ENGINEERING CHANGE® PODCAST

Dr. Yvette E. Pearson
  • 5.0 (52)
  • SCIENCE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

ENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is the podcast designed to help REDEFINE engineering by: RE-imaging who we see as engineers and what we see as engineering; DE-siloing our approach to academic programs, research, and problem solving; and FINE-tuning organizational conditions so people with different backgrounds and perspectives can contribute fully to outcomes that serve all of society. It's about being just as intentional with our organizational systems as we are with solving any other problems in engineering; applying a carefully planned, iterative process that includes the stakeholders from problematization through ideation, evaluation and ultimately, selecting the best solutions. Each episode will leave you with something concrete you can do to better understand your system and move forward from wherever you are in the process of ENGINEERING CHΔNGE®.

  1. MAR 25

    There's No Such Thing as "Soft Skills" in Engineering

    Send us Fan Mail Engineering outcomes don’t happen in isolation—and understanding how engineering systems and organizational systems shape those outcomes is critical for effective engineering leadership. In this episode of ENGINEERING CH∆NGE®, I challenge one of the most persistent, misleading and, quite frankly, aggravating phrases in engineering: “soft skills.” There is nothing soft about teamwork, communication, and other people-centered professional competencies that determine whether engineering work succeeds. Using a systems lens, this episode examines how engineering outcomes are produced through interactions among people, across roles, and between organizations and the communities they serve. It also explores how narrow definitions of merit obscure the very contributions that hold teams, projects, and systems together. (More to come on this in Episode 32). Through real-world examples and personal reflection, I make the case for eliminating the term “soft skills” altogether and replacing it with a more accurate understanding of what engineering work actually requires, and thus, what our organizations should recognize and value. In this episode:  Why the term “soft skills” fails to describe critical engineering capabilities  How people, relationships, and context shape engineering outcomes  What traditional definitions of merit overlook  Why expanding what we value strengthens engineering systems  If this conversation resonates with you, follow ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® and leave a five-star review to help more engineers and leaders join the conversation. Visit the ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® podcast website to learn more and to request a free copy of my new brief, Engineering for Society. Support the show ENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.

    14 min

  2. MAR 11

    What Systems Lose When Fear Leads

    Send us Fan Mail What happens to engineering systems when fear shapes the conditions under which people work, or are allowed to work? In this episode of ENGINEERING CH∆NGE®, I examine how fear-driven decisions inside organizational systems can reshape their capacity to produce research, education, and societal outcomes, and not for the better. Drawing from lived experience and patterns emerging across institutions, this conversation explores how organizational systems lose capacity, expertise, and knowledge when silence replaces truth and optics replace accuracy.  This episode invites listeners to reflect on the often invisible organizational inputs that shape engineering outcomes and what leaders must be willing to see if our systems are to serve society effectively. In this episode: How fear reshapes organizational decision-makingWhat happens when systems lose people, knowledge, and capacityWhy engineering outcomes depend on organizational conditionsA “System Check” reflection for leaders responsible for engineering and research outcomes If this conversation resonates with you, follow ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® and leave a five-star review to help more engineers and leaders join the conversation. Visit the ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® podcast website to learn more and to request a free copy of my new brief, Engineering for Society. Support the show ENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.

    13 min

  3. FEB 25

    REDEFINE Engineering

    Send us Fan Mail ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® is Back! If you checked out the reboot trailer, you know this season is more focused, more structured, and more intentional. This episode is a reminder of the foundational framework for ENGINEERING CH∆NGE®...  REDEFINE. REDEFINE helps us examine the dimensions of engineering work that shape outcomes: RE-image who we see as engineers and what we see as engineering;DE-silo our approach to academic programs, research, and problem solving; FINE-tune organizational conditions so people with different backgrounds and perspectives can contribute fully to outcomes that serve all of society.Throughout this season, we’ll return to these three elements as we explore leadership, ethics, convergence, community engagement, and other aspects of our organizational systems. This episode lays the foundation and context for what's to come. The System Check This episode also introduces The System Check, a closing reflection you’ll hear each week. It’s a structured pause to help you look more clearly at the system you’re operating in. This episode asks: How is engineering defined in your context, by language, imagery, and context?What conditions shape who is able to contribute meaningfully, and when?How often do you step back to examine whether the system you’re part of is designed to support the outcomes it claims to value?Because change begins with how clearly we see. If You’re Glad ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® Is Back Follow the show so you don’t miss the rest of the season.Leave a 5-star rating and short written review; it helps other agents of change find the podcast.Share this episode with a colleague who cares about strengthening engineering from the inside out.Thanks for being part of this next chapter of ENGINEERING CH∆NGE®! Visit the ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® podcast website to learn more and to request a free copy of my new brief, Engineering for Society. Support the show ENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.

    25 min

  4. SEASON 5 TRAILER

    ENGINEERING CHΔNGE® Season 5 Trailer: The Work Continues

    Send us Fan Mail We're gearing up for the launch of Season 5 on Wednesday, February 25. We have a new format that builds more strongly than ever on our REDEFINE℠ framework and centers people-centered change in organizational systems. Check out this trailer to discover what we have in store! Visit the ENGINEERING CHΔNGE® podcast website to learn more and to download a free copy of my new brief, Engineering for Society. Support the show ENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.

