1 00:00:00,110 --> 00:00:04,460 Intro: The following program is brought to you by the Tennessee Broadband Association. 2 00:00:04,850 --> 00:00:10,580 Lead Tennessee Radio, conversations with the leaders moving our state forward. 3 00:00:10,610 --> 00:00:18,230 We look at the issues shaping Tennessee's future: rural development, public policy, broadband, 4 00:00:18,230 --> 00:00:22,760 healthcare, and other topics impacting our communities. 5 00:00:23,790 --> 00:00:24,810 Carrie Huckeby: Hello everyone. 6 00:00:24,810 --> 00:00:28,590 Thank you for joining me on this episode of Lead Tennessee Radio. 7 00:00:29,310 --> 00:00:34,020 I'm Carrie Huckeby, executive director for the Tennessee Broadband Association. 8 00:00:34,350 --> 00:00:39,000 National Engineering Week is February 18th through the 24th. 9 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,360 And I learned something that I didn't know about Engineering Week. 10 00:00:42,780 --> 00:00:48,970 It's designated that this particular week, because of President's Day, George Washington. 11 00:00:48,970 --> 00:00:52,170 He's considered the nation's first engineer. 12 00:00:52,380 --> 00:01:00,330 And this year's theme is "Welcome to the Future." It's to highlight the achievements, while also looking where the field 13 00:01:00,330 --> 00:01:02,160 of engineering is going. 14 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:09,810 And who better to talk to about engineering than my guest, professional engineer and PhD, Matthew 15 00:01:09,810 --> 00:01:12,060 Boynton from BTC Fiber. 16 00:01:12,060 --> 00:01:13,290 Welcome, Matthew. 17 00:01:13,620 --> 00:01:15,990 Matthew Boynton: Well, thank you and thank you so much for having me. 18 00:01:15,990 --> 00:01:19,740 And that was a great introduction about George Washington. 19 00:01:19,740 --> 00:01:21,600 I think I just learned something. 20 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:22,830 Carrie Huckeby: Well, I didn't know that. 21 00:01:22,830 --> 00:01:27,660 It makes perfect sense, but I thought, oh, never too old to learn something. 22 00:01:27,660 --> 00:01:34,140 Matthew Boynton: Sure, I think, I think I knew if I'm not mistaken, he was considered a surveyor as well. 23 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:35,940 Carrie Huckeby: I think that's right. 24 00:01:36,030 --> 00:01:37,710 Matthew Boynton: A pretty impressive fella. 25 00:01:37,830 --> 00:01:39,510 Carrie Huckeby: Yes, he was. 26 00:01:39,510 --> 00:01:47,250 So before we dive into all things engineering, tell us a little bit about BTC Fiber, for those that aren't familiar with the 27 00:01:47,250 --> 00:01:52,710 company. And then follow that by telling us how long you've been there at the cooperative. 28 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:57,750 Matthew Boynton: Okay. Well, BTC Fiber was founded as Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative. 29 00:01:58,380 --> 00:02:03,850 We've recently sort of done a little rebranding to the name BTC Fiber. 30 00:02:03,850 --> 00:02:07,530 But it was founded on April 14th, 1953. 31 00:02:07,830 --> 00:02:15,210 In 1986, Bledsoe Telephone ran its first fiber optic cable to all of its exchanges, 32 00:02:15,210 --> 00:02:18,210 where they converted to digital switches. 33 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:26,160 Building the foundation for not only telephone, but also for, at that time would have been in the 34 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,270 90s, would have been dial up internet. 35 00:02:28,270 --> 00:02:33,570 Leading us to today where we're trying to connect everyone with a fiber optic connection. 36 00:02:33,570 --> 00:02:38,670 We're in the middle of that process, and we've changed our name to BTC Fiber. 37 00:02:38,940 --> 00:02:46,830 I came to Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative as an intern when I was doing my school work at Tennessee Tech, 38 00:02:47,100 --> 00:02:49,740 as a summer intern in 2005. 39 00:02:49,830 --> 00:02:52,710 I worked full time for the year of 2006. 40 00:02:53,770 --> 00:03:01,310 I left and went to work for a consulting firm in order to work under a professional engineer. 41 00:03:01,310 --> 00:03:04,300 And that was the experience needed to obtain my professional license. 42 00:03:05,170 --> 00:03:12,910 In the middle of all that, I went back to school, went back to graduate school, went on to Virginia Tech and engineering 43 00:03:12,910 --> 00:03:20,740 education. Graduated there in 2014 and returned, and I've been here from 2014 44 00:03:20,740 --> 00:03:27,550 until now in the engineering department here at Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative or BTC Fiber. 