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PODCAST

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights

Department of Humanities & Communication, ERAU-Prescott

What"s the Word? is an interview podcast featuring career highlights and advice from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University"s Prescott campus alumni in a range of fields, from engineering, global security, business, and aviation. Transcripts are hosted via the Prescott campus Writing & Design Lab: https://eaglelife.erau.edu/pwc/blog/

business careers

All Episodes

00:08:49

Nick Kopacek, Aerospace Engineering Astronautics

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2026/04/10

Nick Kopacek, a 2025 graduate of Embry-Riddle with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, currently works at Raytheon. He discusses his career, which involves significant hands-on work with hardware and extensive report writing. Nick highlights the importance of writing and public speaking as part of collaborating in the workplace. Even for very technical careers, problem-solving skills are more valuable than technical knowledge, since on-the-job training can fill in any gaps in your education. Nick

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00:13:12

Nicole Drake, Aerospace Engineering

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2026/04/01

Nicole Drake, a 2020 aerospace engineering graduate from Embry Riddle, shared her career journey from customer service and semiconductor supplier work to returning as an academic advisor. She fondly recalled her capstone project on an amphibious aircraft during COVID-19. Nicole enjoys advising students, especially those pursuing aviation dreams. Her role involves extensive student interaction, degree planning, and handling personal issues. She emphasized the importance of making connections,

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00:12:21

Ron Fielding - Aeronautical Engineering

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2026/03/13

In this episode, Ron Fielding, a retired Boeing engineer, reflects on his career and how well his education at Embry-Riddle prepared him for his work. He graduated in 1986 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, attending both Prescott and Daytona Beach campuses. Ron started at Boeing in defense, transitioning to commercial aircraft and eventually working with Boeing Materials and Technology (BMT), in Quality Assurance and as a Standards Engineer managing specifications and standards for aircraft

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00:14:15

Lily Davis, Forensic Biology

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2026/02/27

Lily Davis, a 2024 graduate from Embry-Riddle's Prescott campus, currently works in the university's philanthropy and alumni department. She transitioned from a forensic biology major to an administrative coordinator role, handling donor interactions, gift processing, and legal documentation. Lily recalls her unique freshman year during COVID-19, marked by virtual classes and daily temperature checks. She emphasizes the importance of following one's passions and shares her journey from job

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00:09:04

Mitchell Graham, Aerospace Engineering

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2026/02/13

Mitchel Graham, an Embry-Riddle Prescott graduate and aeronautical engineer at Lockheed Martin, discusses his journey into aircraft and UAV design, emphasizing the value of hands-on experience and strong, versatile communication skills. He shares career highlights, favorite projects like Speed Racer, and advice for students on building friendships, participating in clubs, and staying physically active. He hopes all current Eagles are enjoying their time at Embry-Riddle!

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00:08:03

Hope Elmer, Aerospace Engineering

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2026/01/30

Hope Elmer, a second-year PhD student at Texas A&M, discusses her research on shape memory alloys, with a shout-out to Dr. David Lanning who helped spur her interest in materials research while she was at ERAU. She mentions how important time management is as a skill for breaking big goals into manageable steps. To communicate her research to other engineers, academics, and general audiences, Hope and her collaborator need to carefully design data visualizations to illustrate their results and

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00:13:39

Austin Johnson, Mechanical Engineering

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2026/01/16

Austin Johnson, a recent graduate from Embry Riddle, discusses his transition from aerospace to mechanical engineering and his current role as an operations engineer at Edwards Air Force Base. He highlights the importance of learning and adapting in his job, which involves writing concise and clear test cards and plans. Austin emphasizes the significance of rhetorical and technical writing skills developed during his education. He advises current students to maximize their learning opportunities and

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00:19:23

Phil Rosnik, Aviation Business Management

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2025/12/05

Phil Rosnik, a 1986 graduate of Embry-Riddle's Prescott campus, is an alum from the 5th ever graduating class at Embry. He majored in Aviation Business Management and minored in Aeronautical Science and Engineering, earning two associate degrees. Phil emphasizes the importance of writing in professional life, providing examples from his career at Goodrich Aerospace and United Technologies. He advises students to reflect on their career paths, hire smartly, and prioritize quality work.

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00:13:04

Holly Paget, Computer Engineering

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2025/11/14

Holly Paget, a computer engineering graduate from Embry Riddle, currently works at Micron Technology in Boise, Idaho. She manages teams that stress test memory chips to ensure longevity. Holly emphasizes the importance of clear communication and technical writing in her role, highlighting the need for concise, efficient reports. She notes the difference between academic and industry writing, stressing the importance of learning how to learn and asking questions. Holly advises new graduates to seek

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00:14:30

Samantha Greene - Aerospace Engineering

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2025/10/31

Samantha Greene (2023, Aerospace Engineering) tells our new host Leah Little about her career in the navy. She writes technical maintenance procedures for various aircraft and coordinates this work with mechanics and engineers. In her advice to current students, she shares some realities of the job search-- hundreds of applications may yield only dozens of interviews. No matter the challenges of college and beyond, "Keep going, you'll get through it!" Samantha says.

