The Structural Engineering Channel Podcast is an invaluable resource for engineers no matter where they are in their career journey. Simpson Strong-Tie is proud to announce our very own US Southwest Engineering Supervisor Rachel Holland has been selected as the next co-host for the well-regarded podcast series.

Holland’s debut is on this week’s episode, which is now available on the Structural Engineering Channel website and most streaming services. 

Presented by Mathew Picardal, P.E., S.E., the podcast offers informative episodes with professional industry leaders, system manufacturers, innovators, and academics discussing a variety of topics relating to structural engineering and construction resiliency.  

A graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Holland worked as a design and project engineer for BORM Engineering and ACK Engineering and Surveying before joining Simpson Strong-Tie as a branch engineer in 2011. A recognized expert in deck construction, Rachel is named on four patents including the Simpson Strong-Tie BVLZ ledger connector, designed to safely connect decks to homes through brick and masonry veneer. 

“There are so many exciting things happening in structural engineering right now, and I’m looking forward to speaking to the experts and personalities in our field,” Holland says. “I’m sure we’re likely to take a look at mass timber and some of the newer methods of construction, as well as talk about some of the big projects and big issues in the industry — there are endless topics.”  

In Rachel’s first appearance as co-host, Mat put the focus on Rachel’s career and her work at Simpson Strong-Tie. The entire podcast is available here, but below we’ve pulled out some highlights from the episode. 

Quotes Within the Podcast:

“We can help motivate the next generation of engineers by talking about interesting topics so that they can see that it is a fun profession.” -Rachel Holland, P.E.

“Most structural engineering students think that all they will be doing is design work, but they are dozens of career paths that they can take in structural engineering.” -Mathew Picardal, P.E., SE

Questions Asked in the Podcast:

• Tell the listeners more about yourself and what you do daily at Simpson Strong-Tie.
• What attracted you to Simpson Strong-Tie, and how did you decide to move from design work to manufacturing?
• What are some of the qualities of Simpson Strong-Tie that make you want to stay working for them?
• The R&D side of engineering is always interesting, can you tell us more about what you did as an R&D engineer?
• Can you tell us more about the work you do that relates to deck design and building code-compliant decks?
• What excited you about the opportunity to become a co-host, and what is your goal of being a co-host of The Structural Engineering Channel Podcast?
• To end off here, do you have any career advice for structural engineers based on your journey?

Remember to tune in on November 24 when Rachel and Mat will be joined by Geoff Smith, a senior associate at Silman and a graduate of the civil and structural engineering program at West Virginia University. They’ll discuss existing building renovations and collaboration.