Rockefeller Leadership Fellow: Shaun Sengupta ’17

This series introduces the 2016-2017 Rockefeller Leadership Fellows. Each fellow reflects on why he or she wanted to be a part of the program and what aspects of leadership most interests them.

In today’s technology environment, there are great engineers, designers, and developers. However, there is a certain lack of leadership within this domain – a type of leadership that wisely meshes others’ skills together to create an environment of innovation, efficiency, and satisfaction in one’s work. From my experience in the automotive technology industry, I observed a gap in cohesion between scientists and engineers. Seeing this disconnect, I strive to be the person that can bring together such people’s talents to accelerate future technology. With the interpersonal, speaking, and teamwork skills developed and applied in RLF, I will transform these goals into a more palpable reality.

Last year, I was the Dartmouth Formula Racing (DFR) chassis redesign Project Lead, a role that introduced me to the leading-member dynamic. DFR is a racing team from Thayer that competes in the annual Formula Hybrid competition in spring term. Every two to four years, DFR builds a new racecar that has either an electric or hybrid powertrain. As Project Lead, I noticed that when the design started to come together, some students began to decrease their involvement in the project, which concentrated the workload on the team leadership. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed redesigning the new chassis, the design and DFR overall would have benefited from more sustained involvement. From this project, I learned the importance of being able to better identify people’s talents in order to have sustained excitement and involvement.

RLF is helping me become the type of leader that can foster sustainability in a team. In my participation in RLF, I add a sense of broad experience coupled with a different type of leadership. I share my experiences with the other delegates as well as embody the lessons and advice they offer. I’m exercising better interpersonal skills and improving my current style of leadership while dually helping the others improve theirs as well.

Shaun Sengupta ’17 hails from northern New Jersey and graduated from Secaucus High School. He is an Engineering Sciences major, Government minor, and a Charles E. and Thomas E. Wilson 1935 Memorial Scholarship recipient. At Dartmouth, Shaun allocates his time to Dartmouth Formula Racing (DFR). This year he is the DFR chassis-redesign Project Lead. He is also an active member in the South Asian Student Association and a member and co-founder of Dartmouth Club Bodybuilding. Outside of academics, Shaun is a co-founder and current CMO of Green Rentals LLC, a campus marketplace for textbook rentals. After graduation, Shaun will complete his B.E. in Mechanical Engineering at Thayer in 2018; he further intends to lead and innovate within the automotive technology industry thereafter.

Edited by Rachel Favors '18, Rockefeller Center Student Program Assistant for Communications