Speaker: Dr. Falgun Patel is the Principal Director of the Electronics and Photonics Laboratory at The Aerospace Corporation. He manages a multi-disciplinary team and portfolio that includes energy storage and generation, microelectronics, and photonics. Falgun Patel received his B.S. degree (1995) in Optics from the University of Rochester, M.S. (1997) and Ph.D. degrees (2000) in Applied Science from UC Davis (emphasis on solid-state lasers), and an M.B.A. from UCLA Anderson (2007). He has worked in small and large companies (Agilent, Boeing, FLIR Systems) across roles in R&D, applied R&D, engineering, program/product management, business development, and operations.

Talk title: Observations from a 20+ professional career in STEM and a look towards the future

Abstract: By way of training, I am a scientist. With time, while continuing to work in a STEM profession (lasers, optics, photonics), my role as a scientist has evolved to include engineer, project/program/product manager, to a manager of people, R&D, products, and operations. I have learned that a career in STEM is very rewarding, but even more so when one embraces the many disciplines that overlap with science. In this presentation, I will share key lessons I’ve learned over the course of 20 years, with the goal that perhaps observations from my journey will help you chart your path to a fulfilling STEM career.

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