45 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:35,910 Carrie Huckeby: Wow. So your cooperative has a rich history, and you have got, you know, an interest in history too, of how 46 00:03:35,910 --> 00:03:38,340 you landed at BTC Fiber. 47 00:03:38,340 --> 00:03:46,020 So your journey here in engineering, before we talk about how you landed there and how you came back to BTC, what 48 00:03:46,020 --> 00:03:49,110 inspired you to become an engineer in the first place? 49 00:03:49,110 --> 00:03:52,260 And there's so many specialties in engineering. 50 00:03:52,260 --> 00:03:55,440 How did your path take you to telecom engineering? 51 00:03:55,980 --> 00:04:03,630 Matthew Boynton: It ultimately was the internship, but how I came about the internship is kind of an interesting, definitely 52 00:04:03,630 --> 00:04:06,600 fitting rural Tennessee story. 53 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:14,820 But as far as engineering as a profession, I'll have to say that that was 54 00:04:14,820 --> 00:04:16,980 heavily based in my grandmother. 55 00:04:17,190 --> 00:04:18,710 Her name was Mrs. 56 00:04:18,710 --> 00:04:25,710 Thelma Boynton, and she was a a science teacher as a profession here in Bledsoe County. 57 00:04:25,710 --> 00:04:33,630 Prior to that, she came into her love of math and science, particularly science in World War II 58 00:04:33,660 --> 00:04:35,760 . She was an attaché to the Air Force. 59 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:43,470 You know, in that period of time, understanding from her, you know, everyone wanted to do 60 00:04:43,470 --> 00:04:46,230 something toward the efforts in World War II. 61 00:04:46,590 --> 00:04:52,680 She was a civilian attaché, but they sent her through what she said 62 00:04:54,840 --> 00:04:58,230 was basically a crash course in electrical engineering. 63 00:04:58,650 --> 00:05:03,390 And she went to Wrightfield and worked in what they called test section. 64 00:05:04,110 --> 00:05:12,090 They were testing radio communication, trying to make different – the tubes would 65 00:05:12,090 --> 00:05:19,830 break with the changes in altitude, the changes in pressure and temperature in the planes or a hard landing. 66 00:05:19,830 --> 00:05:27,630 And they saw it as part of their mission to try to make a better, a better tube for the 67 00:05:27,630 --> 00:05:30,930 radio so the pilots could communicate. 68 00:05:30,930 --> 00:05:38,610 So that was kind of her contribution there, but it also gave her a real experience and background in 69 00:05:38,610 --> 00:05:40,950 science and engineering that she brought back. 70 00:05:40,950 --> 00:05:44,580 And they did, you've heard heard lots about it. 71 00:05:44,580 --> 00:05:51,510 They took students to the national science fairs and all of that, during her time. 72 00:05:51,510 --> 00:05:59,430 So she definitely, probably, encouraged, pushed me toward math and science 73 00:05:59,430 --> 00:06:01,770 fields, and particularly engineering. 74 00:06:01,980 --> 00:06:04,590 My dad is a land surveyor. 75 00:06:04,590 --> 00:06:11,700 And so between the two things, civil engineering seemed like a good fit. 76 00:06:12,090 --> 00:06:19,830 That definitely, you know, from a high school students perspective, I saw that 77 00:06:19,830 --> 00:06:23,850 as being outside, building that kind of a field. 78 00:06:24,330 --> 00:06:32,310 Just like you said, as I found when I entered the actual school, there are so many, even within just the field of 79 00:06:32,310 --> 00:06:35,280 civil engineering, that doesn't really narrow it down. 80 00:06:35,280 --> 00:06:41,220 You know, you've got transportation structures, environmental, which is water and wastewater. 81 00:06:41,220 --> 00:06:49,110 So the even once you enter, what you might think of as a field of engineering, there's still just so many different aspects of 82 00:06:49,110 --> 00:06:56,870 that. So as a student, that's what I made my focus. 83 00:06:56,870 --> 00:07:00,860 Now, how did I come to telecom engineering? 84 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:08,040 That was standing in line at our local funeral home with my 85 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,280 dad during my senior year. 86 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:16,380 It took me four and a half years to finish, so I had one extra semester in a fifth year. 87 00:07:16,470 --> 00:07:24,360 And during the spring of 2005, we were standing in line with 88 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:32,280 Mr. Greg Anderson, who was the manager here at Bledsoe Telephone Co-op at that time, where my dad looks at him and says, "I 89 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:38,520 bet Bledsoe Telephone needs a summer intern engineering student." 