PhD Pathways 2025

• Confirmed Speaker
  • Michele Rasmussen, PhD ‘99 (Duke), Biological Anthropology and Anatomy - Vice Provost of Student Affairs

Pathways will open with the mixTAPE x maniFESTO, a metaphorical and practical design exercise blending the storytelling intentionality of a mixtape with the bold declarations of a manifesto. It invites participants to define their passion, purpose, and plans, organizing them into a coherent, impactful narrative. Open to students, activists, educators, artists, community leaders, corporate directors, designers, and anyone interested in engaging in community-centered design, designing collaborative intentionality, and creating change through storytelling.

• Confirmed Presenters
  • Milan Drake, Community Design Lead, d.School
  • Patrick Fenton, Design Studio Partner, Swayspace; Lecturer, Stanford [behind the scenes support]

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
  • Melanie Malinas, PhD ‘19, Biophysics - Patent Agent, Wilson Sonsoni
  • Orlando Trejo, PhD ‘14, Mechanical Engineering - Director, Digital Engineering, Applied Materials
  • Michael Reddick, PhD ‘20, Chemical Engineering - Staff Scientist, DNA Data Storage, Twist Bioscience

Learn from a panel of PhDs who have forged careers in various nonprofit settings.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Alessandra Aquilanti, PhD ‘15, Italian - Development Director, Music@Menlo
  • Bishakha Mona, PhD ‘19 (UT Southwestern Medical Center), Genetics, Development, and Disease - Associate Advisor, Science Philanthropy Alliance
  • Lily Lamboy, PhD ‘18, Political Science - Co-Founder, Modern Family Institute
  • Erica Bower, PhD ‘24, E-IPER - Climate Displacement Researcher, Human Rights Watch

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

In this panel, connect with PhDs working in various media and communication industries, including publishing, scientific communication, and more.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Marcie Bianco, PhD ‘12 (Rutgers), English Literature - Editor, Stanford Social Innovation Review
  • Erin Digitale, PhD ‘07 (UC Davis), Nutrition - Senior Science Writer, Stanford Medicine
  • Jack Lee, PhD ‘14 (Princeton), Molecular Biology - Weather Science Data Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle
  • Rachel Karas, PhD ‘17 (UC Santa Barbara), English - Digital Manager/Web Editor, Stanford Humanities Center

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
  • Jazmin Lopez - Assistant Director, Belonging, Access, and Career Equity, Stanford Career Education

Learn from a panel of PhDs currently in different consulting roles, such as economics, management, health consulting, and more.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Alan Itakura, PhD ‘20, Biology - Project Leader, DeciBio Consulting
  • Chris Bruegge, PhD ‘18, Economics - Senior Manager, Cornerstone Research
  • Rula Deeb, PhD ‘99 (UC Berkeley), Civil and Environmental Engineering - Senior Principal, Geosyntec Consultants

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

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Jaclyn Wong, PhD ‘18 (Chicago), Sociology - Research Analyst, Langer Research Associates
  • Terry Reyes, PhD ‘14, Cancer Biology - Sr. Regulatory Manager, UPSIDE Foods
  • Andrea Lund, PhD ‘20, Disease Ecology - Epidemiology, California Department of Public Health
  • Lena Perkins, PhD ‘15, Mechanical Engineering - Emerging Technologies Manager, City of Palo Alto

This session will give you insight into what life is really like as a product manager in a tech company, and how your skills in synthesizing information, generating ideas, and executing plans can help you be successful in these and similar roles. You will also get to try out designing a new product feature, and leave with tips for continuing to develop your skills and career.

• Confirmed Presenter
  • Lindsay Oishi, PhD ‘12, Education - Senior Product Manager, Indeed.com

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
  • Jennifer Yih, PhD ‘16 (Vanderbilt), Psychology - Quantitative UX Researcher, Meta
  • Lauren Liddell, PhD’14 (City of Hope Cancer Research Institute), DNA Repair & Molecular Genetics - Mission Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center
  • Chiara Bertipaglia, PhD ‘15 (European Molecular Biology Laboratory), Biochemistry/Structural Biology - Associate Director of Programs and Training, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute

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

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Izumi Hinkson, PhD ‘15, Chemical and Systems Biology - Associate Director, Alliance Management, Gilead Sciences
  • Ariel Calderon, PhD ‘22, Immunology - Senior Scientist II, AbbVie
  • Eric J. Daza, DrPH ‘15, BioStatistics (UNC Chapel Hill) - Associate Director, Principal Clinical Data Scientist, Boehringer Ingelheim
  • JT Tien, PhD ‘19, Education (UC Berkeley) - Director of the RAISE Doctoral Fellowship Program, Stanford VPGE

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.

