The Engineering Communication Podcast

Cameron Croll is a self‑described disruptor whose career spans applications engineering, shipbuilding, maritime defense, and now AI‑enabled safety and sustainability at Wärtsilä Energy . A graduate of  Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering program, Cameron currently serves as the Americas QEHSS Program Manager, and his path through mechanical engineering required a specific instance where he had to...

In this episode , I interview Matthew Wiles, P.E. , Vice President and COO of  ECR Engines of Richard Childress Racing. Matt earned his bachelor’s degree from  Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering department his master’s degree in the same field from the  University of Wisconsin-Madison of Wisconsin–Madison. We talk about professionalization in engineering, breaking into the race car industry, and...

In the latest episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast I talk with  Marie Paretti ,  Virginia Tech Engineering Education Professor, who brings a rare blend of expertise with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, an M.A. in English, both from Virginia Tech, and a Ph. D. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison . She explains how her dual background shapes her view of communication and...

A few weeks ago, Amir Lahoud from Virginia Tech’s radio station,  WUVT-FM Blacksburg , invited me to record a special episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast for their station with guest  Matt Nowinski —and I’m so glad I said yes! Matt brings a wealth of wisdom and great stories from his engineering career. Before joining the faculty at  Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering , he spent mor...

In this episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast, I sat down with Connor Herron , a Locomotion Controls Engineer at  Persona AI , where he develops software and algorithms that bring humanoid robots to life. Connor shares why engineering is, at its core, a form of storytelling, and why engineers must understand the problem they’re solving, who it impacts, and why it matters. We also dig in...

  Laura Moss is a Stability and Radiological Analysis Engineer at  GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy . She has a chemical engineering degree from Virginia Tech Department of Chemical Engineering a  master’s from NC State University Nuclear Engineering . We covered some fascinating topics during our conversation—everything from ethics and safety in nuclear engineering   to why clear and concise doc...

Ever wondered how engineering drawings and a few failures can shape an engineer’s career? In this episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast, we sit down with Craig Keys , an alum from Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering and a Senior Engineer at Caterpillar Inc. Craig takes us behind the scenes of designing drivetrain systems for small wheel loaders, shares why GD&T is a game-changer fo...

We’re thrilled to welcome  Hannah Carroll, P.E.  to the next episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast! Hannah brings a fascinating blend of engineering expertise and forensic insight to the conversation. With a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering and a master's degree from Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics at Virginia Tech , she’s built a career that bridges...

What happens when engineering meets health equity? In our latest episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast, we sit down with  Ashley Taylor, Ph. D., MPH , a powerhouse in interdisciplinary research and inclusive education. Ashley brings a unique blend of expertise—holding degrees from Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering , Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine , and Virginia Tech...

Ever wondered how an octopus or a snake could inspire the future of robotics? In our latest episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast, I sit down with  Noel Naughton , Assistant Professor in Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering department, to explore his fascinating research in soft robotics—designed for hard-to-access environments. We dive into: 🔹 How nature’s movers (like octopuses and s...

In this season's final episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast, Aleem Ahmed talks with Eszter Anna Varga , a graduate of both Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech and Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering . She's currently an Aerospace System Safety Engineer at Honeywell . This episode has it all: working as an Aerospace Engineer in Europe...

We have another episode ready for you! In this episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast, we talk with Jim Hess . Jim has an impressive resume, holding management and leadership positions at companies like Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. , and Saft . He now spends his time as an Instructor for Engineering Capstone Programs in the Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering department. If you'...

We're back with another episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast! In this episode we talk with Yedhartha Sai Chinnasani, E.I.T , a Rolling Stock Engineer at Mott MacDonald . Tune in to learn more about effective documentation skills and the benefits of volunteering for FIRST Robotics Canada !

In this episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast, we talk with  Walter Lee , an Associate Professor in the  Virginia Tech Engineering Education  Department. Dr. Lee is also the Director for Research in the  Virginia Tech Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity and serves as the Interim Associate Dean of Inclusive Excellence in the  Virginia Tech College of Engineering . If you'...

In this episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast, we talk with Gurbinder Kaur, PhD , a Senior R&D Engineer at  Mitra Chem . Dr. Kaur earned her doctorate at  Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology and was a post-doctoral fellow in the Virginia Tech Materials Science and Engineering  department. A prolific writer, Dr. Kaur has published numerous journal articles and three book...

In the Season 3 premiere of The Engineering Communication Podcast, we talk with Durgesh Chandel, Ph. D. , a Software Research Engineer/Scientist at Intel Corporation . Join us to learn more about Durgesh's career path that led her from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur to NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration to Massachusetts Institute of Technology to becoming the founder of W...

In our final podcast of the season, Johan J. interviews Dr. Jonathan Boreyko , a graduate from Trinity College-Hartford and Duke University , is an Associate Professor in Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering . Tune in to learn all about the innovative research he and his grad assistants are conducting in his Nature-Inspired Fluids and Interfaces Lab at Virginia Tech and how they translate their la...

In this episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast, we talk with Jared Wicker . Jared is a graduate of Clemson University and currently works at X-energy as an Environmental Licensing Engineer. If you’re an engineer who needs to write for a variety of audiences, this is an episode you don’t want to miss! 

The Engineering Communication Podcast is continuing its Start-up Series for this episode with David Alsippi , a Penn State University and University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate and founder and owner of ScanTek Solutions, a company that provides precision 3D inspection, reverse engineering, engineering design, and training services to maximize efficiencies across business manufacturing. Tune in t...

In this episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast, we talk with Caitlin Chamberlain . Caitlin has an Engineering degree from James Madison University and now works as a Junior Systems Engineer at Leidos . We cover everything from senior design projects to #technical #documentation (which Caitlin has to do a lot of!). This is a great episode for your morning commute.

As part of our new #AI series, this week’s episode talks with Dr. Dylan Losey, former post-doc at Stanford University and current assistant professor in the Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering department. Dylan runs the Collaborative Robotics Lab (Collab) at Virginia Tech where he focuses on human/robot interactions by creating learning and control algorithms for robots to help them interact bett...

As part of our Start-up Series, we talk with David Mackanic , a graduate from both Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering and Stanford University and founder and owner of Anthro , a start-up that specializes in flexible batteries.

In this episode, we talk with Emma Walker , a graduate of Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering department and current graduate student in Virginia Tech Civil and Environmental Engineering department. Emma is working on an impressive research project right now that studies what new ideas look like in the brain to determine how people can increase their performance. This episode is filled with inval...

For this episode of The Engineering Communication Podcast, we thought we’d introduce you to Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering student and Technical Communication Program undergraduate assistant, Johan Jallah. Johan is a senior in mechanical engineering, where he is focusing his interests on renewable energy. This episode offers a glimpse into what it’s like to be an engineering undergraduate st...

The Engineering Communication Podcast is continuing its Start-up Series for this episode with Michael Fleming , graduate of the Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering program and founder and former CEO of Torc Robotics (purchased by Mercedes Benz Daimler in 2019). If you’re looking for management and leadership advice or want to learn more about self-driving technology, look no further. Michael cove...