90 00:07:39,870 --> 00:07:43,980 And he said, "You know, I believe you're right." And here we are. 91 00:07:44,700 --> 00:07:52,470 So that's kind of how I branched into telecom engineering, strangely enough – in 92 00:07:52,470 --> 00:07:56,220 line at a visitation at the local funeral home. 93 00:07:57,250 --> 00:08:04,870 Carrie Huckeby: And I think that probably many of us that ended in telecom or have had careers in telecom have very 94 00:08:04,870 --> 00:08:06,610 similar stories. 95 00:08:06,610 --> 00:08:13,990 Where, you know, in our communities, we ran into someone and that conversation led to other things. 96 00:08:13,990 --> 00:08:17,260 So, it sounds very familiar. 97 00:08:17,260 --> 00:08:23,380 Matthew Boynton: What's interesting about that is one, I guess, a bit of a concern. 98 00:08:24,490 --> 00:08:31,540 I'm thinking back several years now, but, you know, I really didn't anticipate finding a career in engineering 99 00:08:31,630 --> 00:08:36,400 in rural Tennessee, in my hometown. 100 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,670 I didn't anticipate finding that career here. 101 00:08:39,670 --> 00:08:45,040 I anticipated having to live elsewhere and/or commute. 102 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:49,810 Now, I guess you might have that career here as a telecommuter. 103 00:08:49,810 --> 00:08:54,460 Because of what? You know, mainly because of our rural cooperatives, that's possible. 104 00:08:54,970 --> 00:08:58,930 But that definitely wasn't a reality then. 105 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:05,530 Carrie Huckeby: Well, it's certainly a good story, and your grandmother sounds like such an interesting lady. 106 00:09:05,650 --> 00:09:09,700 And I'm sure she had stories to tell. 107 00:09:09,700 --> 00:09:17,500 And that must have been – I mean, that's awesome that she was such an encourager to you of what she learned in her 108 00:09:17,500 --> 00:09:21,940 experience. And, you know, those stories she could tell you about. 109 00:09:23,050 --> 00:09:31,030 Matthew Boynton: For sure. I know she told once that at the time, she had special privilege to carry what we would 110 00:09:31,030 --> 00:09:33,430 think of now as a walkie talkie. 111 00:09:33,460 --> 00:09:37,240 She had special privilege to take it out of the test lab. 112 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:39,970 Only certain people could carry it across the base. 113 00:09:39,970 --> 00:09:43,060 It was a top secret item, you know. 114 00:09:43,060 --> 00:09:50,950 And I know she told me once that you could go to any store and buy a better one than they had then, but that was a 115 00:09:50,950 --> 00:09:52,390 top secret instrument. 116 00:09:52,510 --> 00:09:57,220 Carrie Huckeby: Wow. Yeah, very interesting, I'm sure. 117 00:09:57,220 --> 00:09:58,750 So just talking. 118 00:09:58,750 --> 00:10:06,670 How has the engineering landscape changed, Matthew, from just when you started as that intern 119 00:10:06,670 --> 00:10:13,810 at Bledsoe and later as you earned your degree and your 120 00:10:13,810 --> 00:10:15,310 PhD. 121 00:10:15,310 --> 00:10:16,780 How do you envision it? 122 00:10:16,780 --> 00:10:18,600 And too, how has it changed? 123 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:25,600 And how do you envision it changing with AI or other technology in the next few years? 124 00:10:26,260 --> 00:10:34,000 Matthew Boynton: You know, in thinking about that question, I know that that the engineering landscape, 125 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:38,800 it has to have changed with technology since since I was in school. 126 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:43,780 Let's say, I graduated with my bachelor's in 2005. 127 00:10:44,230 --> 00:10:50,650 Goodness, if you think about how basically our online and our computer 128 00:10:52,190 --> 00:10:58,500 dependency or the presence of that technology in everything. 129 00:10:58,500 --> 00:11:05,410 So I worked for about three years before going back to Tennessee Tech in a very 130 00:11:05,410 --> 00:11:13,360 interesting opportunity through their extended education office to go back and do my master's 131 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:17,590 in engineering, and that's under Doctor Susan Elkins. 