8th Grade Podcast Interview

• March 16, 2023

We had a great time being interviewed by an 8th grade student from the Newton, MA Public School system for a podcast project (things sure have changed since we were in 8th grade!).  The conversation touched on several topics with a focus on the day-to-day activities of a structural engineer. We discussed the important relationship between the architect and the structural engineer and some of the key differences. We also got to review some of the really interesting things structural engineers get to do and are responsible for and how we design the ‘skeleton’ of the building.

We were very happy to also have the opportunity to talk about what structural engineers are doing to address climate change and how the SE 2050 Commitment (www.se2050.org) is an important commitment for firms to make. We were so very happy to hear just how knowledgeable the student was in science and the climate and pleasantly surprised at how many questions they had on the topic.

“We have made some progress that we are proud of but we need everyone, particularly young people, to really engage in this and push us to be better than we have been today.”

-Michael Gryniuk, Principal, Cora Structural

Being interviewed by an 8th grader reminded us of the obligation we have to continue to pursue the seemingly impossible task of addressing climate change and moving the structural engineering profession forward. With fantastic questions from an impressive 8th grader we sure do hope we hold up our end of the bargain!