NAME: William Navarro Jameson
CONCENTRATION: Electrical engineering
GRADUATION YEAR: 2016
TITLE AND COMPANY: Senior Engineer, Global EV Charging Infrastructure at Tesla
Q. As an engineer, how are you making an impact?
A. I'm actively helping advance the electrification of transportation by developing Electric Vehicle charging products and an EV charging network which will ultimately replace the network of gas stations across the globe. This will help curb CO2 emissions from the auto industry, which contributes at least 17 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. (source: EPA, light-duty vehicles).
Q. What do you love about being an engineer?
A. As an engineer you get to apply an understanding of how things work to solving real, tangible problems. There is a satisfaction in helping create something you can see or feel that has a useful function and hopefully has real value to the world. As an EE, I get to work closely with computers, at the intersection of software and hardware (firmware), and learn about programming machines which have so much awesome potential to improve our lives.
Q. What is unique, special, or interesting about your job?
A. Because EV charging technology is still ahead of much regulatory oversight in most of the world, and Tesla is a large international company, I get to help prepare technical presentations for policymakers from California to Germany which aim to inform EV regulation.
Q. What career advice would you give to current engineering students?
A. Reach out to professionals in the industries and/or research fields that you are interested in to find out what it is really like. Many people are happy to talk about their experiences and/or give advice, which can be hugely beneficial to your job search. Also, generally, even as a soon-to-be or recent graduate, you can always negotiate your starting salary.
