Cornell Engineering Career Conversations

Dr. Malika Grayson completed a master’s degree and PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Cornell with a focus on wind energy, computational fluid dynamics, modeling and simulation, and wind tunnel experimentation. After graduation, Malika participated in a rotational program through Northrop Grumman and currently works there as a Program Manager. Malika discusses the importance of mentorship and buildi...

As a graduate of the operations research in engineering major, Debbie Madden describes herself as a “serial technology entrepreneur, CEO, founder, board member, thought leader, author and advisor.” Debbie is the founder, owner, and Chairwoman of Stride, a national technology services firm leading agile digital transformation at brands ranging from Series A startups through Fortune 100. Her company...

Ilayda Samilgil is CEO/Co Founder of LLUME (Organic Robotics) and a graduate of the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell. LLUME utilizes patented Light Lace™ technology to accurately analyze user chest movement to deliver actionable insights on fatigue and performance levels. LLUME grew out of research that Ilayda conducted as a senior and she describes her journey as a...

Matthew Snyder, an Assistant Project Manager and Engineer at Freese and Nichols, describes his work related to water purification and resource recovery in Texas. Matthew shares what it’s like to work as an environmental engineer and the challenges of educating the public about waste water treatment and of maintaining community trust. Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 Matthew shar...

Esther Park’s mother told her she should be a pharmacist; Esther says, “Mom was right.” Esther is the Pharmacy Quality, Safety, and Regulatory Compliance Manager at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Esther discusses how engineers can improve healthcare quality by managing urgent drug shortages, streamlining manufacturing processes, and creating vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and other medications tha...

Software engineer Caitlin Stanton shares her experience working on embedded systems in electric-powered, self-driving cars at Cruise. Caitlin talks about mentoring, overcoming impostor syndrome, and going viral on social media as an undergrad. Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 Caitlin shares: TEDx Everyone Deserves a Seat at the Table: https://youtu.be/JCRofclKsKI What does a microsof...

Cornell engineers are changing the world every day. Director of the Engineering Career Center, Christa Downey, and Engineering Communications Program Director, Dr. Traci Nathans-Kelly, introduce Engineering Career Conversations. We share our motivation for celebrating excellence and innovation among engineers whose impact contributes to a healthier, more equitable, and more sustainable world. Tran...

Civil engineering alum, Abena Sackey Ojetayo describes her work as “developing ideas that meet the triple bottom line of safety, prosperity, and environmental stewardship.” Abena shares her journey from being a student in the College of Engineering to becoming Tallahassee’s Assistant City Manager. Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 Bertrand Odom-Reed, Director Cornell Broadcast Studios...

Bio-systems engineering manager Matthew Gellert develops elegant, functional designs for indoor vertical farms at Brooklyn-based Square Roots. Matthew discusses using his biological engineering education and software engineering skills to tackle challenges in agriculture. Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 Matt recommends following and reading: Ag Funder- https://agfunder.com/ Urban Ag...

Currently working in legal and regulatory compliance at a healthcare start-up, Alice Yan describes her journey from a high school student who wanted to be a doctor to using her biomedical engineering education to improve healthcare outcomes. Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 IG: @alicemyan Alice's current reading list: Deep Medicine, Eric Topol The Digital Doctor, Bob Wachter Technolo...

Recently graduated with a master’s degree in chemical engineering, Nidhi Maniar shares her perspective as a new battery engineer at Amazon. Nidhi discusses the value of understanding the fundamentals as well as career resources that she found useful in her job search. Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 Nidhi recommends: Read “Minto Pyramid” to develop business writing skills. Bertrand...

United States Air Force Infrastructure Design engineer, Jessica Olsen, discusses her passion for life-long learning and how she has managed the transition from college student to a full-time professional staying abreast of the latest research on emerging water contaminants and other water management and policy topics. Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 Jessica recommends: Water 4.0: Th...