1. Tell us about your background. When did you graduate from Brown? What has your career path been like since graduating from Brown? What made you choose your employer/position?

After graduating Brown in 2006 as a biomedical engineer, I went straight into law school at UPenn. Afterwards, I cut my teeth litigating patents at a large international law firm in its Los Angeles office. In time, I went in-house--the term for a lawyer who is employed directly by a company. My first in-house position was at a mid-cap publicly traded technology company, where I broadened my skill set by handling the company's regulatory, technology, and trademark matters, along with its litigation and patent portfolio. Today, I'm an in-house attorney at The Walt Disney Company, working in its consumer products division.

 

2. How did your experience at Brown help you find your first position after graduation?

Since my first job was separated by three years from undergrad, Brown's impact was not direct. That said, I owe Brown everything. As a biomedical engineer, you have to tackle courses handpicked from extremely difficult disciplines--from organic chemistry to applied mathematics to robotics to nanotechnology. As a Brown student, you are also supposed to take classes during your "downtime" in philosophy, art, history, etc., with classmates who are the best and brightest in those respective fields. In doing all of the above, I came to realize that new subjects will often seem above your pay grade at first. However, that's an illusion: no matter how overwhelming, few things are unlearnable. To overcome that initial anxiety with grace, you need the courage (and humility) to struggle a little bit (or a lot), but you can generally figure it out. This confidence directly translates from academia to the work force. It has been a personal touchstone for me as my path has taken its various turns.

 

3. What experiences and/or personal qualities would you look for if you were in the position to hire new graduates from Brown?

I would seek colleagues who are hungry--i.e. not afraid to learn (see above). Perhaps more importantly, I would seek those who are honest.

 

4. What is your current position? On a typical day (or week) in your position, what do you do? What are the toughest challenges you face? What is the most rewarding part of your job?

As an in-house attorney, I am the direct point of contact for the business as it seeks legal advice and input. As such, I field day-to-day questions that address a variety of topics, and I am challenged to find creative ways forward. Each day is different and that keeps my interest.

 

5. Are there any courses at Brown that you would recommend taking as preparation?

I loved entrepreneurship courses and working at a research lab. I also loved my semester abroad in Australia. That's said, it would be un-Brunonian to supplant my opinions on course-choice for a student's, so I'll simply urge that that students scratch every academic itch before leaving Brown.

 

6. If you had it to do all over again, what would you do differently?

I wouldn't do it differently, but I would do it again and again.