Geo-Institute Director’s Cut

S04 E36 - Daniel Alzamora (Federal Highway Administration)

On Director's Cut, Geo-Institute Director Brad Keelor interviews G-I members about anything and everything. You might hear about their favorite geotechnical project, their favorite music, or their favorite pie. In Episode 36 of Season 4, Brad speaks with Daniel Alzamora of FHWA - the Geotechnical Frontiers 2025 General Chair!
SHOW NOTES:
- Learn about FHWA's Resource Center and everything they can do! https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/
- "Iguana Park" is Seminario Park in downtown Guayaquil! https://theoccasionaltraveller.com/guayaquil-iguana-park/
- Informational page on the regional geotechnical conferences: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/geotech/conference_listing.cfm
- All you need to see is the homepage for the Triple Bypass, and odds are you'll say that it's not for you. https://www.triplebypass.org/
- Need more info on Geotechnical Frontiers 2025? Of course you do. Start at http://www.geotechnicalfrontiers.com.
The Geo-Institute is a technical society with about 12,000 geotechnical engineers and geologists as members. Find out more or join at http://www.geoinstitute.org.
Music courtesy of very cool Seattle band Head Like A Kite. Song is Director's Cut from the 2010 album Dreams Suspend Night. Check them out at http://www.headlikeakite.com.
 

S07 E24 - Mojdeh Pajouh (Texas State University)

On Director's Cut, Geo-Institute Director Brad Keelor interviews G-I members about anything and everything. You might hear about their favorite geotechnical project, their favorite music, or their favorite pie. In Episode 24 of Season 7, our guest is Mojdeh Pajouh of Texas State University!
SHOW NOTES:
- We talk about the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility several times: https://mwrsf.unl.edu/
- Here's some history on female crash dummies: https://www.npr.org/2025/11/21/nx-s1-5616284/female-crash-test-dummy-design-approval
- Here's all the info you need to start a Geo-Institute Graduate Student Organization: https://www.geoinstitute.org/students/graduate-student-organizations
The Geo-Institute is a technical society with about 12,000 geotechnical engineers and geologists as members. Find out more or join at http://www.geoinstitute.org.
Music courtesy of very cool Seattle band Head Like A Kite. Song is Director's Cut from the 2010 album Dreams Suspend Night. Check them out at http://www.headlikeakite.com.

S05 E02 - Ashly Cabas (NC State University)

On Director's Cut, Geo-Institute Director Brad Keelor interviews G-I members about anything and everything. You might hear about their favorite geotechnical project, their favorite music, or their favorite pie. In Episode 2 of Season 5, our guest is Ashly Cabas of North Carolina State University!
SHOW NOTES:
- A nice starter guide on Venezuelan food: https://theplanetd.com/traditional-venezuelan-food/
- All students can get involved in G-I through local and national activities - find out here: https://sites.google.com/site/gigslc/home
- Ashly's appearance on Getting Curious: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-it-like-to-survive-an-earthquake-with/id1068563276?i=1000538413005
- Learn about E2SCALA (and maybe join!): https://e2scala.ccee.ncsu.edu/
- And learn even more about E2SCALA from Ashly's Geo-PIT talk from Geo-Congress 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C3IfaAqGok
The Geo-Institute is a technical society with about 12,000 geotechnical engineers and geologists as members. Find out more or join at http://www.geoinstitute.org.
Music courtesy of very cool Seattle band Head Like A Kite. Song is Director's Cut from the 2010 album Dreams Suspend Night. Check them out at http://www.headlikeakite.com.
 

S07 E23 - Amalesh Jana (Montana State University)

