Jiajun (PJ) Pan

He/Him/His
MIIPS, 2026

This is how to say my name:

 

What unique skills or interests do you bring to the iii?

I bring a rare fusion of business acumen, design thinking, and deep empathy. My work spans adaptive furniture for children with microcephaly, wearable tech to mediate service stress, and upcycled luggage for pets—projects rooted in overlooked human needs. I thrive at the intersection of social advocacy and design, with a bias for action. As someone who understands both stakeholder priorities and marginalized perspectives, I bring a holistic lens to innovation—one informed by quantitative analysis, cultural context, and lived experience.

Why MIIPS?

The MIIPS program uniquely blends design, engineering, and business—an intersection that mirrors my own transition from business to design. As someone with a business degree and design experience rooted in sustainability and accessibility, I was drawn to the program’s interdisciplinary approach and real-world application focus. Courses like the Integrated Product Development Capstone and AI & IoT for the Real World align with my goals of becoming a product designer who bridges strategy with empathy. The collaborative, diverse cohort and CMU’s human-centered ethos make it the ideal environment to evolve my practice.

Education

Emory University, BBA in Organization & Management, with coursework in business and statistics.

Experience

Ipsos, Business Analytics Intern – Led data modeling and consumer insight synthesis to inform brand decisions in retail and CPG sectors.

What type of role are you looking to obtain after you graduate?

After graduation, I hope to work as a product or innovation designer in a consultancy or company that values inclusive design and sustainability. I’m especially interested in roles that let me combine strategy, user research, and hands-on prototyping to create thoughtful, scalable solutions for underserved populations. Long term, I envision founding a design studio focused on furniture and everyday tools that empower marginalized users.