Northeastern Team Places Third at Disney’s Annual Industrial Engineering Case Competition
Industrial engineering students Brendan Wang, E’27, Aiden Yee, E’27, and Mandy Hui, E’27, and Kaley Yang, DMSB’27, won third place at the annual Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Industrial Engineering Case Competition.
Competing against teams from universities across the country, the Northeastern team demonstrated strong creativity, critical thinking skills, and interdisciplinary collaboration to develop an innovative solution for a real-world business scenario.
Participants were asked to serve as external consultants for a Midwest orchard undergoing renovation. The teams were tasked with presenting strategic recommendations to improve the orchard’s operations, including analyzing restaurant demand, optimizing parking, and introducing a new guest activity. The competition required the team to evaluate complex factors, such as operational efficiency, visitor experience, and financial viability, all from an industrial engineering perspective.
The team’s thoughtful and balanced recommendations, which prioritized guest satisfaction alongside financial sustainability, stood out to the judges and earned them a spot in the top three. As part of their recognition, the students will have the opportunity to meet with Disney’s industrial engineering staff to gain insights into the field and explore career opportunities.
Their success reflects Northeastern’s focus on interdisciplinary learning and collaboration. The team’s ability to approach the challenge from different perspectives underscores the value of stepping beyond one’s area of expertise and embracing opportunities for growth.