School of PE Podcast Season One Episode Summaries and Winter Break Update
Dec 17, 2021
We started the School of PE Podcast this year to provide our students and the engineering community with a new educational resource touching on hot topics in engineering, study tips, and more. Our host Chris Miller has thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to communicate with various engineers and subject matter experts on such engaging and interesting topics. We have not only learned more about these fields, but also gained a new appreciation for the passion and commitment engineers have for their careers.
We just wanted to take a moment to inform you that we are taking a short break from podcast production and posting to give our staff and podcast guests the chance to enjoy themselves with their families this holiday season. But don't fret-season two of our podcast will be beginning in January!
In case you're not up to date, here's a short summary of each that the episodes we have produced so far:
Table of Contents
1. Pilot
In this pilot episode of the School of PE Podcast, host Chris Miller introduces himself, the podcast, and touches on the elephant in the room: the transition of the PE Civil exam from pencil-and-paper format to computer-based testing (CBT) format. Chris notes that there is no need to panic about this change, as most students have likely taken their FE exam in the CBT format already! Listen today and learn more about this transition!
2. Sidney May
Join host Chris Miller as he talks to School of PE student-turned School of PE instructor Sidney May. May is a civil engineer with a focus in transportation and owns her own engineering practice out of Birmingham, Alabama. In this episode, you will learn about May's joining the School of PE team as an instructor, her passion for engineering, and her experiences as a woman in engineering. Tune in today!
3. Mike Villarosa
In this episode of the School of PE Podcast, Chris Miller talks with Mike Villarosa, a civil engineer in New York who has been teaching with School of PE for three years. Villarosa is a civil engineer for the Orange County Department of Public Works as well as a Water Resources instructor for School of PE. You'll learn about the different experiences students have taking Onsite versus Live Online classes, the benefits of taking the FE exam right out of college, changes in engineering, and more!
4. Sean Stuntz
This fourth episode of the School of PE Podcast features a conversation between Chris Miller and USAF Major Sean Stuntz. Stuntz is a civil engineer for the Air Force originally from Louisiana but based currently in Nevada. In this episode, you will find out about the mission for military civil engineers, differences between civilian and military engineers, and more!
5. Collin Sims
In this episode, Chris Miller talks with Collin Sims, School of PE's Program Administrator. Collin is from Zanesville, OH but lives in Columbus now. This conversation touches on taking the FE exam while you're in college/right out of college, the transition of the PE Mechanical exam from pencil-and-paper to CBT, and the importance of maintaining a positive attitude during exam preparation.
6. Dustin Douglas
This episode of the School of PE Podcast features a conversation between Chris and Dustin Douglas, a geotechnical engineer living and working in Texas. Douglas is currently a region engineer for a geotech firm called GeoPier, but originally began his education as a music major! In this episode, you will learn about why engineers would want to earn PE licenses in multiples states, the cold weather-induced power outages in Texas during early 2021, the compounding nature of engineering education, and more!
7. Erin Kelly
Join Chris as he talks to Erin Kelly, an instructor for School of PE and structural engineer in California. Kelly currently performs seismic risk assessments for commercial real estate with Blackstone Consulting. In this episode, you will find out about the California Seismic and Surveying exams and why they're intentionally difficult, as well as the importance of teachers and advisors in helping students recognize skills and strengths.
8. James Lindsey
On this episode of the School of PE Podcast, Chris interviews James Lindsey, a structural engineer currently working in the field of utilities. You'll learn about the effects of weather on transmission lines and structures, the pros and cons of certain assembly structures, when you would want to use underground versus overhead lines, and more!
9. Mike Villarosa
In this episode of the School of PE Podcast, we are joined by a repeat guest, Mr. Mike Villarosa, a New York State civil engineer and instructor for School of PE. This episode focuses on new information released by the NCEES about the PE Civil CBT exam, the pros and cons of having open book exams vs. exams where students can only use their reference handbook, and time management. You'll also learn about some of the engineering projects Villarosa has been working on in New York and the experiences he had while transitioning from working from an office to working from home during COVID.
10. James Avery
In this episode of the School of PE Podcast, join Chris as he puts fire protection engineer James Avery in the hot seat! Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Avery began his engineering adventure in the mechanical sector before receiving an opportunity to work for a sprinkler company. You'll learn about technological developments in fire protection like firefighting drones, active vs. passive fire protection systems, and Avery's goal of eventually putting firefighters out of business! Tune in to satisfy your burning curiosity about fire protection engineering.
11. James Lindsey
In this episode of the School of PE Podcast, we are joined by a returning guest, Mr. James Lindsey, a structural engineer. This episode focuses on Lindsey's personal experiences with and strategies for preparing to take both the FE and PE exams. Lindsey gives suggestions on how to overcome mental hurdles, how to improve content retention, and how to keep a positive attitude through this taxing exam prep process. Tune in today!
12. Collin Sims
This episode of the School of PE Podcast features a discussion between Chris and repeat guest, Collin Sims, School of PE's Program Administrator. You will learn more about how School of PE is a leader in professional education with innovative technology designed to improve learning experiences for students. Discover how and why we developed certain learning tools, the benefits of content retrieval and refreshing your memory, and the advantages of including augmented reality (AR) features in our publications! Tune in today!
13. Doug Smith
In this episode of the School of PE Podcast, Chris is joined by Mr. Doug Smith, the Learning Success Manager for HoloPundits, a leading augmented reality solutions provider that has been helping School of PE create AR/VR features for our publications. Discover the exponential growth of extended technology applications and the benefits of implementing these technologies within education, manufacturing, and engineering. Listen now to learn more about these exciting innovations and the numerous ways they can be applied in the real world!
14. Isaac Oakeson
Join Chris as he talks with Isaac Oakeson, the founder of Civil Engineering Academy. In this episode, dive into the new PE Civil CBT exam format-learn about the different alternative item type (AIT) questions, the pros and cons of the exam going digital, and some of the best strategies to ace the exam. This episode is particularly applicable for examinees with questions or concerns about the new CBT exam format beginning in January.
15. James Avery
Join Chris as he talks to repeat guest Mr. James Avery, a fire protection engineer based out of Memphis, TN. In this episode, you will learn about the safety tools Avery uses on a day-to-day basis, the fire protection equipment individuals should have to protect themselves and their homes, and the rigorous testing done on commercial fire protection systems to make sure they will function properly when needed.
16. Erin Kelly
In this episode of the School of PE Podcast, Chris chats with repeat guest and structural engineer Erin Kelly! During this episode, you will learn more about the different paths that civil structural engineers can take, including design engineering, forensics engineering, risk assessment, and in-house engineering support. Kelly explains how there's no right way to be an engineer and that there is value in experimenting in different fields of engineering before you make your decision on which to choose as a career. She also notes that there is often overlap in engineering careers, so even if you feel like you might not be qualified for a position, you likely are due to previous engineering experience and training. You will also discover the common instruments a structural engineer would have in his or her daily toolkit!
Our podcast is now live on Spotify and Google Podcasts as well as on our website and YouTube and has been listened to across the globe! These podcast episodes are complete with fun facts and exam hacks in addition to intriguing information on the guests themselves. Thank you for joining us as a listener-enjoy your winter break and tune in to season two of the School of PE Podcast beginning in January!
Latest Blogs
Blogs by Year/ Month
Copied to clipboard