The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) at Rice University recently welcomed Bill Stockton ’85, a materials engineering leader at Tesla, for a fireside chat with undergraduate and graduate students participating in the Center for Career Development’s Owl Edge Externship Program. More than 20 students from across Rice Engineering disciplines attended the event, which fostered an engaging conversation on career exploration, professional growth, and the value of real-world experience.
Stockton’s visit was facilitated by the Center for Career Development as part of its mission to strengthen the Rice Career Ecosystem by connecting students with alumni and industry leaders. Andreas Matzakos of the ChBE department helped welcome Stockton to campus and coordinated opportunities for ChBE students to gain firsthand insights from his extensive experience in materials engineering.
A graduate of Rice’s Chemical Engineering program and a member of Lovett College, Stockton reflected on what initially drew him to the discipline. “I chose chemical engineering because it was the most diverse engineering curriculum—it touched electrical, mechanical, civil, chemistry, and physics,” he said. “It gave me the flexibility to explore many paths.”
That flexibility, he explained, proved essential as his career evolved across corporate research, startups, consulting, entrepreneurship, and ultimately leadership roles in advanced materials development. Stockton also shared his perspective on advanced education, noting that while there are ample engineering opportunities for students with bachelor’s degrees, earning a Ph.D. can unlock more research and development focused career paths. He credited his Ph.D. from MIT as a crucial part of his professional journey, opening doors to research and development roles that he found more difficult to access earlier in his career.
Stockton emphasized that career direction often becomes clearer through action rather than early certainty.“The best preparation for a career is experience,” he said. “Nothing beats internships, undergraduate research, or hands-on work—you don’t know what you like until you try it.”
Drawing on his current role at Tesla, where he leads battery materials initiatives, Stockton highlighted the importance of adaptability and continuous learning. Reflecting on the transition into new roles, he remarked, “You’re never going to know everything before you start a job—and that’s okay. Engineering is about learning constantly and being willing to grow into new challenges.”
Several students were also able to extend the experience beyond campus by attending a GigaFactory Texas (GFTX) tour in Austin, gaining an up-close look at Tesla’s electric vehicle manufacturing operations and advanced production systems. Students' travel expenses were supported with Moody Experience Travel Funding.
He also encouraged students to be intentional about demonstrating impact early in their careers. According to Stockton, “Evidence of excellence matters. Employers want to see what you’ve owned, what you’ve built, and how you’ve executed—not just that you ran an experiment or followed instructions.”
The conversation concluded with a lively question-and-answer session and informal discussions, giving students the opportunity to engage directly with an alumnus whose career reflects the wide-ranging opportunities enabled by a Rice engineering education. Stockton’s visit underscored the importance of alumni engagement and experiential learning in preparing students for resilient, meaningful careers.