Graduate Spotlight: Rachel Wesley 2023 MS
Rachel Eden Fu Ren Wesley has always been curious about how things work – and how to improve them, which prompted her to pursue a master’s degree in industrial engineering at Rutgers.
The program teaches a wide spread of topics and offers depth in specific focus areas,” the May graduate says of her choice. “I was able to take the general courses, and from there figure out what I wanted to study further.”
According to Mohsen Jafari, professor and industrial and systems engineering department chair, the ISE master’s program partners strong technical knowledge with practical applications that students can implement across an array of industries. “Students like Rachel have bright futures ahead of them as leaders in exciting professions,” he says.
Wesley grew up in Oyster Bay, NY, after being adopted at age 11 months as one of a group of 16 girls from a Chinese orphanage – whose families met once a year until the adoptees went off to college. “In a way,” she says, “I have many sisters who share a similar origin story.”
After graduating from Swarthmore College, Wesley earned a master’s degree in applied mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before pursuing her MS at Rutgers.
Currently looking for an industry job, Wesley sees herself working in the aerospace industry, most likely in a systems, quality, reliability, or optimization-focused role.