On Director's Cut, Geo-Institute Director Brad Keelor interviews G-I members about anything and everything. You might hear about their favorite geotechnical project, their favorite music, or their favorite pie. In Episode 23 of Season 7, our guest is Amalesh Jana of Montana State University!
SHOW NOTES:
- Here's why bitter melon is so good for you: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bitter-melon
- There's always a G-I chapter near you. Get in the van and head to an event! https://www.geoinstitute.org/chapters/find-a-chapter
- Here's info on wildlife you might see in the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park: https://www.nps.gov/places/000/lamar-valley-wildlife-watching.htm
- Here's the page for the Subzero Lab in case you need to get REALLY cold: https://www.montana.edu/subzero/
- The T. Rex is legendary. LEGENDARY. Here's a great article about it. https://www.carscoops.com/2022/09/this-gargantuan-truck-is-called-the-t-rex-and-it-makes-earthquakes/
- Congratulations again to all the graduates this year!
The Geo-Institute is a technical society with about 12,000 geotechnical engineers and geologists as members. Find out more or join at http://www.geoinstitute.org.
Music courtesy of very cool Seattle band Head Like A Kite. Song is Director's Cut from the 2010 album Dreams Suspend Night. Check them out at http://www.headlikeakite.com.

S04 E37 - Andrew Whittle (MIT, 2024 Terzaghi Lecturer)

On Director's Cut, Geo-Institute Director Brad Keelor interviews G-I members about anything and everything. You might hear about their favorite geotechnical project, their favorite music, or their favorite pie. In Episode 37 of Season 4, Brad speaks with Andrew Whittle of MIT - the 2024 Terzaghi Lecturer!
SHOW NOTES:
- I was actually in 7th grade when construction on the Big Dig started! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dig
- Here's a great video primer on the Big Dig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF5aUClwJ9w
- Squatter is "The Australian Wool Game." Get your hands on a copy today! https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2970/squatter
- Here's The Treeline book that Andrew mentions: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/56268809
- Still need to mark the MIT-connected lecturers, but here are all the past Terzaghi Lecturers: https://www.asce.org/career-growth/awards-and-honors/karl-terzaghi-lecture/karl-terzaghi-lecture-past-award-winners
The Geo-Institute is a technical society with about 12,000 geotechnical engineers and geologists as members. Find out more or join at http://www.geoinstitute.org.
Music courtesy of very cool Seattle band Head Like A Kite. Song is Director's Cut from the 2010 album Dreams Suspend Night. Check them out at http://www.headlikeakite.com.

S07 E22 - Erik Loehr (University of Missouri)

On Director's Cut, Geo-Institute Director Brad Keelor interviews G-I members about anything and everything. You might hear about their favorite geotechnical project, their favorite music, or their favorite pie. In Episode 22 of Season 7, our guest is Erik Loehr of the University of Missouri!
SHOW NOTES:
- Here's the 2017 version of FHWA GEC-5 on Geotechnical Site Characterization: https://highways.dot.gov/sites/fhwa.dot.gov/files/FHWA-NHI-16-072.pdf
- This is John Wolosick's first episode of Field Trips - it's a great one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSM2GXey6Ng
- Here's your basic info page about the Superconducting Super Collider: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superconducting_Super_Collider
- There are a million web pages about Texas town names - here's one: https://www.myhighplains.com/news/texas/the-strangest-texas-town-names-how-to-say-them-and-how-they-got-there/
- Here's what Texans call kolaches: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klob%C3%A1sn%C3%ADk
The Geo-Institute is a technical society with about 12,000 geotechnical engineers and geologists as members. Find out more or join at http://www.geoinstitute.org.
Music courtesy of very cool Seattle band Head Like A Kite. Song is Director's Cut from the 2010 album Dreams Suspend Night. Check them out at http://www.headlikeakite.com.
 

S07 E21 - Hannah Iezzoni (Keller)

On Director's Cut, Geo-Institute Director Brad Keelor interviews G-I members about anything and everything. You might hear about their favorite geotechnical project, their favorite music, or their favorite pie. In Episode 21 of Season 7, our guest is Hannah Iezzoni of Keller!
SHOW NOTES:
- More audio and video glitches - they're only during the intro, I promise! Keep watching!
- Here's Hannah's Director's Cut Short from Summer 2022! https://youtu.be/mZOtJZCRNag
- New York City has a great East Side Coastal Resiliency page! https://www.nyc.gov/site/escr/index.page
- Here's the page for the 2026 ASCE Student Championships: https://www.asce.org/communities/student-members/conferences/asce-civil-engineering-student-championships
- The history of The Rock at Northwestern is here: https://www.northwestern.edu/about/history/the-rock.html
- Northwestern's history at Wrigley is not exactly as I remember it: https://dailynorthwestern.com/2021/11/19/lateststories/football-northwesterns-sports-history-at-wrigley-field/
- All the ASCE2027 info you could possibly want at https://experience.asce.org - join us in Philadelphia!
The Geo-Institute is a technical society with about 12,000 geotechnical engineers and geologists as members. Find out more or join at http://www.geoinstitute.org.
Music courtesy of very cool Seattle band Head Like A Kite. Song is Director's Cut from the 2010 album Dreams Suspend Night. Check them out at http://www.headlikeakite.com.

