Grady Hillhouse
Grady Hillhouse | |
|---|---|
| Born | Grady Hillhouse Panhandle, Texas, U.S |
| Education | Panhandle High School Texas State University Texas A&M University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Awards | Independent Media Initiative Award |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Genre | Engineering |
| Subscribers | 4.67 million |
| Views | 515 million |
| Last updated: January 20, 2026 | |
| Website | practical |
Grady Hillhouse is an American author and civil engineer, best known for his YouTube channel Practical Engineering.
Early life and engineering career
Hillhouse is a native of Panhandle, Texas, graduating as high school valedictorian in 2006.[1] He completed an undergraduate degree in geography at Texas State University[2][3] and master's degree in civil engineering at Texas A&M University in 2012,[4] before working as a professional dam and levee engineer.[5][6]
Practical Engineering
Hillhouse's YouTube channel Practical Engineering began to address what he described as a lack of "infrastructure literacy" among the general public [6] after a presentation on engineering to his wife's kindergarten class.[5][2] Within the channel, he discusses civil engineering, infrastructure, and the constructed environment with demonstrations using homebuilt models.[7][8] Practical Engineering subsequently received significant professional and subscriber attention, and Hillhouse began working on the channel full-time in 2021 with a professional production team.[7][3]
In 2022, Hillhouse published Engineering in Plain Sight to identify and explain physical infrastructure in the modern world, with positive reactions from both engineering professionals and general readers.[9][10][11]
Recognition
His video 1.5 Years of Heavy Construction in 1.5 Hours won an Independent Media Initiative Award in 2025.[12]
The success of Practical Engineering has also led to Hillhouse presenting his experiences in science communications to professional engineering groups.[13][14]
Personal life
Hillhouse is married, with a child born in 2020,[8] living and working in San Antonio, Texas.[5]
References
- ^ Boyett, Jason (7 January 2022). "Where Are They Now?". Brick & Elm. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Ride-Along with Engineer Grady Hillhouse, the Ultimate Road Trip Buddy". No Starch Press. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ^ a b "About". Practical Engineering. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ^ "Through the Eyes of an Engineer". YouTube. Retrieved 2026-01-20.
- ^ a b c Wolfhope, John. "Meet the Civil Engineer With More than 25 Million YouTube Views". Freese and Nichols. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ^ a b "TCEP 081: Civil Engineering on YouTube". Engineering Management Institute. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- ^ a b Mason, Jordan (3 February 2023). "How Grady Hillhouse took Practical Engineering from hobby to career". Creator Handbook. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ^ a b Osborne, Robert (24 July 2021). "Making Infrastructure Relevant to Millions: Meet Grady". The Outfall. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ^ "Engineering in plain sight : an illustrated field guide to the constructed environment". Anne Arundel County Public Library. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Engineering in Plain Sight". Austin Public Library. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Engineering in Plain Sight: An Illustrated Field Guide to the Constructed Environment". Purdue University. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Grady Hillhouse". The Independent Media Initiative. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ^ Anthony Fasano (April 11, 2018). "How One Civil Engineer is Teaching Millions of People about Engineering on YouTube – Ep 081" (Podcast). Engineering Management Institute. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ^ "Civil engineering and new media: Lessons learned on communication". Institute of Civil Engineers. Retrieved 20 January 2026.