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00:16:43

Austin Morgan, Mechanical Engineering

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2025/10/17

Austin Morgan, a 2024 Embry-Riddle graduate and mechanical engineer at Unico Mechanical Corporation, discusses his career in hydropower engineering. He works on refurbishing and repairing equipment, including hydraulic servos for the Hoover Dam. Austin emphasizes the value of clear, concise, audience-aware communication in his work; he needs to track every step of each repair and report to colleagues depending on their information needs. He advises current students to actively engage in campus life

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00:12:54

Farewell Abby

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2025/10/03

Owen Smith hosts a special episode of his podcast, "What's the Word," to bid farewell to co-host Abigail Bradbury as she graduates from Embry Riddle and moves back to Texas. Abigail shares her excitement about pursuing her CFI and the opportunities ahead. She reflects on the importance of effective email writing, influenced by Dr. Chesley's advice. Abigail highlights the value of time management and encourages stepping out of one's comfort zone. Owen expresses his gratitude for

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00:14:00

Kiara Bean, Forensic Accounting

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2025/09/19

Kiara Bean, a 2023 graduate with a degree in forensic accounting and minors in psychology and security, discusses her job in San Diego, where she supports litigation processes at a forensic accounting firm. Her day-to-day tasks vary widely, from tracing analyses in divorce cases to investigating money laundering. Kiara emphasizes the importance of clear, concise writing, a skill honed during her communications classes at Embry-Riddle. She advises current students to balance academic work with

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00:10:58

Jordan Lowry, Aeronautical Engineering

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2025/09/04

Jordan Lowry (AE, discussed her career as a Space Systems Engineer at Boeing, focusing on satellite communication. She highlighted her favorite aspects of her job, including the supportive community and the variety of tasks, such as writing scripts, updating test procedures, and running tests. Jordan transitioned from MATLAB and C programming to Python, which she found challenging but manageable. She emphasized the importance of networking and following dreams. Jordan also noted the shift from

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00:20:41

Paige Konieczny, Meteorology

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2025/08/22

Paige, an Embry-Riddle meteorology graduate from 2020, shares her journey through the world of weather forecasting, starting at the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and now working at the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. She discovered that meteorology offers far more diverse career opportunities than she initially realized, ranging from aviation to environmental science and fire weather forecasting. Her role involves creating detailed forecast packages, writing specialized

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00:08:50

Jennifer James, Space Physics

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2025/05/23

Jennifer James (2022, Space Physics) is now a PhD candidate at Vanderbilt University, currently working on the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider in New York. Her role involves plenty of internal communications with others on her team, including emails and presentations. She says it could've been helpful to have more experience with presentations and oral communication before she graduated. Her advice for current students is to take good care of themselves; you'll work more effectively and

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00:10:29

Grace Brown, Global Security and Intelligence

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2025/05/09

Grace Brown (Global Security and Intelligence, 2024) works at Raytheon in Tuscon as a security analyst. She loves the variety in her work and sense of collegiality among her coworkers. In this episode she shares a little bit about the technical incident reports and standard operating procedures she writes. Active voice and direct, to-the-point language are key and she honed those writing skills well in her com courses at Embry-Riddle. Grace hopes that future Eagle alumni will be prepared to embrace

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00:09:24

Edward Pinos, Global Security and Intelligence

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2025/04/25

Edward Pinos (2018, Global Security and Intelligence) now works as a security analyst at CrowdStrike. In this episode he tells us about his work investigating insider risks, writing detailed analytical reports, and enhancing security postures for all the critical infrastructure his company deals with. He says that some of his writing and creative communication work almost looks a little like marketing material, especially at times when he needs to convince colleagues to pay attention to very

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00:12:30

Austin Johnson, Global Security and Intelligence

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2025/04/11

This week, Owen talks with Austin Johnson, a law enforcement officer who majored in Global Security and Intelligence and graduated early in 2023. In law enforcement, every day brings a new and exciting challenge. Austin values the rewarding aspects of helping people in his work. Writing is integral to his job, for keeping track of investigations, reporting on all work activity, and filling out important legal documentation. Austin emphasizes the importance of clear, articulate writing skills, which

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00:15:13

Jeff Bloom, Computer Science

What"s the Word? Eagle Alumni Spotlights ·

2025/03/28

This episode features Jeff Bloom (1988, Computer Science graduate). Jeff shares his experiences working with NASA's mission control as a software engineer, especially the challenge of transitioning from coding to managing application configurations and supporting flight control teams. He emphasizes the importance of clear communication and the crucial value of documenting all the details of your work along the way. Don’t wait until the last minute to start producing documentation—start on any

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