Alexia Stylianou ’15 ScM’16 graduated from Brown with an ScB in Biomedical Engineering and an ScM in Mechanical Engineering. She graciously took some time off her busy schedule to answer a few questions about her life after college, career trajectory, and how she landed her first job.

Alexia, worked as a Biomechanics Research Assistant at Rhode Island Hospital for two years during her undergraduate study. She joined Medtronic as a Research and Development Engineering intern during the summer of 2015 before returning for her master’s degree.  During her master’s, she worked as a teaching assistant for ENGN 0310 Mechanics of Solids and Structures and ENGN 0040 Dynamics and Vibrations. After completing her master’s degree, she joined Medtronic as a contract engineer and paved her way up to a permanent engineering role and worked there for two and a half years. In order to apply her biomechanical engineering skills, she took up a new role as a Biomechanical Engineer at FIGUR8, Inc in 2019.

When asked what she likes the most about her current job she said, “Working with an intelligent and talented team encourages me to push my limits, just like at Brown. And everyone supports each other in reaching their goals.”

How did Brown prepare you to succeed in the industry?

The Brown open curriculum ensures that students are well rounded, and, in industry, having the freedom, license, and knowledge to choose my path helped me to work in cohesion with multi-disciplinary teams. The open curriculum gives students the liberty to explore multiple areas of interest and the freedom to push your education without any boundaries. The opportunity to take a photography class at RISD was amazing.

What advice do you have for Brown Students who are about to enter the industry?

Do not graduate without taking a coding class; Python, MATLAB, anything - just take it.  Also, don’t be afraid to reach out and tap into your resources and the Brown network.

What would you look for in a new hire?

Confidence and honesty speak volumes about an individual during an interview. Walk into every interview knowing that you have something of value to offer; have faith in the education you received at Brown. Also, be honest about your experiences and skill set, and people will respond positively to that.

What is your fondest memory at Brown?

I still remember what it’s like to have 3 midterms per semester, but ending late night study sessions, 5am breakfasts at Louis with my friends made it easier and worthwhile. If I could do it again, I would eat more fish tacos at Baja Tacos, spend less time dwelling on small stuff, and attend more student comedy shows.