Topics discussed:
0:00 — Introductions
0:20 — Working on the ‘Decavitator’ (the vehicle that holds the human-powered speed record on water) at MIT as an undergraduate
3:33 — Transferring to MIT as an undergraduate from Spain in the 1980s
5:10 — What skills help you succeed at a school like MIT?
6:45 — What extracurriculars did you do as an undergraduate?
8:25 — On the importance of student’s having initiative
9:27 — Experiences outside the classroom
10:31 — Being inspired to do more than we think we can
11:23 — What made you want to start graduate school instead of work in industry?
14:22 — Becoming a Stanford Professor
15:46 — How to best take advantage of career opportunities
16:45 — “In order to have one good idea you need to have ten bad ideas”
17:52 — You need to know when to quit
19:00 — Experience working at NASA
22:05 — Entrepreneurship and starting Luminary Cloud (https://www.luminarycloud.com/) and the best ways to make change
23:50 — The importance of NASA, and its role in being between industry and academia
26:45 — Advice for students applying to academic programs
28:30 — “Admissions offices are looking for interesting people”
29:09 — “Don’t get caught in the rat race”
31:03 — We have a responsibility to make the most out of the opportunities we’ve been given
32:45 — What selection committees are looking for in graduate students
35:47 — Grades are not the destination, the destination is learning
36:30 — The importance of presenting yourself well during interviews (and other soft skills)
38:11 — Professor Alonso’s vision for the Aeronautics and Astronautics department at Stanford University
41:17 — The most important areas in Aerospace engineering over the next 10-15 years
45:30 — Wrapping up
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