See other great ISE stories like this in the latest inGear Magazine
ISE alumnus Ziteng Wang (Class of 15) shares his wisdom and experience from working at Fedex and now as a faculty member at Northern Illinois University’s Industrial Engineering Department
What is the single most important experience or understanding you gained in the ISE department?
The most important understanding I gained was that you can always do better, as a person or an organization. This is the spirit of industrial and systems engineering. I learned so much from ISE professors and my peers and it always inspired me to excel myself.
Are there regular industry/academic events you attend / ways you stay connected?
I go to the INFORMS and IISE conferences each year and always stop by the NC State ISE booth. We may even bump into each other at an airport! Email and LinkedIn are also great ways in which I keep up with what’s going on in the department.
What would you like to accomplish in your career?
I hope to become a professor who brings exciting research advances to the field and helps shape the best engineers for the future. I would be extremely happy if my students become more successful and they like me.
If you were not in the engineering field, what would you likely be doing?
I would probably become a medical doctor. Nothing helps people more than saving their lives. But I think I am lucky because engineering makes lives better and industrial engineering makes engineering better. Probably working in the intersection of healthcare and industrial engineering is a good idea.
What advice do you have for current ISE students?
The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment. Being in such a great ISE department can allow you to realize your true potential. So try different things, learn from your peers, and seize the golden opportunity when it comes!