The Civil Engineering Academy Podcast

Isaac Oakeson
  • 4.9 (21)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Welcome to The Civil Engineering Academy Podcast - your ultimate guide to everything related to civil engineering! Our goal is to support you at every stage of your journey to becoming a successful professional civil engineer, and to help you enhance your career and personal life. We share our expertise and provide you with valuable insights and practical tips to help you succeed. Join us for informative and engaging discussions on exam preparation strategies, career development, and cutting-edge engineering innovations. Whether you're preparing to ace the civil FE or PE exam, looking to adv

  1. CEA 2025 Year in Review!

    1D AGO

    CEA 2025 Year in Review!

    Every year, we like to hit pause, look in the rearview mirror, and reflect on everything that happened in the past year. We just did that with our 2025 Year in Review…and that was a crazy one! 😅 In this episode, we dive into the 2025 highlights that made all the late nights and weekends of work totally worth it. Both in terms of traction we’ve gotten, the number of students we’ve had…all the way to our 10-year anniversary (which still feels a little surreal! 😯). On the flip side, we also dive into the biggest issue we’ve battled here at CEA for pretty much the entire year. It was a monumental task that, thankfully, is now over with the launch of our PE Structural Review Course. 🙌 Then, at the end, we also dive into the opportunities we see for CEA moving forward. What we have planned for you. How we’re thinking about AI. And even how you can join the CEA Team to help with our exam prep materials. 👍 It’s been a long ride and we’re really thankful for everybody who’s been here with us, using our materials and giving us feedback so we can keep improving.  So, if you’re in the online “CEA sphere,” give this episode a listen to learn what went down at CEA in 2025 — and where we’re headed next. This one’s transparent, forward-looking, and straight from the heart. 🤝 🧠 IN THIS EPISODE: Our Biggest Challenge Since the NCEES Updated the Specs The Highlight of Last Year (2025) Here at CEA The Traction We've Gotten on Our Social Media Channels The Growth of the Civil Engineering Academy Podcast in 2025 How Many Students Used CEA's Review Courses in 2025 Our 10-Year Anniversary in 2025...and the Sale We Ran to Celebrate It The Opportunities at CEA Heading into 2026 Is CEA Implementing AI Into Their Exam Prep Materials? How We'll Keep Tightening Up Our PE Review Courses How You Can Help CEA With Its Study Materials in 2026 🎙️ SOME OF THE CEA STUDENT STORIES IN 2025: Alberto Ortigão (PE Geotech) Yameli (PE Transportation) Aggie Lie (Civil FE) Colin Tinsley (PE Construction) Haddi Azzawi (PE Water Resources) Josiah Ferguson (PE Water Resources) Raymond Muñoz-Tabares (Civil FE) Kenneth Wilson (PE Water Resources) Ryan Turley (PE Water Resources) Mudasir Gulzar (PE Geotech) Scott Pelath (CFM Exam) Jimmy Daughtry (PE Construction at 60!) Seirra Patrick (PE Water Resources) Scott Williams (Civil FE) Hunter McCabe (PE Construction) Bill Bollman (PE Transportation) 🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU: The Civil FE Startup Guide The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES: Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course 📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS: FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Bonus Theory Questions PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH CEA! Website Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

    18 min
  2. Passing the CFM® Exam After 3 Tries as an Electrical Engineer With Chris Moe