132 00:11:17,590 --> 00:11:20,110 And she's from Jackson County. 133 00:11:20,110 --> 00:11:24,640 Her husband, Tommy Elkins, was a retiree of Twin Lakes Telephone Co-op. 134 00:11:25,570 --> 00:11:31,600 You know, she had I went back with and taught engineering classes in rural high schools. 135 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:35,110 So I taught through a program called Project Lead the Way. 136 00:11:35,110 --> 00:11:42,430 They had a grant and needed someone to go and to fulfill that grant, they needed a teacher to teach engineering classes. 137 00:11:42,430 --> 00:11:44,740 And that was at Jackson County High School. 138 00:11:44,740 --> 00:11:48,640 And we expanded that up to Clay County High School. 139 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,160 It was just a fantastic experience. 140 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:57,990 I did that, that was my graduate student work, while working on my master's there at Tennessee Tech. 141 00:11:57,990 --> 00:12:02,260 Actually extended that into an EDS program so we could continue. 142 00:12:02,260 --> 00:12:04,990 And I continued as a student at Tennessee Tech. 143 00:12:05,290 --> 00:12:07,570 But we just had a great experience. 144 00:12:07,930 --> 00:12:11,050 We did all sorts of projects, a very hands on, project based class. 145 00:12:11,890 --> 00:12:16,840 We built cardboard boats and did some little robotics simulators. 146 00:12:17,980 --> 00:12:25,930 And we took all of those kind of projects, and then applied the math and science behind why they worked. 147 00:12:25,930 --> 00:12:28,330 It was really a fun class to teach. 148 00:12:28,930 --> 00:12:36,400 But during that time that I was, just in that short period of time that I was out of school, and then 149 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:41,230 back. When I went back, our assignments that I had to do were all on a computer. 150 00:12:41,230 --> 00:12:42,310 It was very different. 151 00:12:42,310 --> 00:12:50,110 We literally went from pencil and paper to our assignments, being basically on a computer in that period of 152 00:12:50,110 --> 00:12:58,080 time. But, you know, so I know that the engineering landscape has definitely changed with 153 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:05,490 technology. Probably more tools available, more computer-aided design or CAD, 154 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:13,920 is definitely, continues to advance, and the things you can do between that and GPS systems. 155 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:21,570 But if I think about how it has changed from 2014, 156 00:13:21,570 --> 00:13:29,290 in telecom engineering, particularly here in Tennessee, I would say that the state of 157 00:13:29,290 --> 00:13:36,970 Tennessee and the ECD, or Economic and Community Development, they have completely changed the landscape in 158 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,410 that through the state grant program. 159 00:13:40,410 --> 00:13:47,830 I know they've really changed what we're able to do through the grant application process. 160 00:13:47,830 --> 00:13:55,570 So, you know, when I first came back, we were obviously staking our lines to new homes and doing those 161 00:13:55,570 --> 00:14:03,370 things. But now in the past few years, we've been working with ECD to apply for grants to expand 162 00:14:03,370 --> 00:14:05,950 fiber optics into rural Tennessee. 163 00:14:05,980 --> 00:14:08,320 I guess it's given us the ability to expand. 164 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:14,440 Yes, to expand our fiber optic program, and to be able to reach, affordably 165 00:14:15,910 --> 00:14:20,350 reach, our service area with a fiber optic connection. 166 00:14:20,350 --> 00:14:22,840 So they've completely changed. 167 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:30,580 May not be from a technical standpoint, a technology standpoint, but they've allowed us the ability to, 168 00:14:30,580 --> 00:14:32,740 I guess, fulfill our goals. 169 00:14:32,740 --> 00:14:34,180 Carrie Huckeby: The funding. 170 00:14:34,180 --> 00:14:40,570 Matthew Boynton: The funding aspect has really, it's really been beneficial to BTC Fiber. 171 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:47,380 So that's changed our engineering department greatly. 172 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:55,690 So right now, a big part of what we do is, is work on fulfilling our state grants that we've been 173 00:14:55,690 --> 00:15:03,220 awarded. And we're on track to be finished in 2024 with the our entire service area. 174 00:15:03,220 --> 00:15:05,500 Everyone will have a fiber optic connection. 