Don’t panic if your career isn’t linear

On this episode of the Mason Mechanical Engineer I’m joined by John von Bergen a sculptor and professor in Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. Prof. von Bergen’s art and teaching leverages technology in unique ways and scale in a manner that would inspire even civil engineers. (Did he say 16’ tall? He meant 16 meters / 50'!) If you’re a tinkerer, an artist, an engineer, or all of the above, this is the episode for you. To learn more about his German Bundestag project, check out this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTgjweB8vDc.

What happens when you bring together Eagles, Commanders, and Bears fans, electrical and naval engineers, and communications professionals?   A quite lively talk about commissioning! (We somehow avoided talking football, which was probably in the best interests of preserving friendships.)  Commissioning is an industry of professionals doing verification and quality assurance work for building construction, and requires a broad range of technical expertise in a client-facing, human-centric role. In this episode, Philip and I chat with William Thomas from the AABC Commissioning Group and Charles Jackson from CMTA to learn about commissioning, and how students can prepare for jobs in this field.  If you’re interested in learning more, listen along then visit:AABC’s "Commissioning as a Career Path" webinar on September 30, 2026: https://www.commissioning.org/commissioning-webinar/CMTA’s careers website: https://www.cmta.com/careersGeorge Mason’s BS Mechanical Engineering – Specialized Facilities concentration requirements: https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/engineering-computing/engineering/mechanical/mechanical-engineering-bs/#requirementstext

Stephanie Butron, a Virginia Tech alum and current Mason student, joined me for this episode of the Mason Mechanical Engineer.  She is brilliantly combining her passions for aerospace engineering and rhetoric, to dig into how what is written following engineering disasters influences public perception.  She provides some excellent guidance for prospective and new engineers on the interface of engineering with verbal and written communication, developing a professional identity, and following your interest.  If this particularly resonated with you, she recommends the following reading list:To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design by Henry PetroskiThe Man Who Broke Capitalism by David GellesThe Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA by Diane Vaughn“Mr. Feynman Goes to Washington” by Richard FeynmanThe Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn“The Economic Theory of Agency: The Principal Problem” by Stephen Ross"Thinking Critically About Historical Failures: How Young Professionals Can Expand Their Innovation and Problem-Solving Capacities" by Stephanie Butron

The 2026 Department of Mechanical Engineering Capstone Day was held on May 4. As usual, the students' work was incredibly impressive. I would have loved to interview every team, but time limited the interviews to the following four teams: Team VPRTTeam OSCARPatriot MotorsportsTeam SalusListen on to learn more about these projects and where these students are going after graduation. More about our capstone program can be found at: https://mechanical.gmu.edu/hands/senior-design-capstone.

In a recent episode, Alex Sprintson and I started chatting about the benefits of bachelor's to accelerated master's programs (BAM).  With that in mind, Rachel Cameron, Mason’s College of Engineering and Computing graduate recruitment coordinator, joined me on the podcast to talk in more detail about BAM programs.  If you have been considering getting your master's degree, listen on for how you can make this process as efficient as possible.  A few links we mention in this discussion include:George Mason University, College of Engineering and Computing Accelerated Master’s Admissions: https://cec.gmu.edu/admissions/accelerated-masters-admissionsGeorge Mason University, Mechanical Engineering Accelerated Master’s options: https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/engineering-computing/engineering/mechanical/mechanical-engineering-bs/#acceleratedmasterstextGeorge Mason University, Financial Aid Services: https://www.gmu.edu/financial-aidGeorge Mason University, Graduate Education Financial Support: https://graduate.gmu.edu/financial-supportGeorge Mason University, College of Engineering and Computing, Fast-Track Graduate Admissions: https://cec.gmu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions/fast-track-graduate-admissions

When I learned that Mason's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Chair Alex Sprintson has a mechanical engineering degree, I had to get him on the podcast! Give it a listen to hear his perspective on multi-disciplinary collaboration and the future of student recruitment and retention (spoiler: he's not only pro-bachelor's degree, he's pro-master's degree).

Grant Miller was a student leader during his time on campus, exemplified by his work to grow Patriot Motorsports.  After graduation, he landed at RoviSys Building Technologies doing automation and controls work for new construction projects. He’s been back on campus recently to recruit and talk to seniors working on their culminating design projects.  This episode provides a snippet of the wisdom he’s been sharing about his entry into the workforce during those visits. If you’re interested in learning more about careers at RoviSys, visit: https://www.rovisys.com/careers/.

Lauren Hanyok, former Director of the Capital Tech Bridge came on the podcast to talk about her career trajectory starting as a civilian engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, her metal band, and her cookbook. Listen on to hear how she connects the dots between work and play to make her a better engineering leader and performer. Since the time of this recording, the Office of Naval Research dissolved NavalX, but the Tech Bridges continue to operate at their respective warfare centers.  Lauren has since moved into the Innovation, Foresight  & Entrepreneurship Lead role at NSWC Carderock and Major Jake Godfrey is the current Capital Tech Bridge Director.

Greg Opas from Oceaneering recently joined me on the podcast to talk about model-based systems engineering, digital twins, and the future of naval engineering. If you like what you hear and are interested in pursuing a career at Oceaneering, visit: https://www.oceaneering.com/careers/.

Mike Briscoe (Ph.D., GMU CEHD, 2024) sat down with me the other day to chat about STEM activities hosted by the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) including the FLEET program, a gamified approach to teaching naval ship design, and the hands-on Promoting Electric Propulsion (PEP) competition, which has enabled speed world-record setting college teams. Mike’s attitude toward outreach is filled with authenticity and creativity, so listen in to learn more from his holistic approach to STEM education.