Student Achievements and Testimonials

Check out what some recent undergraduate and graduate students have to say about their experiences in the ISE program at Lehigh. 

From what initially sparked their interest in ISE to what they have learned, from internships to career opportunities, these student testimonials provide a glimpse into the variety of opportunities one can find as an ISE student at Lehigh. 

If you are planning on taking a tour of Lehigh during the academic school year, and would like to meet some ISE department faculty, staff and students, then please contact Communications Specialist, Amanda Fabrizio at Amanda.Fabrizio@lehigh.edu or at 610-758-2986 to schedule a visit.

Dan CromartieDan Cromartie ’10
Major: Information and Systems Engineering
dcc310@lehigh.edu

I chose Lehigh because of the broad academic offerings, good reputation, the financial aid I was being given, picturesque campus, medium size, and a good distance from hometown.

I was very undecided about majors during my freshman year of college. The wide variety of potential careers and graduate programs was a big draw. I liked technical subjects, but traditional engineering majors were too specific, and honestly, I don't like to get my hands dirty. I really liked math, but it sometimes disregarded applicability to real life, and didn't have the connection to industry that ISE does. The problems ISE deals with are everywhere. I like the idea of not necessarily "changing the givens" to overcome a problem like other engineers often do, but rather just making better decisions with the resources you have available- which is what you are trying to do in almost your entire life.

The most interesting thing I have learned from the department so far is your intuition is probably wrong. I learned that you need to be skeptical of everything, and be able to justify anything you propose. I had the chance to do some great internships as well. During the summer of 2008, I interned for the NASA Langley Research Center, where I had the opportunitiy to do a mentored research program involving Statistics and Design of Experiments for modeling Scramjet Engine flows. This summer, I am interning at Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control, Operations Analysis Department. I am working with probability, statistics and simulation for anti-mine field munitions. I am also updating computer tools for ranking and comparing R&D projects.

After graduation, I plan on pursuing a M.S. in Management Science and maybe continue for a master's in Statistics. I would like to find a job in defense or consulting most likely. I would like to work abroad so I can work on my foreign languages.

Megan McLoughin Megan McLoughlin ’10
Major: IBE/IE
mem210@lehigh.edu

I chose Lehigh originally for the Integrated Business and Engineering Program but found Lehigh to offer much more. It is the perfect size where you don’t know everyone, but always know someone and the campus is beautiful to walk around. Lehigh provides a great balance of academics and social life is something I don’t think I would have found anywhere else.

I chose IE because it fits really well into the IBE curriculum. I knew that I wanted to have an engineering background to get the analytical and quantitative education that the business side sometimes lacks. IE develops skills that can be applied to a broad range of industries, which is great for me since I am still trying to decide what I want to do after I graduate.

One thing I have learned from the IE department is being able to think outside the box when applying concepts learned in the classroom. Concepts learned while taking various IE classes can be applied to wide range situations, some of my topics include in regularly apply to different situations are optimization, continuous improvement and efficiency.

I am planning on staying at Lehigh for a fifth year and get a Masters of Management Science. I have taken courses at the undergraduate level that will allow for an easy transition into this Masters program. One of the reasons that drew me towards this program was the number of tracks you can choose. I am leaning towards Supply Chain/Logistics track, since I spent the summer working for Becton Dickinson as a Strategic Sourcing intern under the Integrated Supply Chain.

Jim PaolinoJim Paolino ’09, ’11G
Major: Bachelor's in IBE, Master’s in Engineering in Information and Systems Engineering
jap209@lehigh.edu

I chose Lehigh because of the Integrated Business and Engineering Program. I knew I wanted to be an engineering major but was also interested in business. I really liked Lehigh’s balance of academics and social life. It’s a top school academically without being too cutthroat. Teamwork is encouraged and often required. I choose the IE major because of the problem solving skills you learn and the “big picture focus.” I like looking at an entire process or system and finding ways to make it better. Also, the skills you learn as an IE transfer to nearly any type of industry which allowed me flexibility in figuring out what I want to do career-wise.

There are many different ways to breakdown and analyze problems. Most of the time, the results are different than you planned on due to uncertainties you can’t account for. The best approaches are the ones that are able to handle such changes. This is one of the concepts I learned as an undergrad.

One of the professors that influenced me the most was the first one I met on campus, Professor Storer. He has been my adviser since my freshman year and been a big part of me being an IE. His classes were some of the most enjoyable I’ve taken.

After graduating from the ISE's department graduate program, I plan on working for a technology consulting company after school and being exposed to different industries during that experience. I’m hoping to find an area I enjoy and work within that industry.

