Our lab was pleased to welcome Professor Feniosky Peña-Mora and Minosca Alcántara for a keynote session and informal discussion at our research building. The session brought together perspectives from both academia and industry, leading to thoughtful conversations on research, career development, and the evolving direction of engineering practice.
A central theme of the discussion was the role of research in shaping the future of industry. We reflected on what it means to work at the forefront of emerging technologies, where research can at times feel discouraging due to the lack of immediate industry adoption. However, Professor Peña-Mora, drawing from his extensive career, reassured us that such work often becomes foundational in the decades ahead. As he wisely noted, research consistently operates ahead of industry, laying the groundwork for future transformation.
He illustrated this point with a reflection from his own experience:
“Professor Jacob and I were just talking about how 20 years ago, we were tackling scheduling in construction. Today, we are still tackling scheduling.”
This perspective grounded our discussions in the reality that while technologies evolve, many core challenges persist, we must continuously innovate.
Professor Peña-Mora’s breadth of knowledge also expanded our thinking about sensing and data modalities. While our lab has primarily focused on LiDAR and RGB-D data, he introduced the idea of leveraging acoustics as a complementary source for data collection and processing, an approach that had not previously been on our radar.
Beyond technical insights, he shared reflections from his extensive career, emphasizing the importance of intentionality in professional growth. One piece of advice that resonated strongly with our members was:
“Be memorable for the right things, and you do that by doing good work”
Minosca Alcántara contributed equally valuable perspectives from her leadership in large-scale infrastructure and project management. In response to a question from our member Linh, she spoke about navigating career progression while maintaining balance in one’s personal life, offering practical and candid advice that resonated with many in the room.
Overall, the session was an enriching experience for our lab, particularly for our early-stage researchers as they consider paths in both academia and industry. The complementary perspectives shared by Professor Peña-Mora and Alcántara provided not only insight, but also direction as we continue to grow.
