Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation
Spotlight

Subhan Ali

MS ’09, PhD ’15, Civil & Environmental Engineering
I am an engineer. To me, engineering is about people. We all think it’s about an analytical model, but at the end of the day, if you aren’t able to make that person-to-person connection, you can’t design a solution that’s going to have an impact on people’s lives.

You have to have the ability to relate and put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

I came to Stanford to be a civil engineer. My dad was a civil engineer; it was very familiar to me. I got my PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering but ended up going into data analytics. When I got to Stanford, I found myself in this place where all kinds of new and exciting things were happening – there’s just something very different in the air here that you don’t find anywhere else. I really began to see the impact technology would have on the world. Once I started seeing that, I started looking at my skill set and trying to figure out where I wanted to go. A lot of my friends got their PhDs and diverted a little bit from the field they had been in. After I graduated I did a postdoctoral fellowship/boot camp for people who have PhDs and wanted to go into data science. After I finished this I began to look for jobs. Ultimately, it was through this and my associations with the Stanford Alumni Association’s CareerConnect program that I found my current job doing business analytics for Symantec. Stanford taught me that it’s all about people and community, and I think my story and career trajectory so far is a testament to that.

Beyond my engineering work, I helped start the Stanford Muslim Alumni Association. We have about 300 to 400 active people in our group. We have a Reunion Homecoming event every year, and we will again this year. It’s another great way for me and others in this community to stay connected to the farm.

Related spotlights

Portrait of Sebastian Fernandez, wearing a black coat and top, standing outside.

Sebastian Fernández

PhD candidate
Electrical Engineering
I was born in Cusco, Peru, located at an altitude of 11,000 feet in the Andes, where we lived with my extended family until I was 2 years old.
Read Sebastian Fernández's story
Portrait of Alicia Sheares, arms crossed and smiling directly at the camera.

Alicia Sheares

Assistant Professor
Management Science and Engineering
I grew up about 45 minutes outside of Philadelphia in Bucks County, where we were a Black family in a predominantly white neighborhood.
Read Alicia Sheares's story
Gradudate student Tinevimbo Ndlovu, standing outside, smiling, and looking directly into the camera.

Tinevimbo Ndlovu

MS ’24
Aeronautics and Astronautics
I’ve always thought planes were cool. I went on my first flight when I was 6, from my hometown of Harare, Zimbabwe, to Johannesburg, and the experience was eye-opening.
Read Tinevimbo Ndlovu's story