Exploring Careers in Technology's New Frontiers

The Center for Careers and Internships, together with Middlebury in DC, has teamed up to create this series for students curious about the future of tech. With contributions from Middlebury alumni and students, this series offers you a front-row seat to hear from professionals across the industry, discussing cutting-edge developments, career paths, and essential tips to help you get started in tech.

For the full playlist, visit our YouTube channel, where you will find all episodes and more series in our MIDDVantage collection.

Episode 12: First Destination Software Engineering (SWE) Roles

• Guest: John Sterling ’96, Software Engineer, Google Wallet
• Overview: John talks about the various first destination software engineering roles and choosing your employer with students as part of the Google@Middlebury program on campus in fall ’23. 
• Watch Time: 35 Minutes

Episode 11: UpNext: Cloud Solutions Engineer - Software Engineering and Liberal Arts

• Guest: Leah Bracken ’18.5 (Computer Science), Customer Engineer, Google Cloud
• Overview: Leah Bracken talks about her journey from Midd to Google, where she now helps clients with strategic cloud solutions. She shares what a cloud engineer does, advice on preparing for solutions roles, and why networking and liberal arts skills matter in tech.
• Watch Time: 28 minutes

The content segments below indicate the approximate time marks in the recording during which the specific content is discussed. The segments include:

• At 0:23 – Lea describes her pathway from Midd to career
• At 3:22 – What is the cloud and who are the major cloud providers?
• At 6:05 – What does a cloud engineer do?
• At 13:35 – How to prepare for a solutions/sales engineer role?
• At 15:30 Audience Q&A with important points:
  • Networking is important as are referrals
  • Use CCI as much as you can
  • How liberal arts helps
  • Being kind goes a long way
  • DC is a great working and social destination – check out the DC office
  • The cloud is key to organizations becoming digital
  • When searching for opportunities, look for “New Grad” training programs

Episode 10: UpNext: The Product Development Process and Functional Roles

• Guest: David Mendelson ’00 (Computer Science), Vice President Product Development, Wheel
• Overview: David Mendelson walks you through the product development cycle and various roles, from UX Design to DevOps, needed in a tech company. He also discusses non-technical roles and insights into advancing in a tech career.
• Watch Time: 45 minutes

The content segments below indicate the approximate time marks in the recording during which the specific content is discussed. The segments include:

• At 0:35 – Dave describes his pathway from Midd to career
• At 2:20 – Introducing the software development process
• At 3:10 – Various product/R&D roles
  • Engineer
  • Product Manager
  • UX Designer
  • UI Developer
  • Technical Program Manager
  • Data Scientist/Data Analyst
  • DevOps
  • Quality Assurance (QA)/Software Developer Engineer in Test (SDET)
• At 18:20 – Non-technical Roles
  • Product Marketing
  • Customer Success/Operations
  • Sales
• At 22:00 - Example R&D organizational structures
• At 25:00 – Planning and Building Software – Product Life Cycle (discover, commit, execute, manage)
• At 35:00 Audience Q&A
  • Scrum process described
  • Career advancement pathway
  • How new features become defined

Episode 9: UpNext: Careers in Technology Panel Discussion

Panelists:

• Dan Kelley ’99, Engineering Manager, Meta
• Pete McSherry ’06, Senior VP of Platform Data Strategy, Epsilon
• Meghan Weber ’07, Senior Space Product Manager, Amazon Web Services
• Chris Hench ’11, Senior Applied Scientist ML/NLP, Amazon Alexa
• Elizabeth Knox ’17, Digital Specialist, McKinsey & Company
• John Bowllan ’19, Data Science Technical Lead, Whoop

Panel Host: Jeff Sawyer, CCI Director of Employer & Professional Network Development
Overview: When it comes to the technology field, there is a broad variety of ways to pursue your interests and find outlets for your abilities; digital technology has driven convergence in many ways. The panelists will talk about the trends shaping the scope of this industry and what they mean for future roles in this field?  Hear from a panel of Middlebury alumni with a variety of backgrounds who now have careers across a wide spectrum within the industry.
Watch Time: 64 minutes

The content segments below indicate the approximate time marks in the recording during which the specific content is discussed.  The segments include:

• At 8:50 – Tell us what’s going on in the tech industry today.  Back to Office, Hiring
• At 27:20 – Given the state of the industry, what should I do to prepare myself?  “Quality over Quantity”
• At 35:30 – What are future growth areas? AI/ML, Quantum Computing, NLP, AR/VR, Clean Tech, Biopharma, Bioinformatics 
• At 46:20 – Which roles do you expect to see in demand?  ML-related Software Engineering, Design, Dev Ops, Data Science, Policy-related, Product Managers
• At 50:15 – Audience Q&A.  Pros/cons of working for a large firm vs start-up; How to demonstrate ability to grow;  Should graduate school be in my future?

