Young Engineers: Joseph Hansol Bang

Written by David-Anthony Gordon | Hot Young Engineers! | Thursday 28th March 2013 10:08:00 GMT

Joseph Hansol Bang talks about the flexibility studying engineering has given him.

Joseph would like to go into innovation consulting.

Los Angeles native Joseph Hansol Bang is a seasoned traveler, having grown up in South Korea, Chile and the United States. He currently studies manufacturing and design engineering, a combination of mechanical and industrial engineering mixed with design, at Northwestern University in Chicago. Before boarding his flight to South Korea for spring break, Joseph, who who spent last summer travelling Europe before completing a semester in London, found time to tell us why he chose to study engineering.

Why did you pick your degree?

I chose engineering because it's a solid foundation for whatever you want to do in the future--medicine, law, business, etc. As an engineer you are always trained to be objective regarding things and build towards a solution. To be honest, I chose my major over other engineering majors because it offered the most number of electives. It was also very broad in scope. I felt that it did a great job of laying the engineering foundation with its core courses, but it didn't get into all the little details that I wasn't interested in as a big-picture person. The electives gave me more perspective into all the other factors of a problem (such as society, psychology, finance, etc..) that is beyond the scope of engineering.

Why did you pick Northwestern?

The two biggest criteria were academics and the financial package.

What's the best thing about your course?

I love the flexibility to mold my studies in what I want it to be. I also love the prototyping nature of the field, where you are encouraged to think with your hands as well as with your mind.

Where have you interned?

I interned at an innovation consulting firm called gravitytank in Chicago, IL.

What's your dream job?

I would love to go back into innovation consulting--it's an exciting field where you never see the same problem twice. I would also enjoy spending some time working on a manufacturing plant to create a zero-waste system.

What's the one thing you wish you'd known before you started your degree?

I wish I believed that the grass always seems greener on the other side. I would have complained much less and just be content with the degree I was learning.

What will you do after you graduate?

Currently, I am open to studying and working. If I were to study, it wouldn't be in engineering but probably in business, design or data.