    FEB 26

    Passing the CFM® Exam After 3 Tries as an Electrical Engineer With Chris Moe

    Think Floodplain Management is only for Water Resources Engineers? Those already working in water- and flood-related fields? 🤔 Well, this interview with Chris Moe will make you rethink that. 👇 Chris is an Electrical Engineer by trade who entered the public sector many years later doing building inspections and was encouraged by his boss to go for the CFM® exam to boost his career. After two failed attempts studying by himself, he almost gave up on that goal, but didn’t. He decided to get back on his feet and come back stronger…now with a brand-new approach for his third (and last) try with our review course. 💪 In this episode he dives deep into this journey. From what most people misunderstand about the CFM® exam and the biggest mistake he made that you need to avoid…all the way to why this exam is more than just a credential if you work in the public sector. If you work in city and town planning, emergency management, local floodplain administration, insurance, or anything like that, the CFM® Exam is for you — and this episode is packed with real talk and practical tips from someone who’s been there…without a civil background. 😮 🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN: What Everyone Gearing up for the CFM Exam Need Know About It What He Did After His First Failed Try That You Should Never Do as a Repeat Taker Why He Almost Gave Up After the Second Failed Attempt...But Didn't How He Found Our CFM Review Course (And Went for It) What He Loved the Most About the CFM Review Course That Makes It Stand Out What the CFM Exam Day Experience Looks Like Why Floodplain Management Knowledge Is Needed Beyond the Test Purposes The Impact of the "CFM" Initials on Your Career And Salary How the CFM Exam Results are Released How He Organized His Studies into His Schedule The Advice He Gave to a Coworker Who Wanted the CFM That You Should Follow Too The Minimum Amount of Prep You Need to Be Able to Pass the CFM Exam Is the CFM Only for Water Resources Engineers? What He Suggests Everyone Taking Our CFM Review Course Do His Secret to Prepare for All Licensure Exams He Took...And You Should Do the Same Where to Find the CFM Review Course Chris Used to Pass 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED: Our CFM® Review Course Our CFM® Practice Exam The CFM Credential Explained City of Folly Beach 💬 CONNECT WITH CHRIS: LinkedIn 🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU: The Civil FE Startup Guide The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES: Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course 📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS: FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Bonus Theory Questions PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH CEA! Website Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

    31 min
  3. How Civil Firm Owners Can Plan a Smart Exit From Day One With Laurie Barkman

    FEB 19

    How Civil Firm Owners Can Plan a Smart Exit From Day One With Laurie Barkman

    Do you know the biggest mistake AEC firm owners make? 🤔 They get lost in the busy work and never plan how they’ll leave the business one day. That’s why this episode with Laurie Barkman is huge! Known as the “Business Transition Sherpa,” she’s a M&A advisor who helps owners scale their firms smarter…and exit them stronger. She’s a former CEO who led a $100M company through the acquisition process — and now she works specifically with AEC firms to help their owners set themselves for a transition the right way. In this episode, we dive into all things business for a civil engineering firm. Valuation metrics, how to navigate the acquisition process, why a 50/50 partnership is not the way to go, and a lot more! So, if you’re running a civil firm now — or plan to start one one day — this episode will get you thinking long-term. Because no matter whether you sell it, pass it on, or step away, you don’t want to wing it…and then be trapped into the business until your late 60s. Right? 🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN: 2 Things Engineers Need to Know Before They Get Into Business Side of Engineering Why a Business Partnership Should NEVER Be 50/50 The Biggest Mistake Any Firm Owner Can Make That Makes Life Difficult Later Should All Owners Be Looking to Sell the Business? Is It the Only Way Out? Where Does the Owner's Successor Come From? (Hint: Not What You Think) What's The Business Transition Handbook All About? How to Valuate Your Own Engineering Business The Right Way to Find Buyers When You're Interested in Selling Her Mastermind Group to Help Owners Set up Their Business for a Profit Exit What She Recommends for Every New Engineer Getting into Business for the First Time 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED: The Business Transition Handbook, by Laurie Barkman Succession Stories Podcast B.U.I.L.T. Leader Circles B.U.I.L.T. Freedom™ Course Ingersoll Rand 💬 CONNECT WITH LAURIE: LinkedIn Website Laurie's Advisory Consultation 🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU: The Civil FE Startup Guide The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES: Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course 📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS: FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Bonus Theory Questions PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH CEA! Website Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

    31 min
  4. A Structural Engineering Niche Most Don't Know About With Dr. Joshua Schultz

