ASME TechCast

Mechanical Engineering magazine's June/July cover story delves into the minds of early career engineers to hear their diverse stories, from humble beginnings to great achievements, and how they're paving the way forward for future engineering generations. In this sneak preview, we hear from Amy Elliott about her work in 3D printing and robotics at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, as well as her public outreach initiatives representing women in STEM and helping kids find their passion in engineering.

Identifying, training, and retaining talent continues to be a challenge for all fields of engineering. At the same time, diversifying the mix of engineering graduates to include more underrepresented groups is critical. Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), minority serving institutions (MSIs), tribal colleges and universities, and others are making significant strides in growing the number of underrepresented groups entering engineering through a variety of strategies.In this episode, Craig Scott shares insights into engineering workforce challenges and some possible solutions. Scott is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. School of Engineering at Morgan State University in Baltimore. He is also president of the Inclusive Engineering Consortium (IEC)—a non-profit organization comprised of historically minority serving institutions working to produce a larger and better prepared pool of African-American, Hispanic, and Native American engineering graduates.

Lauren Neal talks about her experience as a working engineer in a male-dominated field. She covers strategies for recruitment, retention, DEI, and leadership.

Artificial intelligence isn’t just for faking voices or generating images. The technology can also sift through mountains of data and extract actionable insights. Humberto Moreira, principal solutions engineer at the software development services company Gigster, explains how these insights can assist manufacturers become more flexible and be more attuned to consumers.

When it comes to research and development, engineers lead the way across a wide range of industries. But when it’s time to translate cutting-edge research and prototypes into commercial applications and technologies, the process can be quite complex. Paul Cherukuri helps shed some light on that process, from strategies to challenges to real-world examples. Cherukuri is Rice University’s vice president for innovation and he also serves as Chief Innovation Officer, Adjunct Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship, and Associate Research Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Risk-adverse, technical professionals find securing new business takes understanding a new generation of buyers and how they build relationships, assess services, and ultimately purchase products.

While it may be an election year, there is plenty of opportunity for science and engineering policy to be passed and implemented in Washington. ASME's Paul Fakes previews the potential areas for bipartisan agreement.

In a year that started to feel like “normal,” technology and the engineers behind it were a big part of the story. Listen as the staff of Mechanical Engineering magazine discuss their picks for the top engineering stories of 2023 in this special year-end edition of ASME TechCast.

A program called Space Workforce 2030 is seeking to bring in a new generation of engineers that is more diverse and talented than ever. It will significantly increase the number of women and underrepresented groups not only in the workforce, but also across aerospace engineering programs and senior company leadership. Via Van Liew, principal director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at The Aerospace Corporation, one of the many companies that has committed to the Space Workforce 2030 pledge, shares more about the program and how it's making its mark.

Alquist 3D CEO Zachary Mannheimer talks about 3D printing affordable housing and building a workforce.

Alquist 3D CEO Zachary Mannheimer talks about using 3D printers to build affordable housing and stand up a workforce.

Jorge Puente, vice president of engineering with Kelly’s Science, Engineering, Tech, and Telecom unit talks about busy engineering firms that are enjoying low turnover rates, but still report that recruitment remains a challenge.

An often-overlooked source of air pollution is the household kitchen, especially those that use gas ranges and ovens. The environmental advocacy group WEACT for Environmental Justice recently conducted a study to look at the impact of switching out gas stoves for induction cooktops in New York City public housing. Jennifer Ventrella, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering who helped conduct the study, joins ASME TechCast to discuss the results and the steps that can be taken to mitigate reduce indoor air pollution.

Moving from a technical role into a management position is difficult to navigate. Engineers find themselves in uncharted waters. Jeff Perry, founder of More Than Engineering is a software, mechanical, and manufacturing engineer. For years he has been working with engineers and helping them map out the necessary skills for becoming a quality leader in the field.

In New York City, Local Law 97 is pushing owners of large buildings to take steps to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency. Tristan Schwartzman, principal and director of energy services at Goldman Copeland, a New York-based engineering firm, discusses the impact of the law and the steps being taken to prepare buildings in the city for a low-carbon future.

Mechanical Engineering magazine’s October/November cover story dives into the engineering feats and solutions that brought NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to its current home, orbiting the sun about 1 million miles away from Earth. Author Lina Zeldovich shares some insights behind the story, how it came together, and pieces that didn't make the story's final cut.

A proven way to secure billable hours, the seller-doer business development model allows firms a way to offer engineers a clear career development path.

Virginia Tech's Theo Lim looks for solutions to urban heat islands.

Photovoltaic solar panels are becoming increasingly inexpensive, but there are many sunny surfaces where adding them is not feasible. Veeral Hardev, vice president for corporate strategy at Ubiquitous Energy, talks about his company’s quest to make transparent PV cells that can be applied to window glass.

Being a project manager is more than getting tasks done and ensuring your team does the same. Learn the skills needed and the steps necessary to move from engineer on a project to PM of the team.