Post Graduate Planning

Jillian at Habitat for Humanity construction site during an Olin spring break trip

What is your job like at the Naval Underseas Warfare Center?

I work as a researcher in the Sensors and Sonar division at NUWC. Mostly, I work under various PhDs in support of their projects. In practice, this has led to a wide variety of tasking, as described below. Generally speaking, our work is in either basic research (such as characterizing a particular material/phenomenon) or applied research (such as transducer design using a novel material). 

I should also mention that NUWC has given me a ton of support towards furthering my education. I've been taking classes toward my Master's degree at Brown University for the past year. NUWC pays for tuition, and my supervisor has been really flexible with my schedule, allowing me to work odd hours so I can go to class while working full-time. NUWC also offers a long-term training scholarship that pays your full salary for an academic year so you can finish up an advanced degree full-time - I'm planning on applying for that next year so I can complete a thesis. Sometimes it gets a little busy during the semester, trying to balance work and school and a personal life, but it hasn't been overwhelming. It helps that government work is a 40hr/wk deal, unlike much of private industry. Olin instills a pretty good work ethic, anyways :)

What sorts of things are you working on?

My favorite part about my job is the diversity of projects I've been able to participate in - it's really broadened my technical perspective. In the past two years, I've worked on a turbulent flow project at our Quiet Water Tunnel facility, and presented a paper on that work at a conference in London. I learned a bunch of computer modeling for a project on underground fiber optic sensors. I've developed a new experimental set-up for the characterization of magnetostrictive sensors - learning a lot about magnetics and electrical equipment/feedback loops in the process. I've also done a lot of work characterizing polymer coatings on our Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), along with some other materials. Currently a lot of my time is also going towards a project regarding parametric sonar design. 

What brought you to NUWC?

I first heard about NUWC at the fall career fair at Olin. I had been thinking about going to grad school, but I didn't feel ready to commit myself to one specialty quite yet. Ideally, I was looking for a job in research where I could get some exposure to a wide range of topics, which is exactly what I found at NUWC. 

NUWC is funded by the Naval Research Lab, and other Navy (as well as non-Navy) organizations.   How do you like doing work that is so closely linked to the Navy? 

For the most part, I really enjoy working for the Navy. I'm fortunate to be in a branch that is largely focused on research and development, so I work with a lot of great scientists. There are occasionally drawbacks of working in the government - sometimes bureaucracy gets in the way of doing work efficiently. And I know some other people at NUWC that don't have nearly as much variety in their work as I do. But my position, and the people I work with, are an excellent fit for me at this stage in my career. 

Do you use skills you learned at Olin?

For sure! When I think of skills I learned at Olin, it's all the intangible things that come to mind. Olin made me a lot more comfortable exploring concepts that are well outside my area of expertise. It turns out that spiral learning really works! Presentation skills have also been invaluable. Now having interacted with some recent grads from other universities, it's becoming obvious to me that Olin's focus on presentation skills is far from universal. Regarding technical skills, I've often wished I paid more attention in some of my classes - particularly math. But I suspect that was a failing on my part, rather than on Olin's. 

What was your most valuable experience at Olin?

SCOPE. The opportunity to execute a project at that level, and over the course of a whole school year was really powerful. It gives you an opportunity to develop so many skills. There's the technical work, of course, as well as managing a budget, taking the customer's needs/desires into consideration, communicating your ideas professionally, and working effectively in a team environment. SCOPE was truly the capstone of my Olin education. 

Do you have any words of wisdom for current Olin students?

I remember getting pretty burnt out a couple of times at Olin, and feeling like I would never use most of the technical information I was learning. When it seems like the work is irrelevant to your future, try to push through anyway. I've been shocked at how frequently I've needed to use some bit of information I decided to blow off in classes. 

Getting punchy while working in a clean room during a Cornell summer internship

Hello!  I am the new Assistant Director of Admission and Post Graduate Planning (PGP).  Many of you might already know me from spamming your email inboxes with Fulbright, Medical School and what not! Originally from India, I moved to Boston in 2005 and graduated from Emerson College with an MA in Integrated Marketing Communications in 2007.  Since then I have worked at a leading search engine marketing agency in Boston and as a freelance marketing consultant.  Apart from India and the States, I lived in Singapore for a year and travelled around Asia.  As part of my new year's resolution for 2012, I decided to shift industries and move into Higher Education administration full time as helping students succeed is something I am passionate about.  So, here I am!

I am really excited about being here at Olin since it gives me the opportunity to not only work on admitting some of the brightest students to our college but also to work with them during their time here at Olin.  Higher education changed my life and I now want to help change others' lives as well.

