Cornell Engineering Career Conversations

Latest Episodes:

Renewable Energy, Mentorship, and Global Impact with Tamir Lance ‘04, M.Eng. ‘05 Oct 13, 2024

Show notes

Tamir Lance ‘04, ‘05, a senior engineering manager at Maxeon Solar, discusses his career path in the renewable energy industry and his role working with teams around the world. He highlights the significance of mentoring young engineers and fostering their career development through hands-on training and individualized growth plans. Tamir also speaks to the importance of working for companies that prioritize sustainability and ethical practices, such as Maxeon’s commitment to ESG principles. Tamir can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamir-lance-a2a2765/ He recommends: “Cornell Career Services both the central office and the engineering specific office especially a shout out to Craig Jones there. It was a really influential organization on me during my time at Cornell and early career.” Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 Editor: Melissa Bazley

Behind the Scenes of Video Game Production: Jessie Yee ‘20 Sep 10, 2024

Show notes

Jessie Yee ’20 is a producer in the video game industry. She discusses the intricacies of managing large, multidisciplinary teams in the development of Exodus, an AAA sci-fi action-adventure role-playing game. Jessie shares insights into her role, where she helps facilitate communication and ensures smooth collaboration between design, engineering, animation, and more. She also explains the difference between a game producer and a traditional project manager, offering an insider’s look at how producers maintain the health of both the team and the project, especially during high-stress situations like crunch time. Additionally, Jessie provides advice for students interested in breaking into the game industry, drawing from her own experience as an Information Science major with minors in Film and Game Design. Learn more about Exodus: https://www.exodusgame.com/en-US. Jessie can be found at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicayee11/. Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 Editor: Melissa Bazley

Driving Innovation in Automotive and Mobility Safety: Haley Antoine Grantham ‘19 Sep 02, 2024

Show notes

Haley Antoine Grantham ‘19 is a Safety and Crashworthiness Engineer at Toyota Motor North America Research and Development. As a graduate of the Biomedical Engineering program, Haley talks about her journey from working as a Pedestrian Protection Engineer to her current role in advanced body structure and computer-aided engineering. She discusses the unique aspects of her job, such as using computer modeling tools to predict injuries and conducting physical crash tests to enhance vehicle safety for both occupants and pedestrians. Haley also shares her involvement in Toyota's recruitment efforts and leadership roles within the company. Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 She can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-antoine/ Editor: Melissa Bazley

Delivering Insights on the Energy Industry and Climate Impact: Kasim Khan ‘20 Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

Kasim Khan ’20 is a research analyst at Wood Mackenzie, a global provider of data and analytics solutions for the renewables, energy, and natural resources industries. Kasim discusses his path from being a Chemical Engineering student to his current role, where he advises clients on energy storage technologies and operations. He describes his day-to-day activities, which include aggregating quantitative and qualitative information to develop research reports and pricing forecasts. Kasim also shares his long-standing interest in climate and energy issues, highlighting his commitment to making a positive impact in the industry. Kasim can be found on Twitter/X: @kawesomekhan He recommends the following resources: The Economic Dispatch (economicdispatch.substack.com) - an energy & society newsletter he started with a couple friends. Stephen Markley’s “The Deluge” - fantastic, gripping climate fiction novel. Cornell Energy Connection- https://www.cornellenergy.org/cec Transcript link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 Editor: Melissa Bazley

Pioneering Sustainable Materials with Machine Learning: Florencia Paredes '11 Aug 17, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Christa Downey and Traci Nathans-Kelly talk with Florencia Paredes '11, Head of Product at Citrine Informatics. Florencia shares her journey from studying Materials Science at Cornell to leading product development at a cutting-edge software company that uses machine learning to accelerate the development of sustainable materials. The episode offers insights into the evolving field of materials informatics and Florencia's role in shaping its future. Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 Florencia can be found on twitter @_floparedes Editor: Melissa Bazley

