Greenfieldery - the CSU Engineering Podcast

Our guest today is Alison Stoakley from Engineers Without Borders Australia. Engineers Without Borders Australia is a member-based community organisation with 15 years experience mobilising engineering skills and knowledge to ensure everyone has access to essential services and infrastructure. Founded in 2003, EWB Australia's vision is for everyone to have access to the engineering knowledge and resources they need to lead a life of opportunity, free from poverty. The organisation partners with education, industry leaders, social entrepreneurs and community development specialists to foster the knowledge, skills & opportunities that empower engineers and communities to engineer a better world for everyone. Originally from the US, Alison graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in civil and environmental engineering and a thousand sparks of ideas around what kind of positive impact engineering might have in the world. In 2011, she moved to Melbourne to pursue an interdisciplinary Master of Environments degree that allowed her to kindle those sparks and now, as an Engineering Education Officer at EWB, she is able to continue these conversations every day. In this chat with Professor Euan Lindsay from CSU Engineering, Alison chats about her 'greenfield' - the EWB Challenge program that partners with universities in Australia and New Zealand, and community partners at Engineers Without Borders. "Through this platform we're able to create really interesting real-world design projects identified by communities that students can learn through and also come up with really creative ideas to address," says Alison. The EWB Challenge was first trialed in 2007 and since then has grown and become embedded in the curriculum at universities. The program currently engages 9000 students across 28 universities in Australia and New Zealand, including CSU Engineering. LEARN MORE: EWB Australia website EWB Australia on Twitter EWB Australia on Facebook EWB Australia on YouTube

Our guest today is Matt Thorne, a director of multi-disciplinary consultancy firm, Geolyse.  Matt a registered surveyor and town planner with over 29 years experience in the land development industry. Geolyse services regional New South Wales, providing tailored services in environmental consulting, civil, structural and environmental engineering, planning, surveying and architecture. In this chat with Professor Euan Lindsay, Matt discusses the differences between working in regional NSW compared to a metropolitan environment, and how his company places strong emphasis on relationships.  "Every person that walks in the door has a different story and has a different future, and aspirations vary," Matt says. Rapid change In an industry undergoing rapid change thanks to technology, how do professional veterans adapt and learn new tricks?  "The old dogs are taught by the ... young pups," he says. "It (change) is driven by the young people coming in." Matt touches on Geolyse's multi-disciplinary approach, and the need for broad thinking, problem identification and problem solving, and how the company's growth across the various disciplines was both planned and evolutionary. Matt also discusses Geolyse's relationship with Charles Sturt University (CSU) Engineering. Connect with Matt on LinkedIn.  

Our guest today is Professor Mike Murphy, from Dublin. Mike is President of the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI), and Academic Registrar and Director of Academic Affairs, Digital & Learning Transformation, at Dublin Institute of Technology, the city campus of TU Dublin, the first technological university in Ireland. SEFI is a non-profit international organisation considered as the largest network of engineering education players in Europe active since 1973. The mission of SEFI is to contribute to the development and the improvement of engineering education in Europe, to emphasise the need for and to strengthen the image of both engineering education and engineering education professionals in society. In this chat with Professor Euan Lindsay from CSU Engineering, Mike touches on: teaching-oriented environment versus learning-oriented environment the importance of publishing academic papers building a sense of movement: academics should be teaching and researching, engaging with students and publishing focus on engineering at DIT to be challenging for both the faculty and the students, but also fun and rewarding the differences working at large engineering organisation versus working at academia: "In academia we tend to wear our credentials more on our sleeves" moving from industry to academia, and driving reforms at a structural level universities must succeed on the quality of their people failing upwards: be brave, but know why you're being brave (and being comfortable with that) new ways to tackle fundamentally the same problems: "Mike's mad ideas"  CONNECT WITH MIKE LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemurphy14/

Our guest today is Felicity Furey from Melbourne. Felicity is a civil engineer by training and self-taught entrepreneur, working to change the world through engineering, mathematics, diversity and creativity. She has co-founded two social enterprises to impact diversity and engagement in engineering and mathematics – Power of Engineering and Machinam. Felicity’s 10-year corporate career includes working as a Senior Project Manager at innovative engineering consultancy Arup, Management Consultant at fortune 500 company AECOM and delivering a $45 million dollar transport infrastructure project portfolio for local communities with Brisbane City Council. Felicity’s ‘greenfield’ is a volunteer-led organisation called Power of Engineering, which inspires young people, particularly girls and regional students, The organisation has now reached over 8000 students across Australia through one day events and partnerships with industry and universities. Eighty per cent of students who were a ‘no’ to engineering before the day change their mind to a ‘yes’ after the event. Cultural perceptions Felicity explains how she found her way into the profession, and how she is drawn to the human element of engineering. She discusses cultural perceptions around gender roles and creating a different future for engineering. LINKS: LinkedIn Website Power of Engineering Machinam  

Starting with a blank page can be a daunting prospect for most of us. But for others, it represents the opportunity to push boundaries and create lifelong impact. Greenfieldery, is the CSU Engineering podcast where we explore the unlimited potential that comes with a greenfield project.  Each episode, Engineering Professor Euan Lindsay chats to leaders from education and industry about their greenfield projects, and how they overcame ‘the blank page’. In doing so we hope to inspire you to face (or even chase) your own greenfield and approach the opportunities and challenges of a blank page better prepared and primed to realise your vision.