Student Spotlight: Breaking Down Walls Around Engineering

Irene Choi (’25) is using her MIIPS degree to gain a broader, interdisciplinary perspective on engineering

Irene Choi (MIIPS’ 25) grew up in South Korea, but from the first time she stepped foot in the United States when she was five years old, she knew she wanted to come back and study there.

For her undergraduate years, she studied at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City and pursued a degree in mechanical engineering.

During this time, she became interested in human-computer interaction and user interaction. Because of this, she also minored in computer science to deepen her knowledge of the specifics of modern technology. Additionally, she did a user experience (UX) research internship and gained more experience there.

When researching graduate programs, she was drawn to the Integrated Innovation Institute and the Master of Integrated Innovation for Products & Services because of the blended curriculum across engineering, business and design.

“I chose the iii because it enables me to think about all the theoretical things I learned in undergrad and apply them to the real world and broader contexts.”

The Fast Facts: A Summary of Irene’s Time in the MIIPS Program

Interdisciplinary Curriculum at MIIPS 📖

• Applying theoretical knowledge to real-world problems
• Launching New Products Course
• The iii Engineering Core Course

Collaborating with Classmates 🤝

• Inspired by her classmates
• Capstone project sponsored by ATI

Networking Around the World 🌎

• How her undergraduate study abroad experience turned into an independent study opportunity at CMU
• UX Researcher at CMU’s Software and Societal Systems Department
• Operations Management Intern at the Mega Contracting Group

What’s Next 🎓

• Ready to integrate her knowledge into industry in areas of need
• Graduating from MIIPS in December of 2025

Interdisciplinary Curriculum at MIIPS

Irene believes that the knowledge she is gaining at MIIPS is allowing her to view the world and engineering from a broader perspective than ever before. Here, she can apply her theoretical knowledge to real-world situations, and she is "learning how to identify where my skills can be used."

Last year, Irene took an elective course titled "Launching New Products" taught by Professor Melissa Murphy. This class deepened her understanding of startup culture and entrepreneurship, areas she had always been interested in. The structured approach of the course allowed her to explore how products are launched, which will benefit her future endeavors in product development.

The curriculum of the iii invites students to learn new disciplines, deepen the knowledge of their own, and explore areas of interest, like with the elective Irene took. Part of the initial classes, though, includes core courses that focus on each discipline individually.

Students in the MIIPS program are required to take core courses to strengthen or broaden their skills. One of those courses is How Things Can Be Made, the engineering core course. Coming from an engineering background, Irene was intrigued by what she might learn.

Professor Brandon Bodily, who teaches, How Things Can be Made, approached engineering in a way that fostered creativity to engage students who did not have previous engineering experience. “He approached engineering so differently. I did not know someone could teach engineering like that, but he fostered a creative approach to learning. This made it easier for designers to understand engineering concepts by not focusing on the answer but understanding the entire engineering process.”

Learning in this way opened her eyes to the perspectives of different disciplines on engineering and helped her deepen her knowledge of her original discipline.

Collaborating with Classmates

Overall, the MIIPS program has taught Irene so much, both inside and outside of the classroom. Exploring Pittsburgh has also been a plus for her. She finds Pittsburgh to be much more relaxed than her home city of Seoul, which she has enjoyed as it gives her a chance to take a break from a larger city.

Additionally, the city and MIIPS have allowed her to connect with the people in her program. She loves the curriculum because it has exposed her to so many people from so many different backgrounds.

She loves interacting with her classmates because it gives her a new perspective on her discipline and theirs, which helps deepen her knowledge and connections with her peers.

“Seeing these people think differently because of their backgrounds and experiences that they have is inspirational.”

A part of the MIIPS curriculum that brought her closer to her classmates was the capstone project, an aspect that drew Irene to the program. As part of the project, students are divided into groups to partner with corporate sponsors to create industry solutions. Irene was on the ATI-sponsored capstone team.

Irene truly appreciated this aspect of the program, but she was surprised by the learning outcomes it provided. The prototyping and development process was filled with uncertainty because, as she says, there is “no right or wrong answer to innovation.” This ambiguity was a new experience for her. Typically, when faced with an engineering project or problem, she followed a set of steps, but the capstone process was different. There wasn't a single correct solution to ATI’s problem statement, which encouraged her team to strive for the best possible answer. This experience taught her a great deal about applying engineering principles in the workforce and how to integrate the three disciplines to create tangible solutions.

Networking Around the World

Since Irene came directly from her undergraduate studies, she was eager to explore work opportunities during her time at MIIPS. In the Spring 2025 semester, she took on an independent study and pursued a UX research position in the Software and Societal Systems Department at CMU.

Irene made this connection before she even applied to the iii. When she was studying abroad in Iceland at Reykjavik University, she attended a talk by CMU Professor Andrew Begel. When she arrived on campus, she contacted Andrew to inquire about a research assistant position.

Here, she is researching accessibility, focused on neurodivergent individuals and “making a game to help non-autistic individuals understand autistic individuals in a working environment.” She is continuing her research work while completing her summer internship as part of the MIIPS Advanced curriculum.

Irene is completing an internship with Mega Contracting Group as an Operations Management Intern. This organization focuses on affordable housing in New York and assists individuals without homes in finding housing solutions.

This experience has been rewarding for her because she completed her undergraduate degree in New York City, and having the opportunity to return to the city has been wonderful. Her internship focuses on assisting those in need, specifically helping individuals who are homeless find housing. This aspect of her work is particularly meaningful to her, as she hopes to make a positive impact in a city she once called home.

Returning to New York with a new lens as an intern rather than a student has been an interesting experience for her, and it has given the city a whole new look and perspective.

Corporate Startup Lab Fellowship

In the Spring 2025 semester, I served as a Corporate Startup Lab Fellow at the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, partnering with the Carnegie Bosch Institute (CBI). My primary role was leading applied research on integrating humanoid robots into U.S. manufacturing. I conducted 14 interviews with leaders from eight robotics firms and six manufacturers to analyze adoption barriers and emerging opportunities. I then synthesized these insights into a capability–need fit analysis and delivered executive briefs to CBI leadership, collaborating with engineers and business analysts to inform strategic decisions. This fellowship directly connected my Mechanical Engineering background and UX research skills with hands-on business strategy.

What’s Next

As for what’s next for Irene, she is ready to gain more industry experience and integrate her knowledge into it. “I want to bring my engineering knowledge to industries that need it.” Additionally, she wants to reach outside of the discipline of engineering and pivot into product management, bringing “a refreshing way to think of things.”

Additionally, she would love to explore accessibility more within tech and physical products and continue that as a focus of her work. Her biggest goal is to branch outside of engineering, which her MIIPS degree will help her achieve once she graduates in December of 2025.