Meet our MSE graduates
Meet our Management Science and Engineering graduate students
Arden Song
Arden Song
What was your previous degree and research work on?
I completed my BASc in Management Engineering in 2023 at Waterloo and decided to stay here for my PhD! During my bachelor’s, I assisted with research about the vanlife movement (people living in converted cars, vans, or buses) and helped create and test a deck made of electronic ink displays that allows people to play card games when they are in different locations.
Why did you choose the University of Waterloo?
I initially came to Waterloo for my undergraduate degree because of the co-op program, but I stayed here for grad school because of the people I met. The professors in MS&E are very kind and helpful, and I found and helped foster a vibrant student community as well. I didn’t expect it when I came here in 2018, but Waterloo has become a second home for me.
What is your research focus?
My research focuses on how people create data visualizations with different tools. I’m currently running a study comparing how people can use arts and craft supplies, Minecraft, and Tableau to create visualizations. The goal is to use the findings of this study to create data visualization tools that are easy for people to use, and that allow people to make visualizations the way they want to. Data visualization and analytics can be intimidating for people who are not data experts. In a world where we are collecting more and more information about ourselves with each passing year, I think people should have access to tools that are accessible to them, regardless of their background in mathematics or statistics. I hope my research can help make visualization tools more accessible, intuitive, and creative.
What are your future aspirations?
I’d like to continue doing research once I’m finished my PhD. Companies like Microsoft, Google, Adobe, and Autodesk all have research divisions that do research in the field I’m in (information visualization and human-computer interaction), so industry research is one option for me. I’m also open to going further into academia and becoming a professor, as I also enjoy being a TA and running tutorials for my students.
How has your experience in the program been so far?
It’s been amazing! I’m incredibly grateful to have a supportive, understanding supervisor and a great lab space with wonderful colleagues. I spend most of my research time at my desk in the Games Institute, which is an interdisciplinary research centre in East Campus. When I’m there, I’m surrounded by professors, postdocs, and other graduate students. It’s a very supportive environment and reminds me that I’m not alone in my research.
Sean Rose
Sean Rose - MASc
What was your previous degree?
I completed my undergrad in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Waterloo (2020-2025). My dream is to improve people’s lives through health and technology innovations, and completing my undergrad in BME was a perfect fit.
Why did you choose the University of Waterloo?
It’s no secret that Waterloo has the reputation for one of the best co-op programs worldwide. The co-op program plus scholarships swayed me to studying at UW for my undergrad. I ended up loving the KW region and had such a positive experience in undergrad, so I decided to continue with grad school at UW without applying elsewhere. Now, Waterloo truly feels like home.
What is your research focus?
My research focus is using AI to automate the lengthy process of radiation therapy treatment planning for cancer patients. The treatment planning phase of cancer treatment is complex and time-consuming, since clinicians must ensure an adequate radiation dose is delivered to the tumour while avoiding particular organs-at-risk and balancing a variety of trade-offs. My goal is to automate this process so that treatment planners can spend more time focusing on plan quality and optimization, rather than investing most of their resources into developing an acceptable plan.
What are your future aspirations?
My goal is to become an engineering professor. I have always loved teaching and have been told that it would be a great fit for me, but I had never committed to it since I was uncertain exactly what role teaching would play in my career. Since starting grad school, I have had the clarity that pursuing my own research while inspiring future engineers is exactly the mark I want to leave in this world.
How has your experience in the program been so far?
To summarize my experience so far in just one word, I think the word ‘busy’ would be a good descriptor. The act of balancing courses, research, teaching assistantships, student associations, and personal life is difficult – but not impossible! Starting in an entirely new program is scary, but I was able to forge my own path by exploring opportunities to meet new people and become involved within the MSE department. Looking ahead with my role as the President of the Management Sciences Student Association, I hope to better connect the graduate students in our department by offering opportunities for interaction and socialization, especially with new students.