Beers with Engineers

Heidi Mehrzad - Human Factors is Applied Psychology

#17 - Heidi Mehrzad
Fun with hashtags
Her favorite beer is Bitburger, from her hometown in Bitburg, Germany.
The thing about German lightbulbs...
Heidi is autistic and ADHD.
Her work uses her creative and analytical side
Investment banker to software engineering to pilot to aeronautical engineer to human factors scientist (with a stint as an EMT)
Redesigning a cockpit layout a lot of fun.
Human factors is not just about design, it is applied psychology.
To develop something new, you must define what is wrong with the old.
Heidi’s company - HFUX Research. Same services as other companies but with more experience and better
Visiting Scotland. (It wasn’t Drumnadrochit)
Heidi can really be herself with strangers
Making friends in Europe.
Chicken nuggets and toast as comfort foods.
Look for Vernor’s ginger ale
 
How to reach Heidi:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/manijehmehrzad/
https://www.hfuxresearch.com/
https://www.safeeffectivepodcast.com/
Link to her workshop will be added when available
 
How to reach Bert www.dexterityeng.com
 

Mike Warznie - When in Germany, Be Like Mike

#16 - Mike Warznie: When in Germany, Be Like Mike
Mike is an engineer for Nissan outside of Detroit. 
Mike is right 95% of the time
He became an engineer to be cool.
Decided he liked engineering only three years ago.
Fatigue failures – find your own k factor and are tough to solve
Don’t trust your memory – write everything down.
Evaluating silicone seals can be unexpected.
Doing lab reports in college is actually a useful skill
Physics doesn’t lie
Working in the shop is great experience
Rockets, salts, and airbags – all at one company
Everything is more complex and harder than it seems.
Applying FEA to playground equipment.
Engineering is a 24/7 job.
If a Japanese engineer says it may be difficult, it is probably impossible.
How to out German the Germans.
It is good to do no-thing.
Fictional engineering characters – How many can you name?
Bert's Company www.dexterityeng.com
 

Tom Kenney - He makes jet engines cool. Literally.

#15 - Tom Kenney - He makes jet engines cool. Literally.
Tom is an engineer at GE Aerospace
Vocational schools aren't what they used to be.
From Porsche 911 dreams to Miata reality to Bughatti dreams. Or maybe just an MG.
Jet engineer or rocket scientist? You decide.
Jet engines are hot, Tom makes them cool.
Material science and better cooling have made jets are way more efficient than they used to be.
Solving problems is AWESOME!
If you are a young engineer, don’t be afraid to open your mouth and make a suggestion. It might not be a dumb idea.
Just being an engineer is good for Tom (and Bert)
A temporary move out of aviation was a good move.
Keeping your eyes open and being opportunistic is more important than career planning.
GEs practice of moving new engineers around is a good thing.
Why Bert liked Busch Stadium.
RVing and the 2024 eclipse.
If he wasn’t an engineer, he’d be a pilot. It’s not too late…
You got to make your own path and happiness in your job. 
More about Bert and for your alt-code card, go to www.Dexterityeng.com.

Robert Kropiniewicz - You can't drill holes from the inside out

#14 - Robert Kropiniewicz: You can't drill holes from the inside out
First guest outside of US.
Before becoming an engineer, he was going to go into religious life.
Started in engineering in quality but didn’t want to wear safety shoes.
In Solidworks, just because you can do it one way, doesn’t mean you should.
It is critical to design the part for the process.
Also, build the part to convey design intent.
For the engineer, the drawing is your finished product.
Tap into the knowledge of the guys on the shop floor.
Don’t be proud.
Engineer’s aren’t boring, they just have a different sense of humor.
Great books
Product Design for Manufacturing by James Bralla
Theory of Constraints and The Goal by Eli Goldratt
The Draftsman/Designer/Engineer hierarchy is gone.
Analysis is the key to engineering.
Favorite movies about persistence The Pianist and Not Without My Daughter.
Make sure you have a passion for what you are trying to do.
Bert’s website www.Dexterityeng.com

Cherie Duddridge - Retirement and ROUSs

#13 - Cherie Duddridge: Retirement and ROUSs
Cherie is retired after many years at BP.
Topics of Conversation:
Oil companies are not all bad. - they invest a lot in green technology in various ways.
Bert’s crazy solution to recycling.
Cherie’s experience with autism and neurodiversity.
Any individual is neither unique or universal
Benefits on including non-experts
Your local chamber of commerce can help you in your business.
Yoga is good for fitness – physical and mental
Be careful saying “Do you have a minute to talk?”
Movies  - “Reservoir Dogs”- bad. “Princess Bride” – good
Inigo Montoya actor is Mandy Patinkin
Bert’s company – www.dexterityeng.com

Dave Smith - He plays games and asks questions.

