Student Advisory Board Continues to Build Community
Current SAB leaders discuss how they hope to further enhance the MEM student experience.
It's been more than a decade since Northwestern's Master of Engineering Management (MEM) program launched its Student Advisory Board (SAB). At the time, the SAB was developed to be a voice of the student body.
Since then, its impact has continued to grow.
"The SAB is a catalyst for student-driven innovation and connection," said current board member Neha Hebbar (MEM '25). "By prioritizing student feedback and professional trends, we ensure the program remains adaptive, relevant, and responsive to both student aspirations and industry demands."
The SAB acts as an intermediary between students and program leadership. It also helps coordinate a variety of events for students to learn, network, and ultimately grow personally and professionally.
The current SAB recently sat down to talk about the group's importance and what their goals are moving forward.
Why did you want to join the SAB?
Khagendra Deore (MEM '25): I am driven by opportunities to lead change and not wait for others to act. To unite diverse voices and lead impactful initiatives, there wasn’t any better opportunity than SAB.
Chirag Devika (MEM '25): I’ve always believed the best way to improve something is to be a part of the change. I saw SAB as the perfect platform to bring student voices to the table, foster connections, and create a better experience for everyone. Beyond academics, I love building communities and helping people navigate their journey whether it’s through mentorship, professional development, or just making sure students feel heard.
Hebbar: By serving as a bridge between peers and program leadership, I aim to address academic, career, and social concerns while fostering community through inclusive initiatives. This role allows me to collaborate on solutions like mentorship programs and tailored events that enhance student engagement and ensure the program evolves in alignment with our collective needs and goals.
Bharath Yedla (MEM '25): For students looking to work on a side project, organize an event, or make the most of available resources, financial constraints often become a major hurdle. I chose to join the SAB as the finance chair to help students achieve financial independence by strategically optimizing existing resources. Through this role, I aim to create a positive impact by enabling students to pursue their dreams while fostering a culture of collaboration and support within the cohort.
What stood out to you about last year's SAB and what the students were able to accomplish?
Deore: The outgoing SAB did a great job at establishing various student clubs.
Devika: I was really impressed by how much the team was able to accomplish in terms of student engagement, academic initiatives, and professional development opportunities.
What are your goals for this year's SAB?
Deore: Our vision is to build excellence through student clubs, drive SAB-led capability building programs, and continue to build a close knit community of alumni.
Devika: We seek to create spaces for students to share their experiences and support each other, through networking events, feedback sessions, and career prep initiatives. My goal is to keep pushing for better engagement, industry exposure for students, and hands-on opportunities that truly add value to our time in the MEM program.
What was it about MEM that initially appealed to you?
Hebbar: MEM’s fusion of technical depth and management training stood out as uniquely forward-thinking. The flexibility to tailor coursework from artificial intelligence to analytics to product management equips students to lead in data-driven industries, bridging the gap between engineering and business. MEM emphasizes actionable technical skills, preparing graduates to solve complex challenges while aligning with today’s demand for versatile, analytics-savvy leaders.
What impact do you hope the SAB will have on the MEM community?
Yedla: We want to ensure that the impact of our initiatives extends beyond our cohort and continues to benefit future generations of students. We are building a strong framework that will support alumni and many more batches of students to come, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and growth. Our goal is to strengthen the existing initiatives while creating new ones that add value to both my cohort and incoming students. To ensure continuity, we will establish a seamless transition process, passing on our initiatives and knowledge to the next SAB.
