Harvey Mudd Engineering Student Awarded WeTech Scholarship

Harvey Mudd College engineering major Katherine (Yoo Jeong) Shim ’17 is one of four recipients of the Women Enhancing Technology (WeTech) Scholarship and Internship for University Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Sponsored by the Institute of International Education and Juniper Networks, the scholarship invests in young women in the United States and India by offering scholarship funding for STEM research as well as paid internship opportunities with Juniper Networks.

Shim joins scholarship winners from Georgia Institute of Technology and North Carolina State University. Each recipient receives a $10,000 scholarship for the 2016–2017 academic year as well as the opportunity to participate in a 12-week internship at Juniper’s global headquarters in Sunnyvale, California.

With support from the Henry E. and Gayle Riggs Fellowship in Engineering Management, Shim researches advanced problems in manufacturing engineering with Professor of Manufacturing Practice Kash Gokli. Working specifically in the field of lean manufacturing practices, Shim designed and fabricated an energy-saving insulation system for a rubber company, reducing annual energy costs by $30,000 with an ROI of just five months. Additionally, she worked with a window manufacturer on an assembly line optimization project that designed and fabricated agile workstations and increased production levels by 30 percent—research she presented at the Institute of Industrial Engineers Annual Conference in May 2016.

Working alongside Gokli, Shim also helped to write a lexicon containing key lean manufacturing concepts that will eventually be used as a reference book for the Harvey Mudd course Manufacturing Planning and Execution.

In addition to her research, Shim has been active on campus as an Orientation leader, a head proctor for Introduction to Engineering Design and Manufacturing, a Grutor (grader/tutor) and as a mentor for the Asian Pacific Islander Sponsor Program at Mudd (APISPAM). Upon completion of her engineering degree, Shim hopes to work as an industrial engineer.

“I want to work at a place where I can undergo continuous improvement and can push myself to reach new potential,” says Shim. “Also, at a certain point, I want to specialize my skills by pursuing a master’s degree in industrial engineering.”

“I have seen Katherine’s exceptional growth at Harvey Mudd College,” says Gokli. “From taking E4 with me as a first-year student to now as a rising senior, Katherine has grown into a very confident, professional engineer. It was a proud moment for me seeing her successfully presenting a paper at the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers Conference. She has a very bright future ahead of her.”

Harvey Mudd College’s award-winning, top-ranked Department of Engineering offers analysis of theoretical principles and intensive hands-on experience to prepare graduates for the rigors of advanced research and professional development.