175 00:15:05,890 --> 00:15:12,190 Carrie Huckeby: I get that. I think what you're saying is you would be on a slower pace probably. 176 00:15:12,190 --> 00:15:13,750 Matthew Boynton: Yeah. 177 00:15:13,750 --> 00:15:15,360 Carrie Huckeby: Without the funding. 178 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:23,020 You might have the technology, but you probably wouldn't be turning out as much work and getting as many 179 00:15:23,020 --> 00:15:25,900 people connected without the extra funding. 180 00:15:25,900 --> 00:15:26,170 Matthew Boynton: Exactly. 181 00:15:26,170 --> 00:15:34,030 Carrie Huckeby: And so, it's been a mixture of technology changing, but it's also been having that funding 182 00:15:34,030 --> 00:15:39,100 aspect that has kept it going faster or made it happen faster. 183 00:15:39,100 --> 00:15:41,800 Matthew Boynton: Or made it made it affordable to fulfill our goals. 184 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:44,020 Carrie Huckeby: Yes. Okay, I get that. 185 00:15:44,380 --> 00:15:52,090 Do you feel like that AI – you know, you talked about going from pencil and paper to 186 00:15:52,090 --> 00:16:00,070 laptops and computers and, you know, that's really moved things along and helped you create things or get things done 187 00:16:00,070 --> 00:16:04,870 faster. How do you see AI fitting into the engineering field? 188 00:16:04,870 --> 00:16:09,850 Do you feel like it'll change processes or again, just speed up things? 189 00:16:11,050 --> 00:16:15,440 Matthew Boynton: As far as decision making, I'm sure that it will. 190 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:17,320 How will it change the landscape? 191 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:21,280 I don't know that I have that answer. 192 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:24,040 I had a coworker several years ago. 193 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:31,900 He talked about, he went to a conference and realized after attending that conference that, you know, 194 00:16:31,900 --> 00:16:36,400 our copper networks that we were using – and this may have been 20 years ago. 195 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:43,660 He said they didn't have new tools and new t 196 00:16:45,180 --> 00:16:47,440 hings in the copper industry. 197 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:52,050 That all the vendors were showing off their things associated with fiber optics. 198 00:16:52,350 --> 00:17:00,240 And he said, I realized right then that that's where we were headed, even though we were still a little bit 199 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:04,560 behind that as far as fiber to the home. 200 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:06,360 He said, I realized copper was a thing of the past. 201 00:17:06,360 --> 00:17:08,640 They weren't really making any advancement. 202 00:17:08,820 --> 00:17:13,440 So I kind of take that same sentiment when I go to the conferences. 203 00:17:14,220 --> 00:17:15,600 I thought that was interesting. 204 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:20,910 And I, you know, I see what is the the newest thing that's being talked about. 205 00:17:20,910 --> 00:17:28,000 And last year it was definitely AI and also quantum networks. 206 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:35,460 Our partners and neighbors over at EPB Fiber Optics in Chattanooga have created a quantum 207 00:17:35,460 --> 00:17:39,600 laboratory using real fiber in the field. 208 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:47,280 And they're inviting people to come and try to get their quantum computing up and working on just real 209 00:17:47,700 --> 00:17:51,840 field based fiber optics instead of a laboratory based fiber optics. 210 00:17:52,620 --> 00:17:59,790 So, you know, if we think about how those two things are going to possibly come together and change 211 00:17:59,790 --> 00:18:04,980 computing, change data transmission, you know, I don't know. 212 00:18:04,980 --> 00:18:12,850 But those were the two notable things that I noticed last year at conferences was quantum computing and AI 213 00:18:12,850 --> 00:18:15,090 were definitely being talked about. 214 00:18:15,660 --> 00:18:23,550 Carrie Huckeby: Yeah. I think there's no way right now that we can really tell where it will take us, and if 215 00:18:23,550 --> 00:18:25,770 it will all be good or not. 216 00:18:26,700 --> 00:18:34,320 But it's definitely going to change the landscape for a lot of fields and careers, I believe. 