PhD Pathways 2024

• Speaker
  • Yi-Ching Ong, PhD ‘10, Microbiology and Immunology - Executive Director, Haas Center for Public Service

Pathways will open with an interactive and reflective session to help you identify your professional curiosities, meet fellow attendees, and make a starting plan for the day.

• Confirmed Presenters
  • Urmila Venkatesh, Lecturer and Fellow, Stanford Life Design Lab
  • Dustin Liu, Lecturer and Fellow, Stanford Life Design Lab

Hear from a panel of PhDs pursuing scientific research and engineering careers in various sectors beyond academia, including for-profit industry and government.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Leslie Koyoma, PhD ‘19, Developmental Biology - Confocal Sales Specialist, Leica Microsystems
  • Alaina Strickler, PhD ‘19, Chemical Engineering - Staff Materials Engineer, Tesla
  • Joanna Lee, PhD ‘12, Biological Sciences - Principal Scientist, Genentech
  • Anjali Shastri, PhD ‘14, Immunology - Senior Program Manager II, 23andMe

Learn from a panel of PhDs from various disciplines as they share their insights on working in management consulting, finance, business, entrepreneurship, and more.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Weiwei Wu, PhD ‘18, Chemistry - Senior Manager, Bain and Company
  • Imran Ozer, PhD ‘21 (Duke), Biomedical Engineering - Project Leader, BCG
  • Alicia Levey, PhD ‘08, Cancer Biology - Venture Partner, Versant Ventures
  • Ming Cheah, PhD ‘14, Immunology and Oncology - Vice President, Life Sciences Investing, Goldman Sachs

Want to tackle a critical issue facing your community and help those who need it most? In this session, delve into the world of nonprofits and pitch an idea for your own nonprofit organization with a mission and plan to make a difference.

• Confirmed Presenter
  • Alessandra Aquilanti, PhD ‘15, Italian Literature - Development Director, Music@Menlo

What pivotal moments have impacted your engagement in the world? In this session, take the time to reflect on what is important to you, your strengths, and the impact you want to have. As you approach your job search process, being grounded in your identities and values will pave the way to making informed decisions in your career.

• Confirmed Presenters
  • Jenny Roxas - Associate Director, Belonging, Access, and Career Equity, Stanford Career Education
  • Miguel Jimenez - Assistant Director, Belonging, Access, and Career Equity, Stanford Career Education

What will generative AI’s impact be on your future career? How can it be used to explore and prepare for careers? Learn the answers to these questions and more at this panel.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Luca Vendraminelli, PhD ‘21 (Padova), Management Science and Engineering - Research Fellow, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence
  • Christina Langer, PhD ‘23 (KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt), Economics - Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford Digital Economy Lab
  • Xiaotang Huang - Director, Employer Relations and Outcomes, Stanford Career Education 

Join a group of PhDs working in various technical and non-technical roles in Big Tech. Learn about the pathways available and what it’s like to transition from the PhD to the tech world.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Monica Bhole, PhD ‘17, Economics - Research Scientist, Facebook
  • Whitney Trump, PhD ‘15, English and American Literature - Director, Head of Content Design, WhatsApp
  • Lindsay Oishi, PhD ‘12, Educational Psychology - Senior Product Manager, Indeed
  • Toby Sachs-Quintana, PhD ‘14, Materials Science and Engineering - Software Engineer, NVIDIA

Learn from a panel of PhDs who have forged various careers in the arts and education, including museums, higher education, K-12, and performance groups.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Melissa Ko, PhD ‘18, Cancer Biology - Assessment and Curriculum Specialist, UC Berkeley
  • Karen Rapp, PhD ‘09, Art History - Deputy Director, San José Museum of Art
  • Kaneez Munjee, PhD ‘11, Musicology - Managing Director, Young Women’s Choral Projects
  • Joanne Tien, PhD ‘19, Education - Director, RAISE Doctoral Program, Stanford VPGE

This workshop will be an interactive introduction to product management. We'll start with a quick overview of what product management can look like in different settings, what skills are often involved, and what aspects of the PhD are often especially cross-applicable. Participants will then break out into groups to try on some of the key activities that product managers are often responsible for, including identifying customer needs and prioritizing product features.

• Confirmed Presenter
  • Jen Wang, PhD ‘18, E-IPER - Chief Product Officer, Frame.work

Internships, volunteering, service, and more–there are many ways to explore careers beyond academia. Learn from a panel of current Stanford PhD students and alums who have embarked on diverse opportunities to gain experience in roles beyond academia.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Brandon Reynante, PhD ‘23, Learning Sciences and Technology Design - Director of Community Engaged Learning, Haas Center for Public Service
  • Cody Chun, PhD ‘22, English - Content Strategist, Meta
  • Robert Hennessy, PhD ‘12, Electrical Engineering - Director, MEMS Design, TDK-InvenSense

What does it look like to transition from a postdoc to industry? How do you make the jump? Join a panel of former Stanford postdocs as they share their experiences and insight on transitioning from academic postdocs to industry careers. 

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Joey Nelson, PhD ‘17, Geological and Environmental Sciences - Manager, Research Sciences, Heirloom
  • Chiara Bertipaglia, PhD ‘15 (Heidelberg), Biochemistry - Associate Director of Programs and Training, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
  • Jess Ross, PhD ‘17 (Cincinnati), Anesthesiology - Senior Government Affairs Lead, Unlearn.AI
  • Eric Daza, DrPH ‘15 (UNC), Biostatistics - Lead Biostatistician (Data Science), Evidation

Connect, network, and learn from alums, professionals, and staff in informal conversations over lunch.