    6 min

  5. 10/26/2022

    NSF AGEP Alliances: Beacons for Equity in the STEM Professoriate Part II

    Send us Fan Mail  This is a continuation of our conversation from Episode 27, where we introduced  current and past participants in conversations about the National Science Foundation's Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program. In this episode, we discussed the importance of institutional change and the scholars shared their advice for program officers and project leaders on programmatic strategies for advancing equity in the STEM professoriate and for new and prospective scholars on how to thrive as graduate students, postdoctoral scholars or early career faculty members. Our guests include: Dr. Luis De Jesus Baez, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University at BuffaloBrianna Gonzalez, Integrative Neuroscience Ph.D. Candidate at Stony Brook UniversityGretchen Johnson, Biology Ph.D. Candidate at Howard UniversityDiego Padilla-Garcia, Ph.D. Candidate in Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of California Santa BarbaraDr. Lecia Robinson, Assistant Professor of Biology at Tuskegee UniversityDr. Tammi Taylor, Assistant Professor of Biology at Jackson State UniversityDr. Shavonn Whiten, Lead Scientist at Booz Allen HamiltonDr. Michael D. Whitt, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at California State University – San Luis Obispo When you listen, please do these three (3) things for me: Take a moment to SUBSCRIBE, leave a 5-STAR RATING, a GREAT REVIEW, and SHARE with others.Follow me and #EngineeringChangePodcast  on Twitter.Visit engineeringchangepodcast.com for more information and to connect with me.Support the show ENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.

    41 min

  6. 10/12/2022

    NSF AGEP Alliances: Beacons for Equity in the STEM Professoriate Part I

    Send us Fan Mail The National Science Foundation’s (NSF's) Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program funds teams of institutions that work together to identify, mitigate, and ultimately eradicate, systemic barriers to success for STEM faculty from racially and ethnically minoritized identities while studying, disseminating, and reproducing those strategies to produce large-scale, sustainable change.   This episode features current and past participants in conversations about AGEP program impacts on their success. We discussed the importance of having strong mentoring networks at all stages of our journeys; they shared components of AGEP projects that have translated into professional practice and tangible outcomes for them; and we discussed how AGEP projects foster a sense of community that helps scholars succeed.  Our guests include: Dr. Luis De Jesus Baez, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University at BuffaloBrianna Gonzalez, Integrative Neuroscience Ph.D. Candidate at Stony Brook UniversityGretchen Johnson, Biology Ph.D. Candidate at Howard UniversityDiego Padilla-Garcia, Ph.D. Candidate in Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of California Santa BarbaraDr. Lecia Robinson, Assistant Professor of Biology at Tuskegee UniversityDr. Tammi Taylor, Assistant Professor of Biology at Jackson State UniversityDr. Shavonn Whiten, Lead Scientist at Booz Allen HamiltonDr. Michael D. Whitt, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at California State University – San Luis Obispo When you listen, please do these three (3) things for me: Take a moment to SUBSCRIBE, leave a 5-STAR RATING, a GREAT REVIEW, and SHARE with others.Follow me and #EngineeringChangePodcast  on Twitter.Visit engineeringchangepodcast.com for more information and to connect with me.Support the show ENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.

    32 min

  7. 04/06/2022

    Soapbox: The Truth about ABET

    Send us Fan Mail There are a lot of misconceptions about ABET, and this "Soapbox" episode sets out to correct some of them. In particular, we talk about opportunities to innovate in engineering curricula in a way that meets ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) criteria requirements and advances justice, equity, diversity and inclusion by teaching students to be more equitable and inclusive engineers. After an overview, we focus this episode on student outcomes related to communication and teams. When you listen, please do these three (3) things for me: Take a moment to SUBSCRIBE, leave a 5-STAR RATING, a GREAT REVIEW, and SHARE with others.Follow me and #EngineeringChangePodcast  on Twitter.Visit engineeringchangepodcast.com for more information and to connect with me.Support the show ENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.

    43 min

  8. 03/09/2022

    Getting Ready for Advanced Degrees (GRAD) with Dr. Marcus Huggans

    Send us Fan Mail This episode is a conversation with Dr. Marcus Huggans, Executive Director of Client Relations for the National GEM Consortium. We speak about GEM's rich history in increasing the numbers of scholars from traditionally marginalized racial and ethnic identities earning degrees in STEM, the importance of mentoring and social capital, and the benefits of being part of the GEM family. When you listen, please do these three (3) things for me: Take a moment to SUBSCRIBE, leave a 5-STAR RATING, a GREAT REVIEW, and SHARE with others.Follow me and #EngineeringChangePodcast  on Twitter.Visit engineeringchangepodcast.com for more information and to connect with me.Support the show ENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.

    1h 1m
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Trailers

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About

ENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is the podcast designed to help REDEFINE engineering by: RE-imaging who we see as engineers and what we see as engineering; DE-siloing our approach to academic programs, research, and problem solving; and FINE-tuning organizational conditions so people with different backgrounds and perspectives can contribute fully to outcomes that serve all of society. It's about being just as intentional with our organizational systems as we are with solving any other problems in engineering; applying a carefully planned, iterative process that includes the stakeholders from problematization through ideation, evaluation and ultimately, selecting the best solutions. Each episode will leave you with something concrete you can do to better understand your system and move forward from wherever you are in the process of ENGINEERING CHΔNGE®.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Yvette E. Pearson
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 ENGINEERING CHANGE® PODCAST
  • Show Website
    ENGINEERING CHANGE® PODCAST

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