Rob RappaRob Rappa ’11
Major: Information and Systems Engineering
rjr211@lehigh.edu

Many factors played their parts when I was choosing a college; the three most important of which were academics, location, and campus life. Lehigh is a very strong educational institution; when you tell someone it's your Alma mater, it means something. Lehigh Engineering is well known among professionals and offers variety - in majors, in clubs, and in opportunities.

I've been researching majors since high school. I possess a lot of varied interests and was curious to see how I could follow through with them academically. Most of the majors I looked at, I found to be too specific towards a particular discipline. I wanted a program that would allow me to be versatile with respect to the fields I work with, highly knowledge and technically capable - especially with mathematics and computing. This is exactly what ISE has to offer - the "big picture" type of engineering that acts as a gateway for endless learning and opportunity.

In college you don't just learn formulas and facts, you learn about how to live. So far, the ISE department has shown me, most importantly, that there are opportunities abound if you take the initiative to seek them. For example, this year through the department I've met people from all over the country, some of whom represent major players in industry, merely since I decided to take a step forward. Sitting around waiting for something to happen will take you as far as sitting can get you, which isn't very far at all.

I've been lucky enough, this summer and last, to obtain an internship at the defense contractor ITT, within the Communications Systems division. I work with military network communications systems. My time is divided, as needed, between the lab and the field. In the lab I help perform systems tests of the radios, their software, and the networks they comprise. In the field (Fort Dix) I help support whatever C4ISR related testing is being done.

Imagine a movie or TV show where they demonstrate some technology that seems beyond belief. More generally, something that makes you say "wow.” That's what I want to do. Therefore, after graduation I aspire to work for a company in the aerospace/defense industry. I've always wanted to be at the cutting edge with regards to advanced systems, and this industry is definitely the place where I can find that.

Alex RudermanAlex Ruderman ’09, ’11G
Major: Bachelor's in IBE, Master’s in Engineering in Information and Systems Engineering
apr409@lehigh.edu

When I was applying to colleges, I could not decided if i wanted to do engineering or business. Lehigh had a very good mix of both, so I felt it was a good fit for me. I chose ISE because I believe ISE's are going to be a very important to businesses as we move into a more technologically run world and felt it would be a good opportunitiy for me.

I learned a lot of things from the IE department, but the best thing I learned was how to learn. Classes in the IE department made you think and use your analysis skills in order to do the best that you could. Dr. Plebani's classes, for example, were real world based and really helped me understand the skills I would need in the real world once leaving Lehigh.

After graduation, I plan on either possibly working with a consulting firm, or go back to school to work toward a Ph.D.

Jim ZurloJim Zurlo ’10
Major: Industrial Engineering
jmz410@lehigh.edu

When I originally came to Lehigh for an official campus visit, I had a visual idea of what a college campus should look like and Lehigh just fit that mold. The reputation for an excellent academic school as well as a school to have plenty of fun experiences for four years sold me immediately.

I choose IE because of my experiences during Engineering Candidates Day in Spring 2006. I was not too familiar with Industrial Engineering but put the ISE department down to have a tour with along with Mechanical Engineering. When I went on the tour for Mechanical Engineering, there were just too many prospective students asking questions and I did not feel I got anything out of the tour. I then went to the ISE department and received a warm welcome and tour from Dr. Joseph Hartman, the department head at the time. He told me about the possibilities for jobs with an Industrial Engineering degree and I knew I was in the right place.

After graduation, I plan on pursuing a job as a consultant in the transportation industry. I had the opportunity to intern at Crayola in Easton, PA during the summer inbetween my Junior and Senior year at Lehigh, doing Internal Consulting/Continuous Improvement and enjoyed the types of projects I worked on. I would like to take the skills that I learned and apply them to the transportation industry, in particular, commercial aviation.

When I graduate from the ISE department, I will takethe softer skills along with me, such as how to actively engage a superior and a subordenate in a company, and how to effectively manage a team. No matter which university you go to, you will learn the same hard skills. What distinguishes one university to another are those soft skills you only learn through positive interaction with professors and industry experts. I have had multiple encounters with companies such as Air Products, Kraft, Crayola, and IBM where I have been able to take those soft skills and apply them to real world situations.

During my time with the ISE department, I have been a part of cooperative project with Kraft Foods, located in Allentown, PA. This project was part of a Leadership Development class taught by industry expert Gus Gustafon. We put together a report based on observations from site visits and offered recommendations for employee retention and new hire programs and presented this to different managers and business unit leaders in the corporation for consideration.

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