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M.E.M. Program
Beyond the Classroom
M.E.M. People
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M.E.M. Student Profiles
"Extraordinarily bright, hard-working, well-rounded, ambitious."
That's how Thomas J. O'Neill, President and CEO, Parsons Brinckerhoff describes Thayer School M.E.M. students.
M.E.M. students constitute a diverse group. Students over the past few years came from Canada, China, India, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Poland, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Belgium, United Kingdom, Nepal, Pakistan, and the United States.
The average age for starting the program is 23.
Nearly one third of the students are women.
Educational Background
First and foremost, all M.E.M. students are engineers.
Students usually enter the program with an ABET-accredited* engineering degree; if not, they take coursework during the program to attain the ABET-accreditation* level.
Many M.E.M. students also have broad, liberal arts backgrounds.
Half of our students attended university outside the United States.
Previous Education
Undergraduate Degree
Data based on students entering the M.E.M. program in fall 2009. Students may have multiple previous degrees. All degrees are shown.
Undergraduate Major
Work Experience
A quarter of all M.E.M. students have previous full time work experience.
Students with full time work experience typically worked between one and two years before entering the M.E.M. program.
Most students without full time work experience had at least one internship during their time as an undergraduate.
Meet Some M.E.M. Students
Parul Batra
Hometown: New Delhi, India
Previous Degree: Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Engineering), University of Delhi
About Me: "I consider myself to be passionate in the truest sense of the word – about my work, about dance and about life in general. I like tackling problems and irrespective of the hardships or the end result, I make it a point to have fun along the way. I enjoy travelling, meeting new people, getting inspired and dreaming big!"
Why I've Come to Do the M.E.M.: "I am a big believer in innovation and have entrepreneurial plans for the future. In college I developed a technology that helps track and remotely access a lost mobile phone. After successful technical trials, I started working towards the commercialization of this technology. During that process I realized how different it is to make a 'commercial product' as compared to a 'technical project' and I felt a strong need to expand my knowledge base about the basics of business. I found the M.E.M. program to be the perfect channel to learn what works and what does not in the 'business of technology' – which is essential for my future plans."
Lena Chen
Hometown: Shanghai, China
Previous Degrees: BE Electrical Engineering, BS Finance, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
About Me: "I am passionate about challenges and adventures. Both in academic learning and personal life, I am excited to explore new things and have new experiences. Ever since I was a small child, I have adored both Eastern and Western cultures, even though the aesthetics and ideologies are so different. I love Hanover; it is such a beautiful and peaceful place for learning, but also a fun town for social activities."
Why I've Come to Do the M.E.M.: "There is an apothegm in China, 'wide browse and fine extract, profound learning and concise expression.' The M.E.M. program provides me with exposure to the worlds of engineering, manufacturing, and business. The curriculum is flexible so that I can choose among a variety of Thayer and Tuck courses. Many of these courses directly support my job opportunities and provide me with managerial and interpersonal skills that are invaluable to my future career growth. Moreover, the M.E.M. faculty and staff concern themselves with students' development and the Corporate Collaboration Council offers informative career counseling guidance. The M.E.M. students here are great team players and are always ready to help each other out. I am so proud to be an M.E.M."
Andrew Herchek
Hometown: Concord, MA
Previous Degrees: B.E., Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth; B.A. Applied Mathematics, Colby College
About Me: "I'm from a small town just outside of Boston and absolutely love living in New England. When I'm not in Thayer, I take every opportunity to get outside and be active. In the warmer weather I enjoy playing golf, soccer, and doing masonry work and in the winter I like to play squash and go skiing. As an undergraduate I majored in Applied Mathematics and Engineering Sciences. This past year at Thayer I was able to work on a few design projects which included designing and building a small hydroelectric turbine for a water utility company in VT and a remote controlled 'nut' picker, which was able to pick nuts from a four-foot tree and deposit them into a collection bin. This year I have also co-managed the Thayer Gear store, which sells Dartmouth engineering paraphernalia to students, alumni, and the community."