My advice to seniors is to stay true to themselves and always follow what they are passionate about.  Be aware of the opportunities that exist and do not hesitate to contact the PGP team for ideas, advice and help.  Who knows?  You may just discover something potentially life changing that you were not previously aware of!

Speaking of life changing, many of you might already know that Steven Zhang just received the Fulbright Scholarship to China where he will be conducting research on sustainability.  I believe travelling around the world, learning new languages and discovering other cultures is something everyone should experience in their lifetime.

One final note before I sign off.  All the juniors and sophomores out there - if you are thinking ahead about grad school, there are a number of things you can do today to progress towards that goal.  You are welcome to stop by my office (MH113) to talk about internships, graduate school, employment opportunities, scholarships and fellowship or about pretty much anything under the sun! I look forward to meeting you!

Aarti Chellakere

If you're wandering around Somerville, MA, you might stumble across the Artisan's Asylum, a non-profit "Community Craft Studio" started in May 2010 by Gui Cavalcanti '09 and his partner Jenn Martinez. When starting the Asylum, Cavalcanti "...was looking for a culture similar to Olin and my high school robotics team, where the emphasis was on collaboration and peer learning to make cool stuff possible. While I was at Olin, we frequently used the student shops for fun personal projects, and I always loved an environment where I could make anything at any time with a cool group of people."

Family and friends put together a $40,000 loan that funded the initial tools and 1,000 square foot space, but with over 100 people accepting initial invitations, it quickly became apparent that Artisan's needed to go bigger.

What is Company Culture and Why Should You Care?

Earlier in March, several of my friends exchanged links to articles citing the self-reflections of employees who have left two high profile companies.  I am unsure about my readers' knowledge of the issues, but the articles received a lot of attention, considering the buzz on my social media newsfeeds.  Although I am well aware that an individual's account of a business does not fully represent the experiences of all employees within a firm, it did catch my attention and clearly the attention of some of my peers.  But why does this matter? 

For those people who do not frequently read the PGP Blog, I had mentioned in a previous post that I had spent some time working at the National University of Singapore, consulting in the development of the Engineering Faculty's Design-Centric Curriculum (DCC).   The DCC was in its fetal stages and the stress to produce positive results was eminent.  While in the midst of all the development, procurement, and discussions over learning outcomes, studio spaces, curriculum procedures, and materials, I realized that the most important element about the program was not going to be the game changing innovations and projects we were expecting to produce, but more importantly the culture and people that the program would foster and send off into the workforce.  To me, that was what would determine the success of the program. 

Now, how does this relate back to our two big firms mentioned at the beginning?  A company's employees are a reflection of its culture, which is probably why so many of my peers were interested in the articles.  People are the foundation, which holds a company together.  They matter more than the products, services, profits, or any other output coming from a single enterprise.  Thus, an employee's role is powerful and to be a successful contributor requires that an employee understand themselves and their values. 

As fellow upcoming Olin graduates make their decisions to move forward into the workforce and current students try to acquire and choose their next internship, my biggest advice from someone who did not jump into the commercial industry right away is to understand yourself.  What do you value?   How does this align with the companies you are interested in working for?  The more you can identify with yourself and how you will relate to a firm, the better you can contribute to the higher goals of the corporation and create intrinsic value within your work. (This is also important for those starting their own company, by the way).   

With about one-third of your workdays consisting of career working hours, invest some time in self-reflection. You might be surprised with what you come up with, and glad you did. 

Young and aspiring engineers often want to do something important, something that has real and substantial value in the world.  Amanda Pratt ('10) got to do just that - even better, she was able to find this type of work doing something she loved and learning something she was interested in.  Amanda has been in the Edison Engineering Development Program at GE Healthcare in Waukesha, Wisconsin for the past few years where she has worked on several important projects, both overseas and at home.

GE Healthcare is a part of one of 6 of GE's sub-businesses that focuses, unsurprisingly, on medical equipment. Its Edison Engineering Development Program, in which Amanda is enrolled, gives recent college grads the unique opportunity to rotate between 4 different 6-month assignments, each of which includes work on some type of medical equipment. In the past two years Amanda has worked on CT detectors and PET scanners, and has traveled to India to work on rural ultrasounds.

But there's more to her role than just equipment development. The rotational program implements aspects of engineering beyond hardware, including usability and lab testing, industrial design, and communication with customers and suppliers. This provides a broader experience that takes into account the networking and business skills that are needed for future success. In addition, GE itself is an example of an established yet progressive company; Amanda has learned how companies work, which will serve her well if she manages a technical team someday.