Episode 8: Leaders in Technology Discuss the Future

Guests:

• Jennifer Bailey ’84, Vice President Internet Services, Apple
• Suzie Reider ’87, Managing Director B2G Marketing and Partnerships, Google
• Lan Ye ’98, Vice President Teams Group, Microsoft

Interviewers:

• Katie Macalintal ‘24
• Lindsey Schweitzer ‘24

Watch Time: 54 minutes

The content segments below indicate the approximate time marks in the recording during which the specific content is discussed.  The segments include:

• At 3:53 – “Tell us about your organization.”
• At 6:50 – “Tell us about the technology industry job market prospects.”
• At 12:45 – “Tell us about the growth areas for the future.”
• At 20:02 – “Tell us about data privacy efforts in the industry.”
• At 27:38 – “Tell us how students should prepare for tech’s future.”
• At 34:57 - “Audience Q&A”

Episode 7: A Customer-First Approach to Product Management

• Guest: Nicole Fazio ‘11, Senior Technical Product Manager, Alexa Shopping - Amazon
• Interviewer: Adam Wisco ‘22
• Overview: Are you interested in building tech products that are innovative and customer-focused? Nicole Fazio ‘11 is a Senior Technical Product Manager at Amazon Alexa, where she works on developing new products that customers can interact with in exciting ways. With a background in econometrics, Nicole started her career in data analysis, using tools like SAS and Python to turn insights into strategic moves. Now, she leads initiatives in voice advertising, including the groundbreaking Alexa-actionable TV ad, letting customers discover products by voice. She’s also an active mentor in tech, helping young talent through the Built by Girls program. Nicole holds an MBA from MIT Sloan and was a Middlebury Ski Team captain.
• Watch Time: 26 minutes

Episode 6: Marketing in a Competitive, Clouded World

• Guest: David Ellis ‘09, Product Marketing Manager, Azure App Services, Microsoft
• Interviewer: Serrin Kim ‘22
• Overview: Curious about careers in tech marketing? David Ellis ‘09 shares insights from his role as a Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft, where he helps expand Microsoft’s cloud offerings. He’s also VP of the Middlebury Alumni Association and actively supports initiatives for Middlebury’s Alumni of Color. Before Microsoft, David led brand strategy at Starr Companies and co-founded a production company with a first-look deal at Paramount Pictures. He even started his Hollywood journey at Universal Pictures as a Middlebury J-Term intern! David holds an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
• Watch Time: 18 minutes

Episode 5: Drone Technology as Advance Scout Protecting Soldiers

• Guest: Adi Raval ‘98, Head of Communications, Shield AI
• Interviewer: Charlotte Gray ‘21
• Overview: Explore the role of tech in national security with Adi Raval ‘98, Head of Communications at Shield AI, a company focused on creating software that protects soldiers in conflict areas. Adi’s career spans 20 years, including work as a spokesperson for C-suite leaders in Silicon Valley, as a diplomat, and as a journalist covering global issues. From directing media relations at Bechtel Corporation to working with the US Government on President Obama’s “Power Africa” initiative, Adi brings a wealth of experience in high-stakes communications. Adi holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins SAIS and a BA from Middlebury.
• Watch Time: 35 minutes

Episode 4: Tracking of Terrorism and Extremism Online

• Guest: Alex Newhouse ‘17 MIIS ‘17, Research Lead, CTEC
• Interviewer: Anthony Sjodin ‘23
• Overview: Learn how data and social science intersect to address global security threats with Alex Newhouse ‘17 MIIS ‘17, Research Lead at CTEC. Specializing in online extremism and terrorism, Alex uses social data to analyze extremist communities and how they evolve. His experience includes roles at Sony and Uber, where he worked on data governance, fraud prevention, and responses to crises. Alex holds an MA in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies from the Middlebury Institute and a BA in Political Science and English from Middlebury. He’s currently earning an MS in Analytics at Georgia Tech.
• Watch Time: 30 minutes

Episode 3: Automated Vehicles

• Guest: Alden Woodrow ‘02, CEO and Co-Founder, Ike
• Interviewer: Jiaqi Li ‘22
• Overview: Curious about the future of automated trucks? Alden Woodrow ‘02.5 co-founded Ike, a company developing autonomous trucking technology, which was acquired by Nuro in 2021. With over a decade of experience in logistics, energy, and aerospace, Alden has held senior roles at Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group and Google’s X lab, and he even worked on wind energy tech. At Middlebury, he majored in economics and philosophy, was an ultimate frisbee captain, and started the business plan for Middlebury’s organic garden. Alden has an MBA from UC Berkeley focused on product development.
• Watch Time: 35 minutes

Episode 2: Creating Therapies to Treat Diseases Using Predictive Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

• Guest: Robert Skiff ‘90, CEO and Founder, 3852.ai
• Interviewer: Lizeth Lucero ‘21
• Overview: Wondering how AI and robotics are shaping healthcare? Robert Skiff ‘90, founder of 3852.ai, is using predictive AI to revolutionize disease treatment. With 30 years in business, education, and consulting, Robert co-founded the Vermont Commons School and has done consulting in areas like blockchain, online learning, and drug discovery. He’s an experienced leader in education and policy, with a doctorate from the University of Vermont.
• Watch Time: 27 minutes

Episode 1: Developments and Directions for AI & Robotics

• Guest: Bryan Rich ‘86, Partner AI & Robotics, Accenture Federal Services
• Interviewer: Charlotte Gray ‘21
• Overview: Interested in how AI and robotics are impacting government and national security? Bryan Rich ‘86, a partner at Accenture Federal Services, has built a cutting-edge AI and robotics team and leads innovative projects in data science, AI, and process automation for federal agencies. Before Accenture, Bryan spent 20 years leading data science businesses in Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. With a strong foundation in English Literature and Latin American Studies from Middlebury, Bryan has grown a team of 700+ scientists and engineers, contributing to significant advancements in AI and robotics.
• Watch Time: 36 minutes