Morgan’s Mentors Podcast
In this series (primarily intended for young professionals and undergraduate students), Morgan NeSmith will be discussing with various professionals about mentoring and being mentored. Each episode will follow a standard format with the purpose of providing general advice on career development and being mentored from a range of perspectives.
Morgan NeSmith is a director of engineering at Berkel & Company Contractors, Inc., and has both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in civil engineering from Georgia Tech and over 20 years of experience in geotechnical contracting and consulting. NeSmith has authored and co-authored numerous papers on deep foundations and ground improvement systems. He also regularly speaks to companies, universities, and professional organizations on these topics on behalf of Berkel as well as DFI, of which he is the immediate past chair of the ACIP and DD Pile Committee. NeSmith currently serves on the DFI Board of Trustees as the liaison to the ACIP and DD Pile Committee and is a Diplomate of the Academy of Geo-Professionals.
Episode 1: Liz Smith
It’s time to Move the Needle! THE Liz Smith joins Morgan to talk about her journey through the geotechnical consulting field and drop some knowledge for young engineers on what to look for early in their careers and what characteristics/habits will set them up for success in the industry.
Sponsored by Dan Brown and Associates
Episode 2: Dr. David Frost
It almost time, once again, to Move the Needle! Dr. David Frost is a professor of Geosystems Engineering who has been recognized by Georgia Tech’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering for his student mentorship. In this episode, he and Morgan talk about David’s mentors, the characteristics he likes to see in the students he gets to work with and the rewards of being a mentor to so many students and young professionals over the years.
Sponsored by Dan Brown and Associates and ConeTec
Episode 3: Helen Robinson
Once again, it’s almost time to move the needle. In this episode, we take a deep dive into being active within the industry’s various organizations, and what the demands and rewards can be. And we couldn’t have a better guest than Helen Robinson of GEI Consultants, former executive editor of Deep Foundations magazine, the inaugural chair of the DFI Women in Deep Foundations Committee, and a member of the DFI Educational Trust Board and the Board of Governors of the ASCE Geo-Institute. Helen shares her experience with industry service including how to get started and how to get the most out of your activity.
Sponsored by Dan Brown and Associates
Episode 4: Vanessa Bateman
If you still don’t know what time it is….it’s time to move the needle. In this episode, Vanessa Bateman brings over 25 years of service with the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Army Corp of Engineers to discuss what young engineers will find rewarding when working with a state or federal agency, what strengths are keys for a successful leader in this area and the characteristics that are a predictor of success or longevity for geotechnical engineering and construction.
Sponsored by Dan Brown and Associates
Episode 5: Hannah Iezzoni
If you still don’t know what time it is, it is once again time to move the needle. Along with being a 2022 DFI President’s Award winner, new chair of the DFI Augered Cast-in-Place and Drilled Displacement Pile Committee, and technical program co-chair for the 2022 DFI Annual Conference in National Harbor, Hannah Iezzoni is passionate about mentorship and advocacy and joins us this week to dig deep into these topics. We talk about the roles and responsibilities of both mentors and young professionals in their relationship along with the importance of staying open to opportunities that present themselves during one’s career.
Sponsored by Dan Brown and Associates