217 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,530 So we'll have to sit back and kind of watch it. 218 00:18:38,220 --> 00:18:42,870 Engineering education, of course, is so important to our nation's infrastructure. 219 00:18:42,870 --> 00:18:45,490 And I mean, it's in everything. 220 00:18:45,490 --> 00:18:48,840 It just, it's what makes the world go round, pretty much. 221 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:56,790 And for the next generation of professionals that are coming up behind you, Matthew, what advice do you have for those students 222 00:18:56,790 --> 00:19:03,060 that might that may be considering engineering as a career, or those that haven't even thought about it. 223 00:19:03,060 --> 00:19:10,560 Now, I mean, your intern program must be great with tech where they come in and actually, you know, hands on, and they 224 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:14,040 learn about whether they want to stay in it or not. 225 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:19,320 But if I'm a high school student or a college student, I haven't thought about engineering yet. 226 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:20,760 What would you say to them? 227 00:19:21,210 --> 00:19:23,550 Matthew Boynton: So, your question is great. 228 00:19:23,550 --> 00:19:29,700 And it really stands out when you say those students that haven't thought about it. 229 00:19:29,700 --> 00:19:37,440 And that kind of leads back to my PhD program at Virginia Tech, and even to that program that that Doctor Elkins had at 230 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:45,270 Tennessee Tech that we were trying to reach out – the goal of that program was to reach out into those rural high schools 231 00:19:45,270 --> 00:19:47,790 and introduce engineering as a career choice. 232 00:19:48,060 --> 00:19:56,010 And that led me to Virginia Tech and where we were fortunate enough that my research 233 00:19:56,010 --> 00:20:03,180 and dissertation was funded through a National Science Foundation grant to study engineering career choice in rural 234 00:20:03,180 --> 00:20:08,970 Appalachia. We interviewed students in Tennessee and Virginia in rural high schools. 235 00:20:08,970 --> 00:20:12,870 And, you know, a lot of students hadn't thought about engineering. 236 00:20:13,410 --> 00:20:21,010 We had a very open interview protocol, where we didn't lead into engineering 237 00:20:22,030 --> 00:20:28,180 necessarily. We were talking about careers and to see if engineering was even. 238 00:20:28,180 --> 00:20:34,330 And in a lot of cases those students didn't know an engineer. 239 00:20:34,330 --> 00:20:42,010 So, actually, the title of my dissertation became "People, Not Print: Exploring Engineering 240 00:20:42,010 --> 00:20:49,960 in Rural Appalachia." And we found that that connection with a person, with a real person that was in that field 241 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:55,390 was really the difference maker in whether they considered that a possible path. 242 00:20:55,390 --> 00:21:02,460 You know, so many times I think it's presented to students that to be an engineer, you got to be good at math. 243 00:21:02,460 --> 00:21:09,460 And they don't know a whole lot more about it than people have told them you got to be, you know, extremely good at math. 244 00:21:09,460 --> 00:21:15,760 And to those students, I think I would say that it is so much more. 245 00:21:16,360 --> 00:21:24,120 And I've had the opportunity to now use this profession in my home area 246 00:21:24,120 --> 00:21:27,460 to help bring a fiber network to this area. 247 00:21:27,460 --> 00:21:35,110 We have created, I think ultimately a department, we've got two other young men 248 00:21:35,110 --> 00:21:41,050 who are we've got Trey Colvard and Webb Allen who both have engineering degrees. 249 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:49,300 It is possible to use that to do things for your, even your home area. 250 00:21:49,300 --> 00:21:52,720 And engineering s a definition. 251 00:21:52,720 --> 00:22:00,340 Merriam-Webster defines it as the application of math and science by which the properties of matter and sources of energy 252 00:22:00,340 --> 00:22:02,050 are made useful to people. 253 00:22:02,050 --> 00:22:08,020 And I think that's the part that sometimes gets left out, is that you don't only need to be good at math. 254 00:22:08,020 --> 00:22:12,100 I don't do complex math on a daily basis. 