Topics discussed:

* 0:00 — Introductions

* 0:20 — Working on the ‘Decavitator’ (the vehicle that holds the human-powered speed record on water) at MIT as an undergraduate

* 3:33 — Transferring to MIT as an undergraduate from Spain in the 1980s

* 5:10 — What skills help you succeed at a school like MIT?

* 6:45 — What extracurriculars did you do as an undergraduate?

* 8:25 — On the importance of student’s having initiative

* 9:27 — Experiences outside the classroom

* 10:31 — Being inspired to do more than we think we can

* 11:23 — What made you want to start graduate school instead of work in industry?

* 14:22 — Becoming a Stanford Professor

* 15:46 — How to best take advantage of career opportunities

* 16:45 — “In order to have one good idea you need to have ten bad ideas”

* 17:52 — You need to know when to quit

* 19:00 — Experience working at NASA

* 22:05 — Entrepreneurship and starting Luminary Cloud (https://www.luminarycloud.com/) and the best ways to make change

* 23:50 — The importance of NASA, and its role in being between industry and academia

* 26:45 — Advice for students applying to academic programs

* 28:30 — “Admissions offices are looking for interesting people”

* 29:09 — “Don’t get caught in the rat race”

* 31:03 — We have a responsibility to make the most out of the opportunities we’ve been given

* 32:45 — What selection committees are looking for in graduate students

* 35:47 — Grades are not the destination, the destination is learning

* 36:30 — The importance of presenting yourself well during interviews (and other soft skills)

* 38:11 — Professor Alonso’s vision for the Aeronautics and Astronautics department at Stanford University

* 41:17 — The most important areas in Aerospace engineering over the next 10-15 years

* 45:30 — Wrapping up

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