My Interview Subjects

This blog represents the beginning of project 2; and as the old saying goes, there's no rest for the wicked.....err writer. This project focuses on interviewing people who are professionals in my field of study. I will interview two Civil Engineers who work at the University of Arizona.

The people I will be interviewing for this project are Professor Dean Papajohn and Professor Yao-Jan Wu. I will also be consulting Professor Robert Fleischman.

Dr. Fleischman is a leading researcher at the University of Arizona in structural civil engineering specifically in designing parts. Professor Yao-Jan Wu is an assistant professor of Transportation Civil Engineering who does research in intelligent transportation systems, sustainable transportation systems and transportation modeling. Professor Papajohn was a practicing Civil Engineer at the Pima County Department of Transportation, he now is a full time professor at the University of Arizona.

Professor Papajohn has his B.S. in Civil Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a M.A. in English from Iowa State University, a M.S. in Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and he is currently getting his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering and Construction Management from Arizona State University. Professor Yao-Jan Wu has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from National Central University, a M.S. in Transportation Engineering from National Taiwan University and a Ph.D. in Transportation Engineering from the University of Washington. Professor Fleischman has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University, a M.S. and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University.

Dr. Fleischman worked in the field from 1985 to 1996, Dr. Wu worked as a civil engineer from 2004 to 2011 and Professor Papajohn worked in the Civil Engineering field until 2015 and may return at some point to the field.

Dr Yao-Jan Wu, University of Arizona

Professor Dean Papajohn, University of Arizona

My meeting with Professor Papajohn occurred Monday February 22 at 4:30 pm in CE214B. My meeting with Dr. Wu will occur Tuesday February 23 at 3:30 pm in CE324F. My meeting with Dr. Fleischman will occur Wednesday February 24 at 3:00 pm in CE 220H. 

Here are my questions for Professor Papajohn:

1) How would you describe your profession?

2) How do you personally use writing in your profession, how frequently do you use writing?

3) How do you usually use text, is it through written, visual, or auditory means?

4) What types of people inside the civil engineering field do you find yourself writing to most frequently?

5) What types of people outside the civil engineering field do you find yourself writing to frequently? 

6) Who was the most challenging audience that you have ever written for or to. 

7) How has the way that writing is used in the civil engineering changed over your career, what has caused that change in your opinion?

8) What do you use to write, do you primarily use handwritten texts or do you use computer programs?

9) Do you find yourself structuring the way you write? Is there a format that you like to write in, for example the very stereotypical writing style of brainstorming, making a draft, revising, then finalizing for presentation? 

10) What advise would you give someone just beginning in the civil engineering field specifically about professional communication? 

Here are my questions for Professor Wu:

1) How would you describe your profession?

2) How do you personally use writing in your profession, how frequently do you use writing?

3) How do you usually use text, is it through written, visual, or auditory means?

4) How much of a role does social media play in the civil engineering field, essentially how often do you use social media? How can I find examples of this, or can you show me some examples of social media usage?

5) How often do you think about your audience when you write, specifically do you change the way you write based off the audience?

6) Who was the most challenging audience that you have ever written for or to. 

7) How has the way that writing is used in the civil engineering changed over your career, what has caused that change in your opinion?

8) What do you use to write, do you primarily use handwritten texts or do you use computer programs?

9) Do you find yourself structuring the way you write? Is there a format that you like to write in, for example the very stereotypical writing style of brainstorming, making a draft, revising, then finalizing for presentation? 

10) What advise would you give someone just beginning in the civil engineering field specifically about professional communication? 

Anonymous, "Interview", via Pixabay, Public Domain