The rural ultrasound in use in Bangladesh.

Olin too focuses on the business aspect of engineering, with many of our students choosing to start their own businesses or joining early-stage start-ups. In addition, Olin breeds the design and customer mindset, something that Amanda says "sets Oliners apart." And that user-focused orientation, she has found, is not as commonly practiced or understood in engineering work environments as one would think.  Amanda emphasizes that, when there is more to a project than crunching numbers or writing code, Olin students thrive. "You have to have great technical skills to get the job, but once you are there, people who have decent technical skills are a dime a dozen. Oliners' skills set them apart and open broader opportunities."  She is careful, however not to minimize the strong technical skills, stating that they are critical to getting your foot in the door and in order to be respected in any engineering profession. 

Amanda is thoroughly enjoying her time in the GE rotational program, doing  interesting and meaningful work every day. She recommends this type of program to anyone who would be interested in staying with a company long-term. Always planning ahead, Amanda's next steps include taking a break from the corporate world and going back to school for a few years in order to continue to build her technical and business skills.  She will be matriculating to UC Berkeley in the fall for an MSEE, and will then continue on to Harvard Business School a few years after that.

As her last bit of advice for students looking ahead in their careers, Amanda says,  "...take big risks and challenge yourself. Don't be afraid - you don't know what you're capable of!"

Olin alums recruiting for their new employers

When we were students at Olin, people would often ask why we chose to attend a tiny school no one has heard of. There are, of course, many reasons for choosing Olin, but if we had to pick one it would be the people. The top-notch faculty, the caring staff and the talented students all make Olin an incredible institution. Unlike us, you current Olin students can now add a fourth group,  Olin alumni, to that list!   As another class graduates this spring, you will have more than 500 accomplished and multi-faceted individuals who will most likely be interested in helping you, talking about next steps, or finding a way to follow your passion.

Current Olin students stand to benefit greatly by connecting with the alumni network. Alumni can help you explore different post-graduate options or even find a job. If you already have an offer of employment or an acceptance letter to graduate school, they can serve as mentors in the field and help build your career.  Aside from the practical benefits of networking with alumni, they also happen to be very interesting people who are more than happy to talk to current students, as long as they can find the time. With that in mind, here are some guidelines to keep in mind when reaching out to Olin alumni. 

• The best way to initiate a conversation with an alumnus is through email. Keep your message short but informative and offer to set up a call or meet in person, if the person is local.  
• Social media, such as Facebook, is often a poor choice for initiating contact with an alumnus.
• If you don't immediately receive a response, be patient and persistent. It's O.K. to send a follow up email two weeks after the initial message, but it is not O.K. to email again after two days.
• When you do get a response, be sure to follow up in a timely and thoughtful manner.
• Even if you're looking for a job, don't immediately ask for one. Instead, ask the alumnus about what they do. If it seems like there might be a good fit with their company, mention that you are looking for a position.
• A fair number of alumni live in the Boston area and remain very active with Olin. Keep your eye out at recruiting events, networking programs or the next Expo and see if you can chat them up.
• Alumni are often interested in what you decide to do after talking with them, sending a follow-up email months later with an update is welcome!  Often we hear, "Yes I spent a lot of time with that person, then never heard from them again..."

Networking is a scary word to a lot of people.  They don't want to do it, don't feel they should have to do it, don't understand why they would ever want to do it.  Networking means TALKING TO PEOPLE!  Learning from those who have traveled similar paths to you in the past, had the same questions, tried the same or different things,  and have learned through a lot of trial and error. 

Networking is about building relationships and, above all else, should be done with care. Finding the right alumni to talk to is an important place to start, and we suggest you contact Sally Phelps or a professor related to the field who will be able to provide suggestions. Asking alumni if they can refer you to one of their former classmates is a good idea as well.

We encourage you to keep these points in mind when reaching out to alumni.  Honest, we want to hear from you, and to help you out if we can!  We also hope that you get in touch with at least one new alumnus before graduating from Olin - we have a feeling you won't regret it and may even end up with a new friend.

We had the opportunity to hear more from Zach Brock, class of 2007, about what he has been working on recently. He shared some valuable advice for Oliners who want to join a startup. Here is what he had to say:

What Zach is doing now:

James on the job making fecal fuel

Senior James Regulinski is currently on Leave of Absence from Olin.  He is working for Waste Enterprises in Ghana, taking a lead role on their Industrial Fuel project. More than that, he is truly experiencing life in a new culture, so different from the one we know here.  Read about his adventures and revelations here. 

