Building Connections: EE Alumni Share Insights in First-Ever EE Roundtable Event
EE brought together students and alumni for a night of mentorship, networking, and career advice, inspiring the next generation to navigate a challenging job market with confidence.
On October 24, Columbia’s Electrical Engineering department hosted its first-ever EE Alumni Roundtable, a dynamic event designed to connect current EE students with accomplished alumni working in diverse fields. Ten distinguished alumni—Michael Wang, Thomas Slanover, Crispin Lobo, Minghao (Andy) Li, Shounak Roy, Prathamesh Sahasrabudhe, Sukanya Meher, Gudmundur Jonasson, Atharva Deore, and Mili Sehgal—returned to campus to share their career insights, successes, and challenges, giving students a front-row view of various engineering paths.
During three 15-minute table rotations, students interacted directly with alumni and gained exposure to various career paths in engineering, from AI and machine learning to semiconductor design and sustainable energy. After the structured sessions, students and alumni enjoyed an open networking hour, allowing for deeper conversations and valuable connections.
Jennifer Lee, Director of Career Placement, expressed her enthusiasm for the event, noting, “Given the fantastic feedback from students, we hope to make this an annual tradition. At such a challenging time to secure employment, learning from alumni who have started the process of navigating their career paths is invaluable.”
Among the alumni speakers were Michael Wang (PhD '14), CEO of SIRL Inc., who shared insights on his journey in building an AI-powered real-time location system, and Thomas Slanover (BSEE ‘10, MSEE '13), a Senior Principal Radar Systems Engineer at Northrop Grumman, who discussed his role in developing advanced radar and electronic warfare systems. Other notable participants included Crispin Lobo (MSEE ‘23), a Senior Data Scientist at Capital One specializing in fraud detection, Shounak Roy (MSEE ‘20) from TSMC who is driving the design and verification of next-generation 2D & 3D semiconductors, Sukanya Meher (MSEE ‘17), an AMS Staff Application Engineer at Synopsys, who is passionate about sustainable and energy-efficient computing solutions, as well as Prathamesh Sahasrabudhe (MSEE ‘24) of Analog Devices, Gudmundur Jonasson (MSEE ‘24) from Better, Atharva Deore (MSEE ‘22) of Cisco, and Mili Sehgal (MSEE ‘24) of Intertek.
The event was a testament to the strength of Columbia’s EE alumni network, highlighting the department’s commitment to fostering lifelong connections and providing career support to its students. With alumni representing a range of expertise, students left the roundtable discussion with fresh insights, meaningful connections, and a greater understanding of the diverse opportunities that await them in the field of electrical engineering.