Student Spotlight: Fernando Rodriguez Silva Santisteban
September 25, 2020
Meet Fernando Rodriguez Silva Santisteban
Incoming PhD student
HOMETOWN
Lima, Peru
PLACE LIVED PRIOR TO STANFORD
Lima, Peru
UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTION
Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas
DEGREES AND MAJOR
B.Eng. in Civil Engineering
Pre-MS&E experience
I graduated as a civil engineer in 2014 and joined a project management and boutique consulting startup in the construction sector, and then later shifted towards strategic planning in the nonprofit sector. While working there I realized the potential of applying management principles to maximize impact of social enterprises. I'm currently working to become a Master in Public Policy and a PhD in Management Science and Engineering, with a focus in decision analysis applied to policy and philanthropy.
Desired post-MS&E impact
I hope to contribute to improved decision-making in the social sector by quantifying the uncertainty inherent to projects and maximizing impact based on an analytical framework. I wish to expand our understanding of heterogeneous treatment effects and how data-informed decisions can increase the expected impact, building on the Theory of Change and Bayesian belief networks to represent uncertainty. After my PhD, I would like to work in research or consulting applied to public and nonprofit sectors.
Interests and hobbies
I like cooking, listening to music and working out to unwind. Depending on my mood, that could be yoga or it could be martial arts, but I find joy in both. I rarely say no to getting together with friends for a nice conversation while dining out or having drinks.