ALUMNI CAREER SPOTLIGHT

ARTICLE BY HALLEL ABRAMS GERBER, ‘24

The name alone—Bronx Science—brings many to STEM careers after graduation. Few, however, reach the depth, range, and experience of Dr. Gabriel Ganot ’01, a Principal Engineer who specializes in failure analysis and failure prevention of engineered components and systems.

For Ganot, Engineering was a foregone conclusion. “Even as a little kid, it fascinated me,” he explained. “I always knew I wanted to be an engineer first and foremost, but I knew that there was more to it. Bronx Science really fed that love, where top notch education and all the sciences propelled me to make sure I wanted to keep going on the engineering route.”

Ganot noted that it was especially valuable to have an AP Physics C teacher, Dr. Goldstein, who had worked in the industry.

“One thing that made him a great teacher was taking the textbook — theoretical, fundamental — and talking about how that influenced a product, something that we would use, touch, and hold in daily life. It stuck with me that the stuff we’re learning about has real-world implications, not just in physics but in anything.”

Beyond the classroom, Ganot participated in band, served as the captain of the ultimate frisbee team, and played baseball outside of school. He noted that what “really resonated… was the diversity and populace of the school. It’s unrivaled… that experience of being able to understand and bridge different cultures, socioeconomic strata, walks of life, and locations in the city.”

Ganot received his undergraduate degrees at Lehigh University in Material Science and Engineering and Integrated Business and Engineering and then his Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in Material Science and Engineering at Columbia. Today, he is a consultant with Exponent, an acclaimed international consulting and research company, specializing in failure analysis, materials science, metallurgy, fractography, and semiconductor processing. As he