    FEB 12

    A Structural Engineering Niche Most Don't Know About With Dr. Joshua Schultz

    When you think of “Structural Engineering,” you likely picture big concrete or steel structures. Right? 🤔 Exactly — and that’s the problem! 👇 There’s a whole corner of that industry outside of these two materials that most Structural Engineers have never been taught or exposed to before. 😯 Today, we talk to Dr. Joshua Schultz, PhD, P.E. He’s a Structural Engineering professor and consultant whose path started off in architecture, took him to work on the Burj Khalifa, and then led him into a specialty most Structural Engineers overlook. In this episode, he dives into what this unique niche is, why it’s so unique, and how it brings up a lot of factors of the design work in the real world that school doesn’t teach (from a professor himself!). If you’re a Structural Engineer — or thinking about becoming one — this episode opens your eyes to career paths you didn’t even know were on the table. There’s more out there than buildings and bridges…if you’re willing to look. 😉 So, go check out this episode to take your first step into this Structural Engineering niche most people never talk about. 🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN: While He Keeps Doing Consulting Work Even as a Full-Time Professor The Little-Known Structural Engineering Niche His Career Took Him To The Reason Why Using Mass Timber for Structural Design is Still a Challenge The Biggest Challenge for Structural Engineers to Use Mass Timber Today Has the Interest in a Civil Engineering Degree Been Decreasing? Why the New Generation is Going for Civil Engineering vs. Why the Last Generation Did Non-Technical Aspects That Drive Any Project But are Not Emphasized in School Why Lightweight Structures are so Unique His Favorite Lightweight Project in His Career so Far His Book on Lightweight Structures for Structural Engineers (And Why He Wrote It) His Experience Designing the Tallest Stair in the World's Tallest Building! His 2 Biggest Pieces of Advice for Future Structural Engineers That Nothing Can Beat 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED: Structural Design of Lightweight Architecture, by Joshua Schultz Gonzaga University Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Brooklyn Academy of Music “How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster?” 💬 CONNECT WITH JOSHUA: LinkedIn schultzj@gonzaga.edu 🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU: The Civil FE Startup Guide The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES: Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course 📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS: FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Bonus Theory Questions PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH CEA! Website Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channelsupport@civilengineeringacademy.com

    42 min
  5. A Single Mom's Journey to Pass the PE After 5 Years and 4 Tries With Bianca Wilson

    FEB 5

    A Single Mom's Journey to Pass the PE After 5 Years and 4 Tries With Bianca Wilson

    Passing the PE Exam is difficult enough already. Now imagine doing it as a single mother, with 3 successive failed attempts over 5 years, and having to start from scratch after switching exams? 😮 That’s exactly why this episode with Bianca Wilson hits different. She’s a Geotech Project Manager who just passed the Civil PE Exam after 4 tries over 5 years — long after most people would’ve folded already. But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. In this interview, she opens up about the emotional rollercoaster this journey has been to her as a single mom. The tough calls she had to make in life to get this done. The decision to switch exams and start over. The tight budget she had to get help to get over this hump. All the way to the study habits and how she organized her schedule to find time to study…with a full-time job and a kid! If you’re a repeat taker, questioning whether you’ll ever get to cross the finish line, this episode has some honest lessons from someone who had every reason to quit, but didn’t — and passed instead! ✅ Go check it out! 🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN: Her Long PE Journey from 2020 to 2025 in a Nutshell Her Controversial Take on Switching Exams...After Doing It Herself What She Had to Overcome to Pass After Switching Exams (And How She Did It) How She Managed to Study as a Single Mother The Minimum Study Time Required to Pass the PE, in Her Opinion The Importance of Accountability in Your Exam Prep How She Found CEA's PE Course And What She Loved About It Her Tips for Approaching Practice Exams That You Should Listen The Exam-Day Test-Taking Strategy We Share in Our Course That Helped Her Pass How the CBT Exam Simulator Helped Her Prep for the Actual CBT Exam How to Get a Handle on All the Codes You Need to Know for Your Exam Has the CERM Really Become Obsolete for the New PE Format? Her Biggest Surprise on Exam Day (Hint: The PE Isn't as "Tricky" as You Think) How the Different AIT Questions Stack Against One Another in Difficulty The 4 Surprisingly Simple Secrets to Passing the PE Exam How It Really Feels After You Pass the PE Exam Would She Recommend Civil Engineering Academy to Others? 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED: Civil PE Review Courses PE CBT Exam Simulator A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities Georgia DOT 💬 CONNECT WITH BIANCA: LinkedIn 🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU: The Civil FE Startup Guide The Civil PE Startup Guide REE CFM® Course Module 🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES: Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course 📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS: FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Bonus Theory Questions PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH CEA! Website Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

    33 min
  6. The Future of Civil Engineering School With AI: Raising or Lowering the Bar?

