Sumedh Warudkar '13

Sumedh Warudkar '13

What inspires you to remain so engaged with Rice?

I graduated in 2013 with a Ph.D. in chemical engineering. I stay engaged with Rice because I recognize that I grew leaps and bounds through the technical and leadership experiences I had during my 5 years at the school. I was fortunate to work with a thesis advisor who is a legend in his field, who taught me how to do research and I was equally fortunate to work with leadership (university and student) who through their words and deeds helped me mold into a better person and leader myself.

How have you grown/changed in your Rice journey since receiving the award?

I left Rice as a graduate thinking like most graduates do that I would spend my career in research. Seven years and 3 jobs in the energy industry later (luckily with the same company), I have been able to leverage my Rice training — technical and leadership to pivot into a more commercial role where I get to deploy a different set of skills and muscles. We relocated to Louisiana for 3 years which in itself was an experience that made us more resilient especially because the back half of our stint there was during COVID times.

Sumedh’s advice:

I encourage every professional to do two things:

1. Take a step back and run a "worst case scenario" analysis for your career and visualize your options. Far too often, we avoid risk and forgo opportunities in the fear of the unknown. Being prepared for your "worst case scenario" means you've made the unknown, a known and can make better risk/reward decisions.

2. The world around us is changing. That's true especially if you are in the energy industry — the day of picking a mentor 10 or 20 years ahead in the industry and following in their lockstep are gone. Focus not on becoming a specialist at a technology or a process, but on developing and marketing your transferable skills. This might be economics or the ability to run a manufacturing facility or executing commercial deals. This allows you to be nimble at times when there's a curve-ball headed your way. I cannot stress enough the value of being flexible and adaptable.

What’s next for you?

I've been in the energy industry for nearly 8 years. I had intentionally focused in this duration on developing a strong reputation and a track record of delivery at my firm. I am where I wanted to be from a personal and professional perspective. In the next few years, I will be actively looking to increase my engagement with the Rice community — be it through REA participation or Rice alumni board and any other appropriate means.