Manufacturing engineer pursues interest in supply chain management

Q:Where is your hometown?

A:I was born and raised in Boston, but currently, Newton is home.

Q:What are you studying at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business and when do you plan to graduate? When did you begin the program?

A:I am pursing my Part-Time MBA with a concentration in Supply Chain Management. I started in the Graduate Certificate of Business Administration program and completed the MBA track curriculum in 2015. I plan on completing my MBA degree in 2019.

Q:What do you do in your current job? What are your responsibilities?

A:I am currently a Manufacturing Engineer for a defense contractor. I support the Naval Control Systems and Unmanned Systems departments of the company. With an understanding of the product requirements, I create and improve manufacturing procedures. After the procedures are passed off to assembly technicians, I monitor the execution of the procedures to test the repeatability. My role allows me to plan and follow the entire product lifecycle – from procurement and assembly to shipping the product. As a witness to the product flow, I look for opportunities for improvements in efficiency throughout the entire process.

Q:What skills are you building at D'Amore-McKim that you are using in your current job or will use in your future career?

A:I learned a lot through the management courses. It has helped me understand how to manage people and tasks better. Being able to analyze the situations and goals has showed me where my focus should be. Creating an order of precedence to the important tasks has helped me manage and tackle problems more efficiently.

Q:What has been your most valuable experience so far?

A:In terms of experiences in life, it's knowing and appreciating the balance of work, school and life. I have been challenged with balancing time so often, that I feel as though I mastered a life skill.

In terms of academia and career wise, I have also learned how to collaborate and manage different people and tasks through the projects that we have been assigned in our classes. We never work alone (in life and work), and the curriculum at D'Amore-McKim incorporates a lot of group projects and trains us for that.

Q:Why did you choose D'Amore-McKim?

A:I was a Husky undergrad so coming back to Northeastern was a no-brainer. Also, I like the flexibility and variety of the night classes. I came from the Graduate Certificate Program, so I got a glimpse on how the classes and staff operated. Being in the city, it was also convenient to come to school after work, find food, and still get to class. The environment allowed me time to transition from work life to student life.

Q:What would you say to a prospective student considering D'Amore-McKim for their business degree?

A:The classes are tailored in a way where if you have work experience, you will definitely be able to see the similarities.

D'Amore-McKim's faculty are some of the best I have ever met. If having a strong relationship with your advisors through meetings and events is important to you, D'Amore McKim is a clear choice. The campus allows you to immerse yourself in the student life and offers many opportunities for you to engage in from job fairs, speaker events, to intramural sports and concerts/events at Afterhours. It's place that offers a true experience of being a student. I loved it so much; I came back for a second round!

Q:Where do you see yourself in 5 – 10 years?

A:Hopefully I will be further in my career where I can be of impact and instilling change. I believe that the training that we received in the MBA program allows us to be trailblazers into an era where we need place more emphasis in keeping employees motivated and efficient through innovation. I have high hopes for all the opportunities to improve the current systems in companies today.