#12 - Dave Smith: He plays games and asks questions.
Dave is a manufacturing engineer that I worked with at Avery Dennison. We talk about:
How those little things that hold the tag to your clothes are made (by Avery Dennison) It is pretty cool and the reason Dave still works there.
Manufacturing is hard.
Book reference  - “Zero Marginal Cost Society” and 3D printing tractors
Space Exploration by self-replicating probes or worm holes.
Board games – Settlers of Cataan changed everything.
Complex games vs simple games and sports
The game Bohnanza – Dave’s rules are better
Some stuff is fun to do, but not for 40 hours a week.
Variety is the spice of engineering.
Starting at the ground floor can be the start of a great career.
College isn’t as necessary as it used to be.
Getting into Harvard is just as good as graduating from Harvard.
Ask questions and do design reviews.
Some good movies to consider:
“Life is Beautiful” very unique. In Italian with subtitles.
“F/X”
John Krasinski/Matt Damon movie we mention is “Promised Land”
Bert's website is www.dexterityeng.com. 
 

Rafael Diana - Wait a minute? He's an engineer?

#11 - Rafael Diana: Wait a minute? He's an engineer?
Sorry, no joke this time.
Learn by doing and helping others
Land the little fish before the big fish.
New projects and interviews are like a first date.
Read a lot and learn from many different sources.
Mentoring  - it’s important and worth it to take the time teach people.
Mentoring – people at all levels need it.
Loss aversion and the strange psychology of buying things from friends. 
Risk analysis and confidence.
Humility is a good thing.
Three E’s – efficiency, effectiveness, and education.
Engineers aren’t cheap – they just always optimize for low cost.
Cost control drives creativity.
The wastefulness of spend it or lose it.
Building an energy efficient house.
Bert's website - https://dexterityeng.com/

Charlie Sears - Are some engineers becoming a commodity?

#10 - Charlie Sears: Are some engineers becoming a commodity?
CAD – from the beginning
Scotch in bourbon barrels
3D printing – from the beginning
Medical Device approval
Concurrent engineering and FDA approval
Rise and fall(?) of product development firms.
Engineering vs software development
Being good at CAD vs being a good engineer.
Design Engineer vs mechanical engineer.
Don’t get cute designing– you’ll regret it.
Looking done well before you are done.
Vacationing in the Caribbean
Home ice rinks
Engineer’s Toolbox is a useful website.
Sneezing at the sun.
Advice for new engineers, especially in consulting world
Be a self-starter
The Go-Getter by Peter B. Kyne

Frank Uschold - An engineer or an intellectual rapper?

#9 - Frank Uschold: An engineer or an intellectual rapper?
Today's guest is my nephew, a recent graduate of Clarkson University.
Some of our topics include:
Double engineering major and a minor in history.
Why do it and how to accomplish it.
Working on intellectual rap
What he looks for in a job
Skillshare as a music teacher
The Colorado River
The Great Wall of China
How to ruin eggnog
Can a chemical engineer cook?
Rick Beato is the music YouTuber I mentioned. Here is his channel. 
Bert's website - Dexterity Engineering, LLC

Mike Marcoux - Buying your wife auto parts. For Christmas.

#8 - Mike Marcoux: Buying your wife auto parts. For Christmas.
Today's guest is Mike Marcoux, Director of Engineering at Boston Engineering.
(As of 4/2024, he is a senior engineer at Physik Instrumente)
Here is a couple of links to videos of the robotic tuna, link 1 and link 2.
We also talk about a robotic pterodactyl. Here is a video, but maybe not the one we discussed. 
Mike's career advice:
If you can't find something you love, find something you like.
If you can't find something you like, find something you tolerate.
Try autocross with your wife if you want to buy her auto parts next Christmas.
Bert's company, Dexterity Engineering, LLC.