            It's not every day that you find an email in your inbox that reads, "I'm on board a Greenpeace ship right now (the Rainbow Warrior III) in the Atlantic, will be back on shore in a few days." I had been looking forward to learning more about John Rosenwinkel, who just completed his coursework at Olin this past December, but upon receiving this email I knew I was in for an interesting and exciting conversation.

John first got involved with Greenpeace during his LOA (leave of absence) in the spring of 2010. He had an adventure-filled internship with the actions team, where he spent four months in DC, then went to San Francisco and Seattle for about a month, and then boarded one of Greenpeace's ships in Barcelona and traveled across the ocean to Florida, where the ship did research related to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

After Olin, John returned to Greenpeace as a volunteer, doing boat training on the Rainbow Warrior III as mentioned above. He also went down to Florida to help out with a huge training camp, teaching those not affiliated with Greenpeace about industrial climbing, boating, and blockades. 

John will now be working for Greenpeace for the next three to six months. He is theoretically based out of one of the Greenpeace warehouses, but the day-to-day work varies. He finds himself traveling a lot, keeping the warehouse in order, maintaining equipment, and bringing it to and from places. He also sits in on technical trainings that allow him to participate in actions and prepare him for one day becoming a trainer himself. Having a background in mechanical engineering also allows him to do some engineering-related jobs at times, such as welding and fabrication of "random mechanical things."

If a full-time job opens up at Greenpeace, John would be interested in applying, but for the time being he is looking for other opportunities after his few months at Greenpeace are over. He wishes to spend some more time in India doing ADE (Affordable Design & Entrepreneurship - Olin class where students do real development work)-related things, such as teaching or working with an NGO (non-governmental organization).

            John strongly encourages students to consider taking a LOA or studying abroad. He explains, "I really think I learned and grew more in my semester away from school than I did from my eight semesters at Olin. I learned so much from so many wonderful people about things that I had never really thought much about."

It was a different experience talking to John, who has taken a path completely different from the engineering trail of Olin. John says he "would love more Oliners to know about some of the non-engineering things that are out there," and it seems Greenpeace is a great example of a different path that still embodies the Olin way of 'doing something' and making a change in the world.

Design is not usually the first thing most people think of when asked about engineering. Most people might say electrical or computer engineering, or perhaps mechanical. These fields undoubtedly hog the limelight, but Design is as important an aspect of engineering as any other. Design enables what has been engineered to interact with the world; it often even drives the product itself. If there is a need or problem that can be solved by an engineer, then that engineer is also a designer, determining the best way to fulfill that need or solve that problem. It's something we have a strong focus on here at Olin; enough so that many of our grads decide to follow it as a career path. I recently chatted with two of our alumni, Ryan Hubbard ('08) and Nikki Lee ('10) who have chosen to follow such a path.

Ryan, has been extremely busy within the design field the last several years. Most recently, he was at the Austin Center for Design (AC4D), which was, as Ryan put, "a school to teach user-centered design applied to social problems." The school is new, only a year old, but what Ryan did there holds great value. The project he worked on, Nudge, is a communication project that will ultimately allow ease of communication between a care provider and a patient. The care provider sends out batches of automated text messages to their patients, asking about their state of wellbeing and other relevant questions. Nudge organizes and feeds the responses back to the care provider, allowing them to track how their patients are feeling on a daily basis.

Ryan has since gone on to work for the Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI). He is currently on a team working to improve the quality of life of people in late adulthood. When I discussed this project with Ryan he mentioned that it was a form of "project based problem-solving engineering." This "problem-solving" engineering involved interviewing patients to best understand their needs, then designing and implementing a solution. The work done here closely resembles a class taught at Olin, User-Oriented Collaborative Design, where the students venture out into the field, interview and really get to know the user group, investigate an issue, and attempt to design a solution. Ryan is currently speaking to people in the context of their lives and work, and a fascinating report on his progress can be found here.

Pam and Eddie, two of Ryan's clients.

Nikki, class of 2010, does "human centered design and engineering," in her own words. She is currently taking design classes at the University of Washington, as well as doing design research. Besides this, Nikki recently participated in a sponsor project where she and her team have essentially been hired to design and engineer an online magazine for expectant mothers. However, there is more to design than just engineering. Nikki is currently taking an interaction design class, which she calls "very speculative," something Nikki finds interesting. It is an interdisciplinary class, drawing students from many fields of expertise: art, software and programming, and several more. Nikki is also interviewing mothers and children about mementos parents keep as the children grow; she will use this information to develop software to help parents track developmental milestones for their children, something that should be watched carefully during children's formative years. Nikki's website and portfolio can be found here.