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
  • Subhan Ali, PhD ‘15, Civil and Environmental Engineering - AI Product Lead, NVIDIA
  • Madeline Huberth, PhD ‘18, Computer Based Music Theory - UX Research Scientist, Meta
  • Sam Robinson, PhD ‘17 (UC Berkeley), History - Content Senior Design Manager, PayPal
  • Qing Zhang, PhD ‘19 (Columbia), Economics - Senior Data Scientist, Research, Google

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
  • Abby Kirchofer, PhD ‘13, Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences - Principal, Ramboll
  • Dan Rutherford, PhD ‘06, Civil and Environmental Engineering - Senior Director of Research, International Council on Clean Transportation
  • Krishna Rao, PhD ‘22, Earth System Science - Data and Climate Scientist, Watershed
  • Kirstin Conti, PhD ‘17 (Amsterdam), Groundwater Governance - Independent Development Consultant

What’s it like to run a nonprofit? How can your skills and experiences translate into working at a nonprofit? In this interactive case study, learn how!

• Confirmed Presenter
  • Tzipor Ulman, PhD ‘03, Chemistry - CEO, Science is Elementary

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
  • Priscila Slepicka, PhD ‘15 (University of Campinas), Genetics and Molecular Biology - Scientist
  • Fernando Novoa, PhD ‘15, Materials Science and Engineering - Sr. Manager, Failure Analysis Engineering, Enphase Energy
  • Gabriela Badica, PhD ‘20, Literatures, Cultures, and Languages - Communications Manager, Uber
  • Fengjiao Lyu, PhD '19, Mechanical Engineering - Senior Data Scientist, DoorDash

Internships, volunteering, industry postdocs, 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
  • Anna Toledano, PhD ‘24, History - Executive Director, Los Altos History Museum
  • Elise Loppinet, PhD ‘24, Chemical Engineering - Postdoctoral Researcher, Genentech
  • Kimberly Vasquez, PhD ‘22, Microbiology and Immunology - Postdoctoral Scientist, Gilead Sciences

Learn from PhDs who have pursued entrepreneurship and worked in different roles at start-ups that focus on various areas.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Homan Yuen, PhD ‘06, Materials Science and Engineering - Managing Partner, Keymaker
  • Soren Rosier, PhD ‘20, Learning Sciences and Technology Design - Founder and CEO, PeerTeach
  • Fatma Kaplan, PhD ‘04 (Florida), Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology - CEO, Pheronym, Inc.
  • Bilen Akuzum, PhD ‘20 (Drexel), Materials Science and Engineering - Co-Founder and CTO, Aepnus Technology

There are many non-faculty education roles at universities and in other educational settings. In this panel, hear from PhDs who have forged diverse careers in education.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Amanda Modell, PhD ‘19 (UC Davis), Cultural Studies - Senior Associate Director, Graduate Teaching Programs, Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning
  • Dayo Mitchell, PhD ‘05 (Virginia), History - Senior Associate Director, Stanford Introductory Studies
  • Dylan Arena, PhD ‘12, Learning Sciences and Technology - SVP, Chief Data Science and AI Officer, McGraw-Hill
  • Mackenzie Russell, PhD ‘16, Comparative Literature - English Instructor, Stanford Online High School

Lots of PhDs and postdocs pursue careers in management consulting, but what does the work actually look like? In this interactive case study, get a taste of how your skills can be applied in consulting settings.

• Confirmed Presenter
  • Sanjam Sawhney, PhD ‘23 (WashU St. Louis), Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis - Consultant, Boston Consulting Group

Wondering what employers think about when hiring PhD students and postdocs for non-academic roles? Hear from a panel of employers to get your questions answered.

• Confirmed Panelists
  • Katie Zhao - Executive Director, Talent and Culture, PDT Partners
  • Ingrid Rulifson - Scientific Associate Director, Amgen
  • Glaucia Soutello - University Talent Partner, Adobe

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.