Capitalizing on Learning Opportunities

Martin King (MEM '24) spent five years developing technical skills in Ghana as an electrical project engineer, construction supervisor, and construction superintendent. He led electrical installations, was involved with procurement and logistics planning, and developed training programs so colleagues could develop technical expertise. 

But he wanted to know how to do more.

For that, he turned to Northwestern's Master of Engineering Management (MEM) program.

With one quarter left in the program, King said each of his classes taught him a valuable professional lesson. Beyond his learning in the classroom, King found ways to apply that knowledge to real-world scenarios outside of school. 

"I wanted to expand my knowledge, and MEM gave me the opportunity to do so," King said. "It's always good to try different things." 

King's done more than just try different things since starting in MEM. He's worked on a variety of projects and experiences, said MEM director Mark Werwath.

"Martin is an incredible example of someone who wants to take advantage of as many opportunities presented to him as possible," Werwath said. "He set out with a plan to try and learn as much as he could while in MEM, and it sure seems like he's accomplishing that."

In the fall, King and three MEM classmates participated in the 2023 MIT Energy & Climate Hack. The annual hackathon focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and climate change. King and his teammates collaborated for the project with Crusoe, a startup that uses stranded gas being flared or excess production from renewable sources to power computing resources.

The group developed a plan for clean and cost effective cloud computation data center infrastructure. While they did not make the finals of the hackathon, King valued the learning experience.

Soon after the MIT event, King served as team lead for a group of Northwestern students who participated in the EnergyTech University Prize competition. The event, launched by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Transitions, challenged students to develop and present a business plan that leveraged high-potential energy technologies.

This summer, King interned as an electrical engineer at Tesla. He worked on electrical power system projects that supported the company's AI infrastructure, existing facilities, and new manufacturing lines.

"It's been amazing," King said of the Tesla experience. "I've been working on really cool projects with some of the smartest people in the world. I am learning so much about a lot of different fields at the same time."

King was drawn to Tesla for the same reason he was drawn to MEM: the opportunity to learn new things. He's excited by all he's learned through the program and his extracurricular activities to date.

As he prepares for his final quarter, he's looking forward to discovering what he'll learn next.

"The diverse experiences thanks to MEM gave me a firm grounding to approach my goals without any doubts," he said. "Having opportunities to dabble in new things helped me truly discover my interests, meet amazing people, and learn so much away from what I have always been used to."