After lunch, we will reconvene as a group to reflect on what you learned in the first half of the day, identify new questions and ideas, and chart a path for the second half of the day.

What do data scientists do? Where do they work? Join a panel of PhDs working in data science across various industries to learn about their work and experiences.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Tanvi Chheda, PhD ‘20, Geology - Data Scientist, Google
  • Joshua Yim, PhD ‘20, Chemical and Systems Biology - Data Science External Innovation, J&J Innovative Medicine
  • Jae Yeon Kim, PhD ‘21 (UC Berkeley), Political Science - Senior Data Scientist, Safety Net Innovations Program, Code for America
  • Glenn Davis, PhD ‘22, Learning Sciences and Technology Design - Senior Data Scientist, Walmart

PhDs work in various roles across the nonprofit, public policy, and government sectors. Hear from a panel of PhDs from a variety of disciplines working in these fields.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Neil Tangri, PhD ‘18, Climate Science - Science and Policy Director, GAIA
  • Rachel Wright, PhD ‘15, Sociology - Major Gifts Officer, Jewish Family and Children's Services
  • George Wang, PhD ‘09, Biology - Co-Founder and Director, SIRUM
  • Elsa Billings, PhD ‘04, Education - Senior Program Associate, WestEd

In this interactive case study, you will gain insight into what it’s like to be a UX researcher. You will apply your research, organizational, and communication skills to work on a project.

• Confirmed Presenter
  • Pushpinder Lubana, PhD ‘99 (UMass), Anthropology - Executive Director, JP Morgan Chase

Finding and securing non-faculty jobs in the U.S. as an international PhD student or postdoc presents unique complexities and challenges. Learn from a panel of international PhDs as they share their experiences and insights on navigating the job search.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Gabriela Badica, PhD ‘20, Iberian and Latin American Culture - Associate Director, Communications, Stanford GSB
  • Fengjiao Lyu, PhD ‘19, Mechanical Engineering - Senior Data Scientist, Doordash
  • Mufan Luo, PhD ‘21, Communication - Sr. UX Researcher, Amazon Web Services

PhD alums from diverse backgrounds will tell their stories about their experiences, including the transition to their careers and how they navigate the workplace. This panel creates an intentional space for conversations about identity and the workplace and celebrates the diversity of our community.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Jeremy Feaster, PhD ‘17, Chemical Engineering - Research Staff Scientist, Principal Investigator, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • Rachel Gillum, PhD ‘14, Political Science - Vice President, Ethical and Humane Use of Technology, Salesforce
  • Julie Huang, PhD ‘16, Microbiology and Immunology - Staff Scientist, Alector

Hear from a panel of PhDs from a range of disciplines who have forged careers in various roles and sectors focused on sustainability.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Charlotte Stanton, PhD ‘14, Sustainability - Public and Environmental Health, Google
  • Rachel Engstrand, PhD ‘21, E-IPER - Applied Science Team Lead, Pachama
  • Ekin Gozen, PhD ‘13, Energy Resource Engineering - Portfolio Strategy Manager, Savion
  • Andrew Peterman, PhD ‘06, Civil and Environmental Engineering - Director, Renewable Energy, Rivian

Learn from PhDs who work in different roles at start-ups that focus on various areas, including social impact.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Danielle Green, PhD ‘23, Education - People Operations, Coactive AI
  • Lauren Vallez, PhD ‘23, Mechanical Engineering - Senior Mechanical Engineer, Fourier
  • Soren Rosier, PhD ‘20, Learning Science and Technology Design - Founder and CEO, PeerTeach
  • Shailendra Rao, PhD ‘10, Communication - Head of Product & Design, Codex Health

A large California public college is losing students at a rapid pace—can they use data science to turn the situation around? During the workshop, you will learn how you can apply your research skills to solve this real-world problem. Walk away knowing how to refine vague problem statements, approach challenges with a data-driven framework, and communicate solutions that drive action.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Derek Chang, PhD ‘14, Electrical Engineering - Founding Partner, Stratus Data
  • Charles Pensig - Founding Partner, Stratus Data
  • Rachel Grant, PhD ‘22, Biology - Data Scientist, Stratus Data

Finding and securing non-faculty jobs in the U.S. as an international PhD student or postdoc presents unique complexities and challenges. Learn from a panel of international PhDs as they share their experiences and insights navigating the job search.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Gabriela Badica, PhD ‘20, Iberian and Latin American Culture - Associate Director, Communications, Stanford GSB
  • Fengjiao Lyu, PhD ‘19, Mechanical Engineering - Senior Data Scientist, Doordash
  • Mufan Luo, PhD ‘21, Communication - Sr. UX Researcher, Amazon Web Services

In this workshop, you will learn how to navigate uncertainty, address your worries and concerns, and move forward with resilience and courage as you explore careers. You will leave feeling confident in managing moments of uncertainty and ambiguity in your careers.

• Confirmed Presenters
  • Donnovan Somera Yisrael - Senior Health Educator, Mental Health and Well-Being, Well-Being at Stanford, Vaden Health Services
  • Angela Estrella - Well-Being Coach, Graduate Life Office

The day will end with a chance to reflect on the day’s activities and identify actionable next steps that will allow you to maintain momentum in your exploration and advance your career journey.