    JAN 29

    The Future of Civil Engineering School With AI: Raising or Lowering the Bar?

    AI is already everywhere. Students are using it. Companies are relying on it. And schools are feeling the pressure to do the same. The question is — is it  raising the bar…or quietly lowering it? 🤔 In this episode, Mark jumps back on the show to break down a recent ASCE article that unpacks how AI is starting to reshape civil engineering education. Probably forever. By changing how students learn and taking over work tasks once done by entry-level civil engineers, AI has shed a light on how the traditional 4-year programs may no longer be the best (or only) path to prepare civil engineers for the real world. But there’s a catch… The current use of AI also reveals the engineering skills it can’t replace — and why those matter more than ever before and won’t change no matter how advanced the tools get. (Hint: Thin includes the professional licensure exams!) So, if you're a civil engineering student or a working civil engineer wondering where this is all headed, this episode tackles all the uncomfortable truths of an AI-heavy future — without the hype or fear-mongering. 👍 🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN: How AI First Started Being Used in Civil Engineering A Real-Life Example of the Downside of Using AI in Engineering 3 Reasons Why There's a Huge Pressure to Use AI Today The Biggest Problem With AI In Engineering Right Now Will AI Replace a Civil Engineering Degree? Will AI Ever Take Over the Job of the Civil Engineer? How AI Will Change Civil Engineering Undergrad Programs (But Not Completely) Two Past Instances When Tech Seemed to Threat Engineering Jobs...But Didn't What the Future of Civil Engineering Education Looks Like 2 Critical Engineering Skills That Will Still Matter in the Age of AI What Academia is Worried About With the AI Takeover AI-Proficient vs. Skilled Civil Engineer: Who's a Better hire? Is In-Person Classroom Civil Engineering Education Outdated (Even Without AI)? How to Implement AI in Schools Without Turning It into "Prompt Class?" The Biggest Challenge of Implementing AI Civil Engineering The AI Impact on the FE and PE Licensure Exams Why Civil Engineering is a Good Field to Hedge Against the Impact of AI on Jobs 🚨 OUR NEW YEAR SALE ENDS THIS SUNDAY! 🚨 Discount: 20% OFF any review course Code at Checkout: NEWYEARSALE Deadline: February 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM MST. 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED: ASCE Article 🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU: The Civil FE Startup Guide The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES: Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course 📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS: Civil FE Practice Exams Civil FE CBT Exam Simulator Civil PE Bonus Theory Questions Civil PE Practice Exams Civil PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH CEA! Website Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

    32 min
  7. Starting and Running Your Own Structural Engineering Practice With Daniel Bressler

    JAN 22

    Starting and Running Your Own Structural Engineering Practice With Daniel Bressler

