Doctoral Program in Industrial & Systems Engineering




Nathan Decker
PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
I've received a lot of great advice over the years, (including from my faculty advisor here at USC), but my favorite advice comes from my grandfather, who passed away last year at the age of 100. He would often remind me to cultivate a heart of gratitude by not taking for granted the small things that God blesses us with each day.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?
What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?
During the height of the pandemic, I decided to splurge - and prioritize self-care - by getting a set of adjustable-weight dumbbells, since I couldn't go to the gym. It took 3 months for them to arrive, but when they finally did, it upped my home-workout game immensely! I'm also way less likely to skip a workout, since there's no excuse now.
Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.
My research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence to 3D printing. I try to make printers smarter by enabling them to learn from their past mistakes and leverage diverse sources of sensor data, resulting in parts that are more accurate. This is important for applications where the part must be functional, which are increasing in frequency as 3D printing becomes more utilized. I love my research, since it forces me to work across a number of fields and learn a little bit about everything to solve problems.
If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?
Before I realized that I have a passion for engineering, I was a Philosophy major for a year during my undergraduate studies, and really enjoyed the experience. Had I not come to that realization, I might have tried to pursue a career as a Philosophy professor.
What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?
My love for USC began from a young age! Sadly, from 1995 (the year I was born) to 2015, Los Angeles lacked an NFL team, meaning that if you wanted to cheer for a football team, USC and UCLA were the only game in town. Thankfully, my dad chose correctly, and decided that our family would root for USC. He took me to watch open football practices on campus growing up, where you could meet players and coaches, as well as a good number of games in the Coliseum. When it came time to decide where I would go to grad school, I could say that it was USC's outstanding reputation, the fantastic resources that my department offers, the amazing Trojan family, or the great fit with my advisor and lab that sealed the deal, but deep down, I think it was the memories with my father that convinced me I couldn't be anywhere else.
If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?
What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?
What's one thing about you that might surprise me?
What are your plans after graduation?
In my career, I hope to continue working on challenging problems and learning from brilliant people, wherever that may be.
Hometown (city, country):
La Mirada, CA
Personal Website (if any):
Faculty Advisor:
Prof. Qiang Huang
Anthony Nguyen
PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
You can't optimize life. Don't be afraid to pivot and embrace opportunities that present themselves.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?
Completing my Eagle Scout when I was growing up. This accomplishment helped shape my mindset and gave me the courage and confidence to be ambitious with my goals.
What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?
I recently purchased my first set of golf clubs and a new pair of rock climbing shoes. I love spending my free time participating in sports activities.
Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.
My research is focused on decision making in healthcare settings. This includes clinical, operational, and policy level decisions. Most of my recent work has been on building infectious disease models for HIV and COVID-19 that incorporate human behavior to help local policymakers make more informed decisions for LA County. What excites me most about this research is the cross disciplinary and collaborative nature of the work as well as the fact that it is directly applicable to the local community.
If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?
If I was not an engineer, I would likely be a physician specialized in either surgery or emergency medicine. I have always been interested in improving patient care and patient quality of life. Engineering allows me to do this at a systemic level. Being a physician enables attaining this goal at a patient level.
What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?
My main reasons for selecting USC were: (1) I had an instant connection with my faculty advisors (2) Being located in Southern California, I knew I would enjoy the environment and lifestyle beyond time spent doing research, and (3) Knowing that USC excels in a wide range of fields, I knew I would be able to engage in interesting cross-disciplinary research.
If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?
(1) Korea Town, Little Tokyo, and other food hubs in LA, (2) San Diego (3) San Francisco.
What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?
Department happy hours! It's always great enjoying a drink with your professors, admin, and classmates.
What's one thing about you that might surprise me?
I try to balance my time between research and playing sports. Even after starting my PhD, I have taken time almost every week to surf, climb, train for races, and now to play golf! A great week is a week when I can manage to do all of these activities.
What are your plans after graduation?
I plan to go into management consulting with a focus on health related sectors.
Hometown (city, country):
Yorba Linda, California.
Personal Website (if any):
https://www.linkedin.com/in/
Faculty Advisor:
Co-advised by:
Christopher Henson
PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Do all things unto the Lord.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?
Getting honorable mention in the ASME best student presentation competition for my work on failure detection in additive manufacturing.
What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?
I purchased a Le Creuset dutch oven which has been so enjoyable to work with in the kitchen.
Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.
I work on quality improvement software for additive manufacturing. I am most excited about the commercial application of research in my field.
If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?
If I were not an engineer I would most likely be working in finance.
What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?
The research area was unique among the schools I applied to and was by a wide margin the most exciting and the best fit. I was also excited about the research providing me with relevant expertise to an industry research setting.
If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?
Griffith Park/Observatory (at night) the view of the city is incredible.
LA Live has great nightlife/food.
Grand Central Market is a very neat place to go for good street food and it is in a cool part of down town.
Bonus: California Science Center is right across the street from campus and has a lot of great exhibits.
What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?
Going to USC football games with friends after stressful weeks.
What's one thing about you that might surprise me?
I love to cook and entertain for guests.
What are your plans after graduation?
I hope to work for NASA in a research capacity.
Hometown (city, country):
Escondido, California.
Faculty Advisor:
Qiang Huang