Any Person, Any Study, Any Friend: Tony Chen '12 Jul 03, 2024

Show notes

Enthusiastic engineering physics alum Tony Chen ‘12 discusses his efforts to connect Cornell alumni, including through global mixers and continuous reunions. Tony shares how the pandemic sparked the creation of bi-weekly Zoom mixers, bringing together thousands of Cornellians worldwide to foster friendships and support each other through various life changes. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining connections, not just during college but throughout life, and offers insights on applying a systems approach to networking. Tony also talks about the value of leveraging the Cornell network to find jobs and career opportunities in addition to friendship and camaraderie. Tony shares the following: Cornell Global Mixers- https://www.linkedin.com/in/lc465/ Cornell (thank) U Podcast- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cornell-thank-u/id1592844944 Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 Melissa Bazley, Editor

Perfecting Piano Product Design and Development: Emilie Camera ‘17, M.Eng. ‘18 Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

Emilie Camera ‘17, ‘18, a mechanical engineer at Steinway & Sons, shares her journey of blending her passion for music with her expertise in engineering to craft bespoke pianos. From collaborating with designers to navigating manufacturing challenges, Emilie provides insights into the intricate process of creating custom pianos, including limited editions and one-of-a-kind pieces. She reflects on her experiences traveling abroad to Steinway's factories and emphasizes the importance of understanding end-users' perspectives in shaping product design. Through her story, Emilie inspires listeners to explore diverse career paths within engineering and highlights the rewarding intersection of art and engineering in crafting musical instruments. Please note that due to technical difficulties, one of our host’s audio isn’t as high quality as we’d prefer in this episode. Thanks for bearing with us. Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 She can be found on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilie-camera/ A tip she shares is, “Some job shops have a lot of good design for manufacturing (DFM) information/tips on their websites (Protolabs, Xometry, etc).” Melissa Bazley, Editor

Water is Life: Alissa Diminich, ‘08, M.Eng. ‘09 Feb 19, 2024

Show notes

Alissa Diminich, ‘08, ‘09, is a principal engineer at Tennessee-based Inflo Design Group, primarily working on drinking water and wastewater projects. She holds a bachelor's and master's degree, both from Cornell University, in civil and environmental engineering. During her time at Cornell, she was a member of the AguaClara project team. Post-graduation, she has also served on the Board of the nonprofit AguaClara Reach, which aims to advance the design and innovation of community-scale, gravity-powered water treatment technologies. In addition to sharing her career journey, Alissa talks about how becoming a parent has impacted her view of her work as well as how employers can support work-life balance. Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 Alissa can be be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/alissadiminich She recommends following: American Water Works Association https://www.awwa.org/ Water Environment Federation https://www.wef.org/ Society of Women Engineers https://swe.org/ AguaClara Reach https://www.aguaclarareach.org/ Melissa Bazley, Editor

Leading the Way for Technology Access and Equity: Christine Chang ‘04 Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

Christine Chang ‘04 holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master of science in STEM Education from Boise State University. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science at University of Colorado Boulder where she investigates human-robot collaboration and communication supported via augmented reality, particularly in high-risk environments. Christine’s career spans working at NASA and Boeing, teaching elementary and high school students, and advocating for diversity in STEM. She shares how all of these experiences have led to her current research and interest in influencing technology policy at the federal level and beyond. Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 Christine can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-t-chang/ and http://www.xtinebot.com. She recommends the We Robot Conference. Melissa Bazley, editor

Driving Sustainable Change as a Consultant: Dayin Chen ‘17 Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

Dayin Chen ‘17 is a Senior Consultant at Deloitte Consulting's Sustainability Strategy and Transformation Group. Dayin shares insights from her journey, including her transition from undergraduate studies in Operations Research to completing an MBA at Wharton School of Business, and her return to Deloitte. She discusses her current project focusing on sustainability within a large food company, highlighting the complexities of engaging farmers in regenerative farming practices and navigating the corporate strategy around reducing emissions. Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 She can be found on LinkedIn. Dayin recommends the following books: Getting to Yes; Omnivore’s Dilemma; The Third Plate Melissa Bazley, Editor

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