In this episode, Aanya Gupta shares how her original goal of becoming a doctor evolved as she discovered coding, engineering, and computational public health. She discusses developing agent-based models to study vaccine uptake and disease spread, using synthetic data to estimate chronic disease prevalence, and experiencing the iterative process of turning research into published work.

She also reflects on working with clinicians and a patient through Stanford’s Clinical Science, Technology and Medicine internship, where her team developed an assistive robotic system that helped a woman with rheumatoid arthritis knit again. Aanya dives into studying quantum software through MIT Beaver Works, presenting technical research to hundreds of researchers and industry professionals, and exploring artificial intelligence as a software intern at Raytheon.

Beyond research, Aanya opens up about founding TJ Climbing, leading HackTJ, finding mentors, and learning how to create communities where other students can explore alongside her. She shares why she wishes she had spent less time worrying about the next achievement, why trying seemingly unrelated things helped her understand herself better, and why young women shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help, put themselves out there, and pursue whatever genuinely interests them—even when they don’t know exactly where it will lead.

Sofie Roux and Rachel Grant are Stanford engineers whose work spans solar-powered race cars, sustainable architecture, aerospace, and global education. As leaders of the Stanford Solar Car Project, they helped rebuild a struggling team, transform an aging vehicle into a second-place finisher, and prepare the next generation of students to design an entirely new car.

In this episode, Sofie shares how she founded Bloombox Design Labs at sixteen and began transforming shipping containers into solar-powered STEAM classrooms in Malawi. She also discusses her work as the Solar Array Lead for Stanford Solar Car, where every decision requires balancing energy capture, aerodynamics, reliability, and the needs of the larger team.

Rachel traces her unconventional path from collegiate volleyball and biomechanics research to mechanical engineering, combustion chemistry, and aerospace. She reflects on working as a build engineer on Starship’s propulsion system at SpaceX, studying the extreme conditions spacecraft encounter during reentry, and leading the mechanical development of Stanford’s solar car.

Together, Sofie and Rachel open up about all-nighters at the racetrack, learning through failure, rebuilding lost institutional knowledge, and finding lifelong friendships through engineering. They also share what it means to be one of the few women in the room—and why young women should never feel pressured to become quieter, less creative, or perfect in order to be taken seriously.

Dr. Fardina F. Alam is the Program Director for Data Science at the University of Maryland, College Park and a researcher working at the intersection of machine learning and computational biology. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering, Dr. Alam began her career as a lecturer in Bangladesh before moving to the United States to pursue her Ph.D. at George Mason University.

In this episode, Dr. Alam shares what it was like to leave behind an established teaching position, adjust to a new country and academic system, and become a student again in a research-focused environment. She discusses how her curiosity led her from a traditional computer science background into computational biology, where she began using artificial intelligence to help computers understand the complex three-dimensional structures of proteins.

We also explore the unexpected moment when AlphaFold transformed the protein structure prediction problem she had been studying—and how she responded by reinventing her research instead of viewing the development as a setback. Dr. Alam explains how that shift led her toward protein structure representation learning and generation, eventually contributing to award-winning research and earning her department’s Outstanding Dissertation Award. She also shares her perspective on responsible AI use, the continued importance of human creativity and judgment, and why students must use emerging technologies without becoming dependent on them.

Beyond her research, Dr. Alam discusses becoming the first woman in her family to earn a doctorate, mentoring students through programs such as Break Through Tech AI, and creating classrooms where students feel comfortable asking for help. She reflects on balancing teaching, research, administration, mentorship, and family; navigating burnout; and learning not to compare her journey to those of others. Through her story, Dr. Alam reminds young women that there is no single path to success—and that curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to begin before feeling completely ready can take them further than they imagine.