The Engineering Student Experience Podcast Paul Nissenson

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.