S07 E20 - Jorge Fuentes (Menard)

On Director's Cut, Geo-Institute Director Brad Keelor interviews G-I members about anything and everything. You might hear about their favorite geotechnical project, their favorite music, or their favorite pie. In Episode 20 of Season 7, our guest is Jorge Fuentes of Menard, the past chair of the Boston Geo-Institute chapter!
SHOW NOTES:
- Here are all the details about the Revere HS project: https://rhsconstructionproject.com/
- Naturalia was on TV for 19 years! Here's the intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qt_oYseQbs
- Find your local G-I chapter - there's probably one near you! https://www.geoinstitute.org/chapters/find-a-chapter
- Here's the story of the Green Line Extension, which was first proposed in the 1920s! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Line_Extension
- Be sure to stick around til the end for an amazing story about why Jorge started learning English!
The Geo-Institute is a technical society with about 12,000 geotechnical engineers and geologists as members. Find out more or join at http://www.geoinstitute.org.
Music courtesy of very cool Seattle band Head Like A Kite. Song is Director's Cut from the 2010 album Dreams Suspend Night. Check them out at http://www.headlikeakite.com.
 

S04 E38 - Rod Salgado (Purdue University)

On Director's Cut, Geo-Institute Director Brad Keelor interviews G-I members about anything and everything. You might hear about their favorite geotechnical project, their favorite music, or their favorite pie. In Episode 38 of Season 4, Brad speaks with Rod Salgado of Purdue University!
SHOW NOTES:
- Jim MItchell gave a Geo-PIT talk at Geo-Congress 2019 in Philadelphia that covered some of his lunar CPT work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07fwCwFMO_M
- There are so many Spanish vs Portuguese language websites - we'll just start with Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Portuguese_and_Spanish
- Two great Purdue traditions in one video: the marching band at the Indy 500 AND the Golden Girl! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aTXGDMTWXI
- More info on Monster, the Big Bass Drum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purdue_Big_Bass_Drum
- More on Itaimbezinho Canyon: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1205059-d2039500-Reviews-Itaimbezinho_Canyon-Cambara_do_Sul_State_of_Rio_Grande_do_Sul.html
The Geo-Institute is a technical society with about 12,000 geotechnical engineers and geologists as members. Find out more or join at http://www.geoinstitute.org.
Music courtesy of very cool Seattle band Head Like A Kite. Song is Director's Cut from the 2010 album Dreams Suspend Night. Check them out at http://www.headlikeakite.com.

S07 E19 - Beatrice Torres (Caltrans)

On Director's Cut, Geo-Institute Director Brad Keelor interviews G-I members about anything and everything. You might hear about their favorite geotechnical project, their favorite music, or their favorite pie. In Episode 19 of Season 7, our guest is Beatrice Torres of Caltrans, and the current chair of the Los Angeles Geo-Institute chapter!
SHOW NOTES:
- Here's a way to "pair" carbohydrates so you can have two at a time and it's OK?!? https://simplexhealth.com/carbohydrate-pairing-can-you-game-the-system/
- Some info about the LAX North Airfield project: https://www.appliedpavement.com/lax-improvement-plan
- San Bernardino County is the largest in the US - larger than Delaware, New Jersey, and Rhode Island combined! https://main.sbcounty.gov/
- Info on Caltrans District 8: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-8
- Here's the home page for the LA chapter, who put on the amazing Queen Mary event! https://lageoinstitute.org/
The Geo-Institute is a technical society with about 12,000 geotechnical engineers and geologists as members. Find out more or join at http://www.geoinstitute.org
Music courtesy of very cool Seattle band Head Like A Kite. Song is Director's Cut from the 2010 album Dreams Suspend Night. Check them out at http://www.headlikeakite.com.