Patrick Brady is a sophomore in the Industrial and Systems Engineering program. He’s most interested in basic efficiency and waste elimination, and really thrives on using Excel for work and programming process efficiencies. In addition to his demanding course load, he works night shift at one of the residence halls, and is a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.
When/how did you know the ISEEM program was the right fit for you?
When I tell people my major they’re always like, “What is that?” I went to an engineering advisor in my junior year of high school and they ran through the different types of engineering programs. I’ve always been neat and efficient with my time, so when I saw a couple of the ISE classes, they kind of stuck out. My advisor explained some of what it was all about and I did a little bit of my own research. It seemed like the right fit for me. The whole 5S methodology and elimination of waste principles… I already do that naturally, so it seemed like a good academic segue.
What’s your semester been like so far?
I’m taking 18 credit hours right now. I work as a desk assistant, and that’s primarily when I do my homework and studying. In the ISE program, I’m taking Intro to Industrial and Systems (Dr. Utley) and Probability and Engineering Statistics (Dr. Swain), along with other course requirements and volleyball.
Describe what projects you’re working on now.
I’m actually doing a mentorship with Northrop Grumman. (They found me through Charger Path.) We go into meetings about once a month and go over what their company is doing, and things they want to teach us, like leadership, cybersecurity… basically shape us into what they want in interns later on. I want to try to get involved with companies right now to test the waters in different areas and see which ones fit me the best. I’m only in my sophomore year, so it’s too early to decide where I want to go after graduation.
In my Intro class I’m working on a lean project with check-in/check-out. Basically we’re looking at the process and seeing what we can do to make it faster. When people check in, we put various types of data into the system that we need to retrieve when they check out. I found a way to autofill the data when the desk assistant puts in the room number, which cut about two to three hours of work per day.
Do you have a dream job or a dream company in mind?
The biggest thing I’ve looked at most is forms of contracting where I come in and look for ways to eliminate waste and improve process efficiencies. I’m not really looking at any particular industry or company, but I’ve applied [for internships] at a lot of the big corporations. For now, though, I really enjoy being a desk assistant and have thought about becoming a desk manager because it ties well with ISE traits.