255 00:22:12,490 --> 00:22:18,400 But you're taking those concepts and you're trying to make things that are useful to people. 256 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:25,330 Most everything we interact with or touch on a daily basis has some form of engineering behind it. 257 00:22:25,330 --> 00:22:31,180 And that was also another finding is that students really wanted their careers. 258 00:22:31,180 --> 00:22:32,650 They wanted to help others. 259 00:22:32,650 --> 00:22:36,610 They wanted to do things that were good for people or for society. 260 00:22:37,150 --> 00:22:44,560 And I think engineering is a great fit for that, even though it's not always portrayed in that way. 261 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:52,360 So I think that advice I would have is, is to look at it in a very broad fashion, that it is a lot more than 262 00:22:52,360 --> 00:22:53,620 just being good at math. 263 00:22:54,490 --> 00:23:01,270 Carrie Huckeby: Well, I think it's one of those careers, as you said, that it's very hard to envision what it looks like. 264 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:09,100 Sometimes if you're in high school and you think, oh, well, I'm terrible at math and that just seems too hard, but 265 00:23:09,100 --> 00:23:16,900 unless you have an opportunity to meet up with someone that is an engineer and kind of see what it's 266 00:23:16,990 --> 00:23:20,650 really about, it is difficult to envision it. 267 00:23:20,650 --> 00:23:28,120 And, you know, I've always looked at engineering as problem solving, whether that's water, wastewater, whether that's 268 00:23:28,120 --> 00:23:34,480 something with the environment getting fiber to every Tennesseean and whatever it is, building bridges for 269 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:42,010 transportation. I mean, it's problem solving for the day to day living quality of life, I 270 00:23:42,010 --> 00:23:42,700 believe. 271 00:23:42,910 --> 00:23:50,800 Matthew Boynton: Absolutely. And I think one of the things you come out, you know, you do work and solve a lot of problems, as far 272 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:53,080 as engineering education goes. 273 00:23:53,080 --> 00:24:00,580 And I think it gives you, as much as anything, it gives you that ability to work through a 274 00:24:00,580 --> 00:24:01,680 complex problem. 275 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:08,710 And that may not always be, you know, as it's portrayed that you're sitting down with a calculator to do that. 276 00:24:09,220 --> 00:24:17,020 Carrie Huckeby: Right. Well, if you could share one message with the audience about the impact or the importance of engineering 277 00:24:17,020 --> 00:24:21,340 and just how it affects us in our daily lives, what would it be? 278 00:24:21,340 --> 00:24:28,990 Matthew Boynton: You know. I thought about, thinking back as far back as in my undergraduate, I'm not sure I 279 00:24:28,990 --> 00:24:33,190 can say that I went into engineering fully understanding what it was. 280 00:24:33,970 --> 00:24:40,990 As you said earlier, I'm not sure any of us went into our careers fully understanding where we were heading. 281 00:24:40,990 --> 00:24:42,550 Carrie Huckeby: That's true, very true. 282 00:24:42,700 --> 00:24:50,620 Matthew Boynton: I remember, we had a little group, it's called the American Society of Civil Engineers and had a lunch 283 00:24:50,620 --> 00:24:53,050 meeting, maybe monthly. 284 00:24:53,050 --> 00:24:57,670 And they brought in a graduate that was a structural engineer. 285 00:24:57,670 --> 00:25:05,560 And so you think about, you know, your first thought is that those those folks go and design a high rise in a city. 286 00:25:06,450 --> 00:25:10,220 But he brought back artificial implants. 287 00:25:10,220 --> 00:25:12,600 I think, he had knees and hips. 288 00:25:12,930 --> 00:25:20,370 And he worked for a company as a structural engineer designing artificial knee and hip 289 00:25:20,370 --> 00:25:26,220 joints. And he told about the different features and functionality of those. 290 00:25:26,220 --> 00:25:34,080 And so if we think about the importance of engineering and how it affects our daily 291 00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:41,040 lives, you know, that was really an eye opener that I never would have thought about the concepts of structural engineering 292 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:47,190 going into an artificial knee or hip, so that that helps people on a daily basis. 