Paul G. Allen School Alumni Career Experience (ACE) Seminar

CSE 492L, Winter 2025

Logistics

Tuesdays, 1:30-2:20, Bill & Melinda Gates Center G01
Instructors: Ed Lazowska and Dan Grossman
A one-credit (CR/NC) seminar

Intent

The Paul G. Allen School Alumni Career Experience (ACE) Seminar, CSE 492L, is a one-credit (CR/NC) seminar series, primarily targeted at upper-division Allen School undergraduates, that brings Allen School alums to campus to describe how to be effective in a startup, small company, large company, or less common environment. We ask the guests to describe the choices they have made and the reasons for those choices, focusing on "things they learned in their first few years after graduation that they wish someone had told them beforehand."

Our guests will discuss topics such as:

  • What do you need to know in order to succeed, that you don't learn in your classes or during an internship?
  • How do you position yourself to work on interesting projects?
  • In a large company, what strategies can make you influential, vs. a cog in a wheel?
  • What is life like in a startup?
  • If your goal is to start and grow your own company, where do you begin?
  • What are the pros and cons of less common career options, such as teaching high school computer science?
  • Why might you choose graduate school vs. tech industry employment after graduation?

Think of these presentations as "postcards from your future" - our guests were you just a few years ago! (And perhaps you'll be willing to be a guest a few years from now!)

These should be fun, informative, interactive sessions. This seminar has been very well received during its past offerings (2011-2024). But it's up to you - you need to make it interactive!

Course requirements

Regular attendance (attendance will be taken periodically), active participation.

Please read up on the individual and his/her employer(s) in advance of each course session - LinkedIn will be provided for each guest.

Come to class prepared to take advantage of the knowledge and experience of these alums. Interact and ask questions!

Inclusiveness

You should expect and demand to be treated by your classmates and the course staff with respect. You belong here, and we are here to help you learn and enjoy this seminar. If any incident occurs that challenges this commitment to a supportive and inclusive environment, please let the instructors know so that the issue can be addressed. We are personally committed to this, and subscribe to the Allen School Inclusiveness Statement.

Feedback

We welcome your feedback! Should you have issues or concerns that you are not comfortable raising directly with the course staff, there are a number of mechanisms available to you. They're listed here.

Covid Protocol

As the quarter unfolds, if you do not feel healthy, or if you believe you may have been exposed, or if you test positive, please mask up (at a minimum) or stay home! (Send Ed email explaining your absence.) Missing one class session is not the end of the world! Your health, and the health of your classmates, is paramount!

UW's Covid information page is here.

Course email archive

Send email to course members by using the address cse492l_wi25 at uw.edu.

The archive of email is available here.

The lineup

The lineup is still a bit in flux, but here's where it stands:

Tuesdays, 1:30, Bill & Melinda Gates Center G01
Date Guest(s) Experience
January 7 Panel of recent alums:
   Naya Auradkar, 2022 Computer Science B.S. (minor in Neural Science & Engineering), 2023 CSE M.S.
   Sarah Rashid, 2019 Bellevue College A.A.S., 2022 Computer Science B.S.
   Faraz Qureshi, 2024 Computer Engineering B.S.
Netflix
   
Microsoft
   
Tesla
January 14 Amrutha Gujjar, 2019 Computer Science B.S., 2023 Y Combinator Facebook -> Structured (Co-Founder & CEO)
   
January 21 Erin Peach, 2015 Computer Science B.S., 2017 CSE M.S. Code.org -> Obama Foundation -> Seattle Kraken
January 28 Ryan McMahon, 2015 Computer Engineering B.S., 2017 CSE M.S. Tableau -> Cruise
 
February 4 Jeff Nivala 2010 Bioengineering B.S., 2014 UC Santa Cruz Biophysics Ph.D. Harvard Medical School Postdoctoral Scholar -> Allen School faculty
 
February 11 Sam Courts, 2014 Linguistics B.A., 2014 Computer Science B.S. Intentional Software -> Microsoft (via acquisition) -> partner acrobatics trainer
February 18 David Liu, 2015 Computer Science B.S. Amazon -> Microsoft -> Amazon -> Microsoft
February 25 TBD
March 4 TBD
March 11 Scott Southwood, 2010 Computer Science B.S. Microsoft -> Amazon -> Bright Machines -> Venmo