This blog is in conversation with Mila Mattson, freshman from San Dimas, CA studying Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) at Viterbi. I asked her a couple of questions about her major, hobbies, and other interesting tidbits. Below are her responses.
What things do you do outside of school?
Outside the classroom, I love to get active! I enjoy pilates and yoga (MoveWithNicole on YouTube is my favorite instructor!), going on long walks, and playing tennis (I just joined USC’s general tennis team). I also like listening to podcasts, pencil drawing, and snuggling with my two cats :).
Why did you choose your major and how are you liking it so far?
When I tell people I’m majoring in ISE, they often have no idea what that means (and I don’t blame them). Essentially, ISE is at the crossroads of business and engineering, centered on improving the efficiency of complex systems. Unlike other engineering disciplines, ISE applies a “systems view” of engineering, aiming to optimize entire systems rather than individual components. For example, an ISE might work to reduce errors/waste in a manufacturing line to speed up production. In another setting, an ISE might manage traffic in big cities to reduce congestion while minimizing accidents.
ISE is applicable to a variety of industries, which is one of the main reasons I chose to major in it. After all, systems are everywhere: in healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, disaster relief… the list goes on! Plus, I am slightly obsessed with time management and optimization in my day-to-day life, so this major feels very “me”.
So far, I have had no regrets choosing ISE. On the contrary, I’m loving it! For people that don’t want to do “hard-core engineering” but are still interested in improving the systems/processes around them, I highly recommend ISE.
“Essentially, ISE is at the crossroads of business and engineering, centered on improving the efficiency of complex systems.”
What has been your favorite class?
I’ve only taken two ISE classes so far, but they have been my favorite out of all my other courses. This semester, I am enjoying my ISE-150 class (“Solving Engineering Problems Using Python”). It’s only been a few weeks, but I’ve already learned a lot about coding. My class is almost 100% ISE majors too, so it is especially fun to be around friends and peers that think like me.
Do you have any fun facts regarding your major?
“Fun” fact: My ISE cohort started with only around 17 students, making it one of the smallest (I think it’s the smallest) freshman engineering major at USC. This has been the case for previous ISE cohorts too. However, I’ve been told that over the years many students switch to ISE, making it one of the larger graduating class majors. So, people in the original ISE cohort like me joke that we are the “OGs”.
Even though the ISE program is on the smaller side, it’s clear Mila is enjoying every bit of it, and I’m sure her classmates would say the same.
