From time-to-time, we’ll feature interviews with authors and publishers offering content on the Knovel platform. Today’s interview is with Nora Konopka, the Publisher of Engineering and Environmental Sciences at CRC Press, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business. We asked Nora about her time with CRC Press, what trends in engineering she sees, and what advice she has for aspiring engineers and business professionals.

1. Thanks for your time today, Nora! Please tell us a little about your role at CRC Press.

I have been with CRC Press for 21 years, and I am the Publisher of Engineering and Environmental Sciences. I also wear the hat of Acquisitions Editor, and I commission content in the areas of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Nanotechnology. I am especially drawn to topics on power engineering, power electronics, sensors, and circuits – I find these areas fascinating! I am fortunate to have a superior support staff along with 13 editors including myself, residing in Florida, India, France, UK, Netherlands, and Massachusetts.

Engineering is the largest discipline within our organization, and I am extremely proud of my team and how our engineering program continues to grow and get better and better. Management is very supportive of our efforts, so there is a great sense of ownership and investment for us. This allows me and my team to do a better job for our authors and customers.

2. You’ve been with CRC Press for quite some time. What’s kept you there so long?

We receive content from, and sell to, the smartest people in the world. Part of our job as Acquisition Editors is attending conferences and visiting university campuses – this is what we thrive on. Gaining feedback on what material should be sought, and chatting with students allows us to be better at what we do. Our authors, students, and customers are our future, so we have to get the content right. Nothing is more rewarding than when our authors say they are proud to be working with us, and customers love what we are publishing. Each and every day, students, professors, researchers, and professionals from around the globe are reading from, quoting, citing, teaching, memorizing, highlighting, or learning from the words our authors have written. As an organization, we make a commitment to reach around the globe with authoritative coverage of traditional and emerging fields, publishing the pioneering achievement of science and technology to provide professionals and students with the resources they need to make further advances.

3. You must have many proud moments with CRC Press – do any stand out to you?

I was really pleased to accept an award for Best New Launch Publication from our parent company Informa for a textbook that has received glowing reviews and numerous adoptions and titled: Introduction to Computer Networks and Cybersecuity by John Wu and Dave Irwin, both at Auburn University. The book is simply stunning, and the authors worked so hard, and so did my marketing and sales teams. I am really proud of this book and these authors!

4. Please tell us about some of the engineering topics you cover.

We are publishing over 400 titles in Engineering and Environmental Sciences this year and even more next year! You will find great strength in references and textbooks in: Biomedical, Energy, Power, Remote Sensing and GIS, Construction and Structural, Geotechnical, Manufacturing, Quality Control and Reliability, Composite Materials, Metals and Alloys, Photonics, Circuits, Sensors, Mechanics, Vibrations, Dynamics, Automotive, and Hydrology…just to name a few! 5. How do you go about discovering new topics to cover?

My strategy is simple – I ask questions and then I listen. I continuously ask my authors and customers to browse through my program and tell me where I need to fill in the holes. My editors and I want you to find what you need when you look into our engineering and environmental programs – if you don’t find it, tell me, I’ll get it for you – that is what I do. You will find textbooks and references at the senior undergraduate/graduate level, as well as research and professional level – we sometimes throw in a few lower level books too when the market has a need for it. We always want to hear from our customers and authors, and we always want to continue to provide great content that is up-to-date, and written by top academic and industry professionals from around the world. I want a high quality product every single time, and I respect the content, intelligence, and time that our authors provide, as well as the investment that our customers make in our company and our product.

6. What trends do you see in the engineering space now?

Enrollments are up in Engineering, and especially up in Industrial Engineering! In addition, I am a huge fan of energy/photovoltaics/power engineering, structural/civil engineering, computer science/engineering, and material science. I see great opportunity in these areas.

7. What career advice can you offer our younger readers?

If anyone told me I would be acquiring books in electrical and computer engineering and growing a business and team of editors areas topics like environmental engineering, materials science, nanotechnology, ergonomics – I would have said “no way, not me, I was a communications major in college.” Twenty one years have gone by like that [editor’s note: she snapped her fingers here]. The work is so interesting and rewarding because of the great people I work with. I am learning something new about engineering technology each day, and my finger is on the pulse because of these authors! I suggest interning; networking at conferences; taking advantage of programs or training your school or company is offering; and being enthusiastic and open to various opportunities that come your way even if they don’t present themselves as what you think you want. You can then open your own doors with the contacts and knowledge you have gained. Make the job your own; give 250% every day; and be happy.

8. How has your experience with Knovel been so far?

It is great to be on board with Knovel – your work is superb and the end result of livening up our content makes customers and authors say wow! You have an excellent array of subject areas, and what you are offering customers is useful, unique, and innovative – thrilling to be a part of your team and we appreciate the opportunity to share our content with your customers.

Thank you for your time today, Nora!

Nora Konopka is the Publisher of Engineering and Environmental Sciences at CRC Press -Taylor & Francis Group, which is located in Boca Raton, FL. She joined in 1993, and her acquisitions are in the area of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Nanotechnology, where she has published over 850 books from authors around the globe.