293 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:49,070 Carrie Huckeby: Very important. 294 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:50,630 Matthew Boynton: Very important. 295 00:25:50,630 --> 00:25:58,160 And and you know, that's not, definitely not, how an engineer is typically portrayed that they might be working on that. 296 00:25:58,580 --> 00:26:04,610 I also had the opportunity to hear a NASA pilot. 297 00:26:04,610 --> 00:26:06,950 He had flown a couple of missions. 298 00:26:06,950 --> 00:26:14,330 And at first I was very disappointed because I really wanted to see a PowerPoint with all the great pictures he took from 299 00:26:14,330 --> 00:26:16,880 space, but he had none of that. 300 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:18,690 He just stood up and talked. 301 00:26:18,690 --> 00:26:24,410 And he said, he was talking about NASA, but ultimately engineering. 302 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:29,630 And he said – kind of on your same question. 303 00:26:29,630 --> 00:26:34,190 He was talking about the importance of the development of the NASA program. 304 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:39,450 And he talked about the hydraulics. 305 00:26:39,450 --> 00:26:46,260 He talked about the automatic transmission, helicopters, G.P.S. 306 00:26:46,260 --> 00:26:54,120 location. He just went on and on with all these things that we take for granted and use every day in our daily lives, even down 307 00:26:54,120 --> 00:26:56,220 to a synthetic truck bedliner. 308 00:26:56,220 --> 00:27:03,630 And all those things had been developed out of the NASA program, and ultimately developed by engineers. 309 00:27:03,630 --> 00:27:10,320 And I think back on that sometimes that, that so many of the products that are all around us, that we take for granted and use 310 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:13,830 on a daily basis are developed by engineers. 311 00:27:13,830 --> 00:27:21,710 And going back to even the definition, which is the application of math and science, by which the properties of 312 00:27:21,710 --> 00:27:24,260 matter and sources of energy are made useful to people. 313 00:27:24,260 --> 00:27:32,210 And I think the last part right there is what we leave out of engineering from time to time, that you are doing 314 00:27:32,210 --> 00:27:36,890 things that are useful to people, whether you said, is that clean drinking? 315 00:27:36,890 --> 00:27:44,090 That's your clean drinking water, your wastewater treatment that keeps our environment clean, or 316 00:27:44,300 --> 00:27:51,560 designing a fiber optic network that allows people to do their work from home 317 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:56,600 and make a living in the comfort of their home. 318 00:27:56,960 --> 00:28:03,410 All of those things are very useful in our daily lives and has a big impact. 319 00:28:04,190 --> 00:28:12,170 Carrie Huckeby: Well, we can certainly agree that engineering touches far more than we give it credit for or think about 320 00:28:12,170 --> 00:28:13,640 on a daily basis. 321 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:21,590 And, it certainly deserves its own week, the National Engineering Week in February. 322 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:24,290 Well, Matthew, I thank you for your time. 323 00:28:24,290 --> 00:28:25,460 I appreciate it. 324 00:28:25,460 --> 00:28:31,760 Learned a lot. Learned not only that George Washington was considered the first engineer, but 325 00:28:34,850 --> 00:28:37,250 a lot of other things I've learned about engineering. 326 00:28:38,060 --> 00:28:43,970 Matthew Boynton: Well. And I thank you for asking me to join you on this podcast. 327 00:28:43,970 --> 00:28:50,750 And I hope that we've definitely helped people understand a little bit more about engineering. 328 00:28:50,750 --> 00:28:58,670 And, hey, maybe we'll, reach a potential student and give them a little something 329 00:28:58,670 --> 00:29:00,380 to think about from our discussion. 330 00:29:00,710 --> 00:29:03,710 Carrie Huckeby: Maybe so. That'll be our goal, for sure. 331 00:29:03,710 --> 00:29:06,200 Well, my guest has been Matthew Boynton. 332 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:13,460 He is a professional engineer and PhD for BTC Fiber in Pikeville, Tennessee. 333 00:29:13,490 --> 00:29:20,510 You've been listening to Lead Tennessee Radio, produced by the Tennessee Broadband Association, cooperative and independent 334 00:29:20,510 --> 00:29:25,760 companies connecting our state's rural communities and beyond with world class broadband.