PhDs at Google: The Embedded Approach to Research

Google Tech Talk July 31, 2013 Ph.D.'s at Google: The Embedded Approach to Research Research at Google is unique, as it is conducted across the entire Engineering organization, following a hybrid approach. This approach allows our discoveries to affect the world, both through improving Google products and services which reach the user directly, as well as through the broader advancement of scientific knowledge. Google employs thousands of PhDs throughout the company, where any single product area likely has more PhDs than does all of the Research organization. This creates an integrated culture that is singular; teams are integrated, boundaries are fluid, and we face challenges together while retaining a close feedback loop from the real world, focused on building and launching new products. Utilizing the collective talent within Google, Software Engineers and Research Scientists across Engineering work together, allowing us to move quickly on technological advance and to bring the best possible technology to our users. This panel discussion, with six of Google's senior software engineers and researchers, touches on what keeps us engaged in our work, covering topics such as leveraging your PhD at Google, research versus software engineering, common research focus areas, roles for individual contributors and managers, publishing and patents, conferences and collaboration opportunities, and project mobility. Google Panelists Michiel Bacchiani, Senior Staff Research Scientist Omar Benjelloun, Staff Software Engineer Gideon Mann, Staff Research Scientist Umesh Shankar, Senior Staff Software Engineer Eugene Weinstein, Senior Software Engineer Oksana Yakhnenko, Software Engineer