In this episode, I speak with Caroline Czarnecki, the Tickle College of Engineering’s 2026 recipient of the Student Leadership Excellence Award, now an Engineering Specialist at Strata G, a team of engineers, scientists, safety professionals, and project managers dedicated to the responsible care of client-entrusted resources in the environmental, energy, defense, utilities, and infrastructure sectors. Caroline’s path into engineering started with curiosity. In high school, physics and engineering classes brought out a kind of creativity she wanted to keep exploring. Her experience with the Civil Air Patrol added a hands-on connection to aviation, search and rescue, and emergency response. She entered the University of Tennessee in aerospace engineering, then shifted to industrial and systems engineering when she realized it better matched her interest in disaster relief and complex systems involving both people and technology. That same intentionality shaped her decision to pursue a one-year master’s degree. Caroline used the opportunity to gain research experience and study wildfire spread using systems engineering, modeling, simulation, and geographic information systems. Those choices helped position her for a full-time engineering role where she can work on engineering projects while also helping her company build new disaster relief capabilities. In our leadership segment, Caroline talks about how when she leads a project, she starts by getting clear on what she wants and why it matters. But clarity does not mean controlling every step. Through trial and error, she learned that doing everything yourself leads to burnout, while giving a team complete free rein can create confusion. Her approach is to provide structure and resources, then give people room to determine how they will accomplish the work. That balance creates space for engineering creativity. Caroline even looks outside engineering, including to art and gardening, for new ways to think about systems and solutions. She takes a similar approach to leadership confidence. Leaders do not need to be flawless. They need to remember why they are at the table, learn from mistakes, and keep building confidence through experience. Caroline’s advice to aspiring engineering leaders centers on a simple idea: leadership should advance other people. That means understanding the people you work with and recognizing that they may have different needs and priorities. It also means using the team’s time wisely. Technical capability matters, but the most complex solution is not always the best one. Caroline also emphasized the leader’s role in shaping team culture. Leaders model the behaviors they expect, communicate clearly, and pay attention to what their own actions may unintentionally reinforce. Her approach is practical and people-centered: set clear expectations, use resources wisely, and create an environment where people can do strong work and grow. Explore the full episode summary, including guest bio, key takeaways, transcript, and recommended resources in the shownotes at www.drangeliqueadams.com/podcast