    Ever told yourself you’d “start your own firm one day?” 🤔 Most civil engineers have, but they kick it down the road because they don’t know what it takes. If that’s you, this interview with Daniel Bressler is a must. He’s a Structural Engineer who walked the walk you’re planning to walk.  In this episode, he breaks down the big “Aha! moment” that got him to take the leap, the experience dilemma you’ll face, and the big difference between running a firm and doing the engineering work to prevent yourself from just getting another job once you get started. If working for yourself is on your radar, go give this one a listen. 🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN: Why He Started His Own Engineering Firm...Despite Not Wanting to The Experience Dilemma to Start a Firm: Do You Have Enough of It...or Will You Ever? The Difference Between Owning Your Job and Owning Your Company (Live By This!) The Advantages of a LLC That Make It a Good Move for All Engineers How to Get a Business Education to Grow Your Firm as a Civil Engineer The Two Biggest Business Challenges Every Newly Founded Firm Face The (Realistic) Value of the Brutal SE Exam How He Organized Himself to Get His PE After Grad School A BIG Mistake He Made After Graduating (That You Should Never Make!) 2 Reasons Why Keeping in Touch With Your Classmates Can Help You at Work Our Hot Takes on the Value of a Master's Degree: Is It Worth it? ASCE Resources He Used to Get Ahead — in School and Beyond 2 Pieces of Advice He Gives to Anyone Getting Started in Structural Engineering 🚨 OUR NEW YEAR SALE IS LIVE 🚨 Discount: 20% OFF any review course Code at Checkout: NEWYEARSALE Deadline: February 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM MST. 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED: CEA Podcast Ep #312 (SE Exam) CEA Podcast #229 (Colten Johnson) ASCE Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) ASCE Mentor Match ASCE Collaborate Community ASCE Concrete Canoe Competition ASCE Steel Bridge Competition 2023 ASCE New Faces of Civil Engineering Brooklyn College New York University 💬 CONNECT WITH DANIEL: LinkedIn Company Website 🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU: The Civil FE Startup Guide The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES: Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course 📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS: FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Bonus Theory Questions PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH CEA! Website Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

    42 min
  8. The Geotech Influencer Growing Engineering Firms Worldwide With David Jasinski

    JAN 15

    The Geotech Influencer Growing Engineering Firms Worldwide With David Jasinski

    Long gone were the days when engineering was only about the technical work! Today, you can take your technical skills, flip it, and use it in a way that’s never been possible before — and this episode is proof of that. 👇 Today’s guest is David Jasinski, a geologist who built a career in the geotechnical industry and has done work in many, many countries that’s even hard to keep track of them all. 😅 Along the way, he transitioned into a more business development role selling sheet piles and other geotech products…and that’s when he got started with social media content. Now, he’s amassed more than 141,000 followers on LinkedIn alone and become the go-to person for engineering firms to partner with to share their message and educate their customers on the products they sell. (Who said engineers cannot be influencers? 😂) If you’re a young engineer worried about the options for you in the field, this episode is a testament to the fact that engineering can take you way further than you even think possible. Go give this a listen to find out how you can pair your engineering skills with other business-related skills to build a “non-traditional career”...that makes all the sense to you! 🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN: His Transition from Technical Engineer to Business Development How the Engineering Work and Business Factors Vary By Country 3 Tips for Young Engineers to Get to Know All the Paths They Can Go The BIGGEST Problem of Engineering Companies in Today's World Why "Cost-Effectiveness" as a General Term is Wrong 3 Business Aspects Where Engineering Firms Fall Short Why He Got Started on Social Media (+ How He's Using It for Business) Content Tips for Engineering Firms to Build a Brand Online Why He Created His Career Guide for Young Engineers His Work-Life Balance With His Job + LinkedIn Content Creation on the Side His Single Most Important Piece of Advice for Everybody in Engineering 🚨 OUR NEW YEAR SALE IS LIVE 🚨 Discount: 20% OFF any review course Code at Checkout: NEWYEARSALE Deadline: February 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM MST. 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED: ESC Steel ARUP Pietrucha Group Silesian University of Technology 💬 CONNECT WITH DAVID: geosolucionesdr@gmail.com LinkedIn Instagram TikTok YouTube X (Old Twitter) Threads 🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU: The Civil FE Startup Guide The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES: Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course 📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS: FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Bonus Theory Questions PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH CEA! Website Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

    30 min
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Welcome to The Civil Engineering Academy Podcast - your ultimate guide to everything related to civil engineering! Our goal is to support you at every stage of your journey to becoming a successful professional civil engineer, and to help you enhance your career and personal life. We share our expertise and provide you with valuable insights and practical tips to help you succeed. Join us for informative and engaging discussions on exam preparation strategies, career development, and cutting-edge engineering innovations. Whether you're preparing to ace the civil FE or PE exam, looking to adv

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