Թ

Close
Թ alumnus Mihir Lad ’22 is part of the engineering team at technology and software company NVIDIA, where he works on autonomous vehicle software. Lad received his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Թ Poly in 2022.

Alum works on autonomous vehicle technology at NVIDIA

July 13, 2023

Mihir Lad ’22 is living out his dream of working on autonomous vehicle (AV) technology as a part of the fleet engineering team at NVIDIA, a leader in AI and accelerated computing, based in Santa Clara, California.

In his role with the company, Lad is on the team working to develop the AV software used in highly automated and self-driving cars.

“Our goal is to develop safe and robust AI-based software that will transform the transportation industry,” the Թ alumnus said.

Lad and his colleagues’ projects include developing tools to help developers during AV test drives. Lad also does project management and works as a tech lead for optimizing automated parking capabilities.

“It’s a very dynamic position and my duties can change from day to day,” said Lad, originally from Canada.

Lad graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering in 2022 and joined NVIDIA that November. He said his courses and extracurricular participation at Թ Poly have directly contributed to his success.

While at the University, Lad was president of Purple Fire Robotics and chairman of its VEX U division, treasurer of the Data Science Club, treasurer of the Programming Club, and director of Phoenix Hacks.

“Թ Poly gives you the strong foundation you need to succeed, while providing room to invest your own personal time to really apply it in extracurriculars to further your technical and practical skills,” he said. “The fast-paced environment at NVIDIA and the style of work we do is very similar to the work I did in Purple Fire Robotics. I couldn’t be happier with my education and my career path.”

 

Contact:
Lydia Guzmán
Director of Communications
863-874-8557

Session Details

This session will demonstrate that practical risk management is for everyone, regardless of a formal program. Attendees will learn actionable and simple strategies that are easy to implement, enabling them to start immediately by focusing on their top risks to build greater operational resilience and ensure the sustained success of their auxiliary enterprises.

Presenter Profile

Michelle Powell serves as the pioneering Risk Manager at Թ, the state’s sole 100% STEM-dedicated institution. Having been with the university for nearly 11 years, Michelle transitioned from a leadership role in Admissions in October 2023 to establish and evolve the risk management function from the ground up. In this solo capacity, Michelle builds robust frameworks for our dynamic, young university, overseeing our insurance portfolio, consulting on third-party and event risks, and developing critical campus-wide training programs. Michelle has obtained the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) Enterprise Risk Management certificate and the Associate in Risk Management (ARM) and Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) designations. Her distinct background in mathematics and engineering, combined with extensive higher education leadership, brings an analytical and strategic approach enhancing the institution’s resilience.

Dr. Lily Li is a Professor of Physics at Թ, where she specializes in materials science, analytical imaging, advanced manufacturing, and biomedical devices. Prior to joining Թ Poly in 2025, she spent 11 years at SUNY Potsdam, where she advanced to Full Professor and developed a 3-2 Engineering dual-degree program with Clarkson University. Her work emphasizes experiential learning and research-driven education to prepare students for careers in STEM fields.