too late. 👇 Matthew works right in the intersection of construction and business law. He’s seen it all in the AEC industry — from small contract disputes and ethical violations…all the way to full-blown, milli...

If you want to practice in California, the journey isn’t quite over after you pass the PE Exam. 😅 There are two extra tiny little things standing between you and the PE license in the Golden State. 👇 In this episode, Taylor Austin jumps back on the show, but now to talk about her experience tackling these California-specific hurdles — the Seismic and Surveying Principles exam. After passing the...

Every year, we like to hit pause, look in the rearview mirror, and reflect on everything that happened in the past year. We just did that with our 2025 Year in Review…and that was a crazy one! 😅 In this episode, we dive into the 2025 highlights that made all the late nights and weekends of work totally worth it. Both in terms of traction we’ve gotten, the number of students we’ve had…all the way...

Think Floodplain Management is only for Water Resources Engineers? Those already working in water- and flood-related fields? 🤔 Well, this interview with Chris Moe will make you rethink that. 👇 Chris is an Electrical Engineer by trade who entered the public sector many years later doing building inspections and was encouraged by his boss to go for the CFM® exam to boost his career. After two fail...

Do you know the biggest mistake AEC firm owners make? 🤔 They get lost in the busy work and never plan how they’ll leave the business one day. That’s why this episode with Laurie Barkman is huge! Known as the “Business Transition Sherpa,” she’s a M&A advisor who helps owners scale their firms smarter…and exit them stronger. She’s a former CEO who led a $100M company through the acquisition pro...

When you think of “Structural Engineering,” you likely picture big concrete or steel structures. Right? 🤔 Exactly — and that’s the problem! 👇 There’s a whole corner of that industry outside of these two materials that most Structural Engineers have never been taught or exposed to before. 😯 Today, we talk to Dr. Joshua Schultz, PhD, P.E. He’s a Structural Engineering professor and consultant who...

Passing the PE Exam is difficult enough already. Now imagine doing it as a single mother, with 3 successive failed attempts over 5 years, and having to start from scratch after switching exams? 😮 That’s exactly why this episode with Bianca Wilson hits different. She’s a Geotech Project Manager who just passed the Civil PE Exam after 4 tries over 5 years — long after most people would’ve folded al...

AI is already everywhere. Students are using it. Companies are relying on it. And schools are feeling the pressure to do the same. The question is — is it  raising the bar…or quietly lowering it? 🤔 In this episode, Mark jumps back on the show to break down a recent ASCE article that unpacks how AI is starting to reshape civil engineering education. Probably forever. By changing how students learn...

Ever told yourself you’d “start your own firm one day?” 🤔 Most civil engineers have, but they kick it down the road because they don’t know what it takes. If that’s you, this interview with Daniel Bressler is a must. He’s a Structural Engineer who walked the walk you’re planning to walk.  In this episode, he breaks down the big “Aha! moment” that got him to take the leap, the experience dilemma y...