143. Vinayasri Nidadavolu - Wind Engineer
In this episode, Kathy sits down with Vinayasri Nidadavolu, a specialist engineer in offshore wind energy at Siemens Energy. Vinaya’s story spans continents, megawatts, and life stages — from earning a rare degree in wind engineering to climbing offshore turbines hundreds of kilometers out at sea, and now navigating her career as a new mother.
Vinaya takes us inside the fascinating world of offshore wind turbines — explaining how today’s turbines have grown from 2–3 megawatts to an astonishing 14–15 megawatts, and what it actually looks like to work on machines that can produce enough energy for two households with a single blade rotation.
We talk about what it really takes to work offshore: the extensive safety and survival training, life aboard service vessels for weeks at a time, and what it feels like to climb, ride lifts, and work inside turbines that are now larger than many apartments. Vinaya shares vivid details about the physical, mental, and emotional demands of the job — and why she still considers it the best career decision she’s ever made.
The conversation also explores Vinaya’s path into engineering, beginning with childhood curiosity and fixing broken appliances, through being the only woman in her mechanical engineering class, to choosing sustainability and renewable energy as her long-term focus. Her story is a powerful reminder that representation matters — and that girls belong everywhere curiosity leads them.
As a new mom, Vinaya reflects on balancing motherhood with a demanding technical career, why she chose not to “compromise herself” professionally, and how leading by example matters more than ever. Her reflections on identity, resilience, and modeling possibility for the next generation are honest, thoughtful, and deeply relatable.
In the Ask the (Not) Expert segment, Vinaya shares practical, no-nonsense advice on how to ask for a raise — especially for women — emphasizing documentation, advocacy, and the importance of asking more than once.
We wrap up with rapid-fire questions that touch on self-care (never underestimate a single cup of coffee), courage, and why Vinaya believes her own life story may one day become her favorite STEM “book.”
This is a wide-ranging, inspiring conversation about engineering at scale, renewable energy, confidence, and choosing not to shrink — even when life changes.
Topics We Cover:
- What offshore wind engineers actually do
- How wind turbines have evolved from 2 MW to 15 MW
- Life, safety training, and work on offshore service vessels
- The physical reality of climbing and working inside turbines
- Choosing sustainability and renewable energy as a career path
- Being the only woman in the room — and staying anyway
- Motherhood, identity, and not compromising your career
- How (and why) to ask for a raise
- Leading by example for the next generation of girls in STEM
Music by Kay Paulus