The USC chapter of the Institute of Industrial Systems Engineers (IISE) hosted our annual western regional conference at USC this past weekend! We had been planning this event for months, and it was so rewarding to finally see it all come together. During a quick break before our dinner banquet on Saturday, I caught up with Alex Wang, the president of IISE. Alex is a junior from Toronto studying Industrial and Systems Engineering while also earning his master’s in Public Policy through USC’s Progressive Degree Program (PDP). Outside of classes, Alex is all about transportation, technology, and outdoor adventures. He also has a super cool hobby: collecting public transit fare cards! “I have 165 now from cities all around the world. Each one is a little snapshot of a different place.”
We successfully brought the IISE Western Regional Conference to life at USC!
Alex has really thrown himself into everything USC has to offer. He’s previously been involved with the Joint Education Project, where USC students mentor local high schoolers, and he leads both the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) as their president. He’s even competed in cybersecurity Capture the Flag competitions with a USC cybersecurity club called CybOrg, and participated in Moot Court, simulating U.S. Supreme Court arguments. With such a diverse set of interests, I was eager to hear more about his USC experience and what he’s learned along the way.
Looking back, there are a few things he wishes he had known before coming to USC. “I wish I knew how to skateboard,” he laughed. “Biking is great, but carrying a bike up stairs? Not fun. I tried learning my freshman year in the Village, but let’s just say I made a lot of contact with the ground.”
Academically, he didn’t realize how flexible USC’s programs are before started taking some classes and talking with advisors. “I have so many different interests: engineering, public policy, international relations, political science, tech. Here, it’s not just possible to take classes in all of them, but I can actually get degrees in them. The PDP program means I’m getting my bachelor’s and master’s at the same time for no extra cost, which I’ve learned is pretty rare. You just have to ask and make your schedule fit.”
When asked about his favorite thing at USC, Alex didn’t hesitate. “The people. I think when you’re at a big university, there’s just a larger pool of people, and that naturally increases the chance that you’ll meet people who become close friends. I’ve met some of the best people here.”
He also loves USC’s prime location! “USC is probably the best university in LA if you don’t have a car. I spent my first two years car-free and relied on transit to get everywhere—Koreatown, Echo Park, Pasadena, Downtown. It’s super convenient, and I think we take that for granted.”
Alex volunteering for CicLAvia, a car-free event where LA streets open for biking and community fun!
I asked Alex about his favorite USC memory, and he shared a story about how he first got involved with ITE as a freshman. “I met James, the president at the time, at the involvement fair, and he convinced me to come to a meeting that same day. The club was so small then that I literally walked out of that meeting on the e-board.” Not long after, he was helping organize a 300-person transportation conference. “I had no idea what I was walking into, but I just went for it. Then, the weekend of the event, it rained three inches—about a quarter of what LA gets in a whole year—so we had to move everything indoors last minute. It was pure chaos, but somehow, we pulled it off.” It’s pretty amazing how quickly he was able to get involved. I think that this is just proof that at USC, you can jump right in and make an impact from day one!
Alex with ITE!
On his free days, Alex definitely makes the most of USC’s location. His most recent free day was actually this past President’s Day, and he went on such a cool little adventure! “I took a road trip to Ojai with a friend. It’s a tiny town, but the views were insane. We stopped at this olive oil farm where they let us sample 36 different oils and vinegars. I never thought I’d be that into olive oil, but the Pixie tangerine-infused one? Life-changing.”
Alex’s olive oil tasting in Ojai, only an hour and a half away from downtown LA!
When it comes to classes, Alex has a few standouts. “CORE 103 was amazing. It was all about the history of science writing, and we got to handle books from USC’s Special Collections, like Newton’s original works. It’s not every day you get to flip through centuries-old books and see how science was communicated back then.” Another favorite was ISE 460, an engineering economy course. “We learned how to evaluate big investments, like whether a city should spend millions on a new highway. Now, in my public policy classes, I’m using the exact same concepts. It just shows how interconnected everything is.”
What really sets USC apart for Alex is how it’s always evolving. “Some schools have been great for a long time, but USC is constantly improving. There are always new classes, new opportunities, new ideas. And being in LA? You’re in the middle of all this change—whether it’s massive public transit investments or the startup boom.”
So, why USC? “It’s the flexibility, the people, and the endless opportunities,” Alex said. “If you want a school where you can explore everything, meet incredible people, and be in the heart of a global city, USC is the place to be.”
