GeoHeroes - Carrie (Foulk) Rodriguez

GeoHeroes - Carrie (Foulk) Rodriguez

About This Episode
In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Carrie (Foulk) Rodriguez, Geotechnical Group Leader at BSK Associates, who shares her inspiring journey from a youth spent moving around the U.S. to becoming a leading figure in the geotechnical industry. Carrie discusses her early life, education, and varied career path, highlighting the pivotal moments and challenges that shaped her professional trajectory. She also provides insights into her leadership style, involvement in GBA, and her thoughts on the future of the geoprofession. Listeners will gain valuable advice for aspiring engineers and a deeper understanding of the geotechnical landscape.

Series Summary
In this podcast series Guy Marcozzi will interview past, present, and future leaders in the geoprofessional industry to explore their personal and career journeys. The goal is to understand what motivates these individuals and what insights they have for the future of the profession. The podcast will examine the skills and qualities that have contributed to their success, as well as their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.

About Our Guest
Carrie (Foulk) Rodriguez – Carrie Rodriguez is a senior geotechnical engineer at BSK Associates in Livermore, California. She has been in this business for about 22 years, and is the geotechnical technical lead for BSK, as well as the geotechnical group manager in Livermore. She has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington (1996) and a master’s degree in geotechnical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (2002). She is professionally licensed as both a civil engineer and geotechnical engineer in California. She is a director-at-large on the GBA board of directors.

Our Host
Guy Marcozzi – Guy Marcozzi is the current GBA president and an experienced CEO, President and Board Member with a demonstrated history of working in the engineering, science and data technology industries and in leadership for various boards of ESOP, non-profit, professional and business organizations.

Discussion Topics:

Introduction

• 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

Early Life and Education

• 01:21 Carrie's Early Life and Background
• 05:28 High School and College Journey

Career Path

• 11:17 First Jobs and Lessons Learned
• 12:43 Transition to Geotechnical Engineering
• 17:14 Balancing Career and Family

Leadership

• 21:31 Current Role and Reflections
• 23:52 Advocating for Geotechnical Engineering

The Geoprofessional Landscape

• 24:50 Changes in the Geoprofession
• 27:05 Engaging the Younger Generation
• 32:17 Harnessing Social Media and Technology

Speed Round

• 36:36 [BOOK] John Muir: The Eight Wilderness Discovery Books by John Muir
• 36:48 Personal Insights and Advice
• 39:20 Optimism index
• 40:43 Biggest accomplishment
• 42:40 What would you change if you had it to do over again
• 44:19 Advice to someone entering the profession
• 46:18 Best advice you've received

Final Thoughts

• 48:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Calls-to-action:

• Visit the GBA Website at https://www.geoprofessional.org for other training resources and reference materials and/or to become a member.
• Visit https://www.gbapodcast.com for future Podcast Episodes
• Contact us at info@geoprofessional.org with any podcast-related questions or comments

Subscribe

• Subscribe to the GBA Podcast https://www.gbapodcast.com/subscribe

This episode was produced by the following GBA Members:

• Ryan White, PE, GE – Principal Geotechnical Engineer/PBS Engineering and Environmental LLC