Theodore P. Zoli, III is one of the bridge engineering and design industry's most recognised American figures, and the first structural engineer to receive the prestigious MacArthur Foundation 'genius' Award. In this podcast interview he talks about his life and career story and how this led him to focus on new areas for innovation in bridges. Some careers seem to have a sense of destiny, or even inevitability, and this is one of those intriguing stories.
Zoli is a man on a mission, building bridges with a strong sense of "taking public dollars for public good", and his choice of creative artefact (a feature of these podcasts) reveals a deeply-held philosophy of engineering and design, rooted in age-old ideas. In his view, new technology has failed to deliver some of its expected benefits and an overly-scientific mindset has limited our ability to see where innovation is really needed. Ted Zoli talks about the uniquely human skills needed for the bridges of the future.
(00:00) Introduction to Ted Zoli
(03:21) THE PAST - My Life and Career Journey
(17:09) Creative Artefact
(20:31) THE PRESENT - My work and innovation
(31:00) THE FUTURE - future of work
Cover image: poem 'Deer Park' by Tang dynasty poet Wang Wei (701-761)
To view the Lake Champlain bridge: https://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2013/04/24/10667635/TR_CrownPointBridge_2011_110736_b.jpg
