Today, I can proudly back my decision to join Purdue’s Master of Engineering Management program. It is the perfect combination to reach my goal! It is said that studying only books cannot make you perfectly knowledgeable and the same goes for only having experience. Our master’s program gives me the flexibility to select courses where I need to brush up on my skills, like in Marketing and Operations, as well as the chance to learn totally new topics, like Global Business Strategy, Human Factors in Engineering, and Applied Ergonomics. Never had I considered when designing simple products, like a knife, that the human thinking process would have such a significant effect! 

The Master of Engineering Management program has a professional practice focus. I earned the excellent opportunity to do a 1-year paid co-op at Faurecia Clean Mobility in Columbus, Indiana. My co-op was in the area of Continuous Improvement & Productivity Engineer with the manufacturing division of the Faurecia automotive exhaust systems. The company manufactures for the “Big Three” automakers in North America: General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler (FCA US). This was my first USA industrial experience. I have developed a new perspective by starting from technical and core industrial engineering fundamentals and moving into leadership and corporate societal responsibility. All this has been gained because of my choice to pursue a Master’s in Engineering Management at Purdue University.

If I start talking about all the benefits that I have added in my career due to pursuing the MEM program at Purdue, it would be an endless list! Everything said and done, a student’s quality of experience in education is reflected a lot from the mentorship he/she receives. Our department is really fortunate to have our program director, Eric VandeVoorde. He is an awesome mentor. Under the perfect and timely guidance of Eric, recovering from culture shock after coming to the USA and getting into the flow of student life after a gap of 5+ years was a piece of cake for me!

If I look back on my journey since January 2018, I am overly satisfied to say that today’s Sagarika Dash is full of rich knowledge, experiences, and skills that have boosted my confidence to give back to industry and society in a meaningful, productive manner.