Why I've Come to Do the M.E.M.: "After working for a large firm during a summer internship, I noticed that business and management skills are an integral part of engineering. While Thayer School has prepared me very well for the technical aspects of engineering, I felt that the M.E.M. would be a perfect supplementary degree to the B.E. The M.E.M. curriculum encompasses core MBA classes and upper level engineering electives that provide the necessary business and technical skills to become a very successful young engineer. When I was looking at different graduate programs, the project-based classes and entrepreneurship focus made Dartmouth's M.E.M. program stand out. Problem solving, group work, and client relations are invaluable skills that I will take with me upon graduation."
Kyle Lobisser
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Previous Degree: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Bucknell University
About Me: "I am a passionate person, and constantly strive to work hard/play hard. I am an avid skier and cyclist, and member of the Dartmouth Cycling Team. I love to travel, speak French, and generally make things happen. When I'm not skiing down the mountains or riding up them, I'm busy reinventing the [bike] wheel or thinking of new ways to solve some of our energy and environmental problems. I actually came into the program with work experience, something I highly suggest to potential M.E.M. candidates. My year and a half at Boeing as a structural engineer on the 787 wings not only opened my eyes to what being an engineer in the real world truly entails, but helped me discover both my academic and professional interests. Along with giving me a sense of direction, work provided me with an appreciation for the classroom. Experience gives you unique perspective and ideas for application of the material in our more business-oriented classes."
Why I've Come to Do the M.E.M.: "I would be lying if I said the decision to come to Dartmouth for the M.E.M. program was an easy one. Not because the joint program between one of the best business schools in the country and an engineering school that fosters creativity, encourages design projects, and is full of passionate professors wasn't attractive enough for me, but only because there is so much opportunity for engineers in today's world. Even if you decide on the masters degree path, the decision of what to study is equally difficult as where. For me, it came down to deciding between a purely technical masters in mechanical engineering and the joint program here between Thayer/Tuck. I decided on the M.E.M. program simply because it allowed me to continue pursuing a wide range of technical courses, from energy efficient systems to solid mechanics, while being exposed to MBA courses from private equity to accounting. I'm currently working with Tuck students on a business plan competition and helped host the Business and Society Conference here this winter. At Thayer, a team of engineers and I developed the control system for a three-wheeled motorcycle. There's no other place you can go from designing analog circuits to generating pro forma financial statements in the same day. As with anything, it's up to you to take full advantage of the opportunities available; with Thayer and Tuck across the street from each other, the opportunities are truly endless and diverse."
Stephanie Mayer
Hometown: Virginia Water, UK
Previous Degree: Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, Tufts University
About Me: "Like everyone else here, I am first and foremost an engineer. Beyond that, I am also a curious person, interested not just in the how, but also the why and who parts of the equation. I have had a broad range of experiences to date: having lived in Canada and England, and then coming over to the United States for university study. I am interested in a variety of activities, but I particularly enjoy meeting new people and experiencing new things."
Why I've Come to Do the M.E.M.: "I enrolled in the M.E.M. program to expand my knowledge base beyond the world of computer engineering. At Tufts, I focused my education on embedded system design – working on campus to build a solar car and at an MIT research laboratory on a radar system. I really enjoyed the work that I did for the two groups, but I found myself wanting more. I chose the Dartmouth M.E.M. program to help me widen my appreciation of the commercial environment. I wanted to not only learn the vocabulary of business, but also to understand the underlying principles that drive commerce as it relates to engineering and the broader economy. The M.E.M. program has allowed me to focus my degree on my academic fields of interest, taking courses in strategy and finance, as well as to become very involved in the School of Engineering through participation in the M.E.M. Council and Thayer intramural sports."
Abhishek Shroff
Hometown: New Delhi, India
Previous Degree: BS (Computer Science, Psychology), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
About Me: "I enjoy interacting with people and making friends from around the world. Having traveled across many countries, I cherish experiencing and learning about new cultures. Life at Dartmouth gives me tremendous opportunities to pursue my interests both within and beyond the classroom. From hiking trips to seminars, there is a unique chance for everyone to learn something new about the world and themselves."
Why I've Come to Do the M.E.M.: "After completing my engineering degree, I found myself searching for the best method to learn about the business of technology. Dartmouth MEM became the ideal choice for me as it blends technology and engineering excellence while inculcating business acumen. The opportunity to learn and interact both within the Thayer School and the Tuck School of Business provides an excellent platform for anyone interested in pursuing a future in the business world."
* Accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 - telephone: (410) 347-7700.