The Engineering Student Experience Podcast

In this episode, Paul learns what it's like to work at an energy company with Justin Valencia and Brittany Williams, both of whom work for Chevron at their refinery in El Segundo, CA. Justin has a background in mechanical engineering, and is the Technology & Innovation Manager for Downstream, Midstream, and Chemicals. Brittany has a background in chemical engineering, and is a Short Range Process Engineer. During the interview, Justin and Brittany describe what their day-to-day work is like at a refinery. They discuss the various activities engineers are engaged in at the refinery and throughout Chevron’s many other operations. And finally, Justin and Brittany discuss how engineering students can better prepare themselves for a career at an energy company like Chevron. Chevron's website: www.chevron.com  Chevron's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/chevron  Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to [email protected] and Paul will personally read your email. Episode produced and edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on August 21, 2025 at the Chevron refinery in El Segundo, CA.

In this episode, Paul explores the field of industrial engineering by interviewing two faculty members in the Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Department at Cal Poly Pomona. Dr. Shokoufeh Mirzaei is Professor and Chair of the department, specializing in applied optimization and artificial intelligence, and Dr. Payam Parsa is an Associate Professor specializing in supply chains and logistics.   During the interview, Shokoufeh and Payam describe the differences between industrial engineering and other engineering disciplines. They also discuss the types of courses industrial engineering students take, the types of jobs available for industrial engineers in industry and government, the importance of getting advanced degrees and certifications, and many other topics. Cal Poly Pomona Industrial & Manufacturing Department’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/imecpp  Cal Poly Pomona Industrial & Manufacturing Department’s website: https://www.cpp.edu/engineering/ime/index.shtml    “I, Pencil” essay by Leonard Reed: https://fee.org/ebooks/i-pencil  Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to [email protected] and Paul will personally read your email. Episode produced and edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on June 10, 2025 at Cal Poly Pomona. 

In this episode, Paul explores the field of engineering technology by interviewing two faculty members in the Electromechanical Engineering Technology Department at Cal Poly Pomona. Dr. Farhana Abedin is an Associate Professor and Chair of the department, specializing in structural mechanics and materials, and Gerald Herder is a Professor specializing in industrial electronics, instrumentation, radio frequency systems, and microwave systems.  During the interview, Farhana and Gerald describe the differences between traditional engineering programs (e.g., mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, etc.) and engineering technology programs. They discuss the types of courses engineering technology students take, the types of jobs available to engineering technology students in both industry and government, and many other topics. Map of Engineering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQgxiQAMTTo  You can read more about the Cal Poly Pomona's engineering technology programs here: https://www.cpp.edu/engineering/et/index.shtml Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to [email protected] and Paul will personally read your email. Episode produced and edited by Paul Nissenson. Thanks to Trevor Henderson for helping set up the sound recording equipment used during the interview. Recorded on May 29, 2025 at Cal Poly Pomona. 

In this episode, Paul interviews Jared Changizian right when he graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. You can listen to Jared as a freshman in episode 14, as a sophomore in episode 19, and about 1.5 years before he graduated in episode 31. Paul and Jared are joined by Dr. Jessica Perez, a faculty member in the Center for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona, who took part in the early interviews with Jared. Jared discusses the hurdles he had to overcome along his journey, reflects upon how he evolved as a student and person during his time at Cal Poly Pomona, and gives advice for students who are just starting an undergraduate engineering program. He also provides ideas on how students can put themselves in a better position to get a job right after college. Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to [email protected] and Paul will personally read your email. Episode produced and edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on December, 30 2024 via Zoom.

In this episode, Paul tries to demystify the role of "Dean" of a college by interviewing the Dean of the College of Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona, Dr. Andrew Ketsdever. During the conversation, Andrew describes the responsibilities of a Dean, shares his experiences of being a Dean, and explains how a Dean impacts students, faculty, and staff.  Here is how Cal Poly Pomona organizes departments into colleges: https://www.cpp.edu/academics/colleges-departments/index.shtml  Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to [email protected] and Paul will personally read your email. Episode produced and edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on July 24, 2024 at Cal Poly Pomona.

In this episode, Paul tries to demystify the important, but often misunderstood, position of "department chair" by interviewing Dr. Berit Givens (Dept of Mathematics and Statistics) and Dr. Shokoufeh Mirzaei (Dept of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering), both of whom are department chairs at Cal Poly Pomona. During the conversation, Berit and Shokoufeh describe the role and responsibilities of a department chair, share their experiences of being a chair, and explain how a chair impacts students and faculty. Paul also shares his experiences of being the associate chair of his department, in which he assists his chair with various duties. Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to [email protected] and Paul will personally read your email. Episode produced and edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on March 19, 2024 at Cal Poly Pomona. 

In this episode, Paul interviews Davy McDowell, who is the Chief Operating Officer of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). During the conversation, Davy provides an overview of the process engineers go through to become professionally licensed. He also discusses the types of engineering jobs that typically require professional licensure, what the professional licensure exams (FE and PE Exams) are like, when it’s recommended to take the exams, and tips for preparing for the exams. NCEES is an organization that assists states and territories in the professional licensure process: https://ncees.org/  Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to [email protected] and Paul will personally read your email. Episode produced and edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on November 1, 2023 via Zoom.

In this episode, Paul interviews Dr. Victor Okhuysen who is a Professor in the Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Department at Cal Poly Pomona. During the conversation, Dr. Okhuysen provides an overview of the field of manufacturing engineering. He compares manufacturing engineering with other engineering disciplines, discusses career paths available in manufacturing engineering, and gives various tips for all engineering students. You can read more about the Cal Poly Pomona's Industrial & Manufacturing Department here: https://www.cpp.edu/engineering/ime/index.shtml  National Association of College and Employers (NACE) website for career readiness competencies: https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/career-readiness-defined/ American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) magazine breaks down mechanical engineering jobs by sector (about half of mechanical engineers work in manufacturing): https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/infographic-where-do-americas-mechanical-engineers-work Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to [email protected] and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on May 2, 2023 at Cal Poly Pomona.

In this episode, Paul interviews two Cal Poly Pomona engineering students, Elizabeth Sanchez (industrial engineering) and Esteban Alderete (aerospace engineering), who also are US Marine Corps veterans. During the interview, Elizabeth and Esteban share their experiences of active-duty service, transitioning back to civilian life, and being engineering students. They also provide advice for people who are thinking about joining the military, and advice for veterans who are considering pursuing an engineering degree one day. Cal Poly Pomona Veterans Resource Center: https://www.cpp.edu/veterans/index.shtml TELACU Veterans Upper Bound program: https://telacu.com/telacu-education-foundation/college-readiness-programs/veterans-upward-bound/ Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to [email protected] and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on March 22, 2023 at Cal Poly Pomona.

In this episode, Paul interviews two Cal Poly Pomona engineering students, Jared Changizian (mechanical engineering) and Michael Youssef (electrical engineering), who discuss a very common experience for engineering students -- having to repeat a course due to receiving a low grade. During the interview, Jared and Michael describe the emotions and thoughts they experienced when they found out they had to repeat engineering courses. They also discuss how they eventually overcame these difficulties and became stronger as a result. Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to [email protected] and Paul will personally read your email. Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on March 21, 2023 via Zoom.