Pressure Tested

Ranak Agarwal (MEM ‘26) knows about work pressure. A sputtering engine on a ship floundering in the midst of an angry ocean tends to create self-sufficient problem-solving skills.  

Now, Ranak will test those skills on more stable ground as a technical program management (TPM) intern with Redwood Materials, a Nevada-based company focused on lithium-ion battery recycling and circular supply chain production.  

The pending summer internship is part of Ranak’s journey through Northwestern's Master of Engineering Management (MEM) program.  

“Before MEM, I was deep in execution at Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), making sure things ran, fixing them when they didn't,” he said. “Now I'm stepping into a role where I get to influence how systems are designed and scaled from the start. Same world, bigger lens.”  

MSC is the world's largest container shipping line. During his five years with the company, Ranak served as a marine engineer, operating and maintaining ships’ engine rooms. That meant monitoring main and auxiliary engines, troubleshooting failures in real time, and keeping everything running safely and within regulatory compliance. 

“When something breaks at sea, there's no calling someone. You figure it out on your own,” he said. “That environment taught me systems thinking, root-cause problem solving, and how to make decisions under real pressure.”  

Ranak brought those traits into the MEM program. His decision to attend was informed by a gap he repeatedly saw at work. At MSC, he saw a common pattern across operations-heavy industries. 

“Engineers are heads-down on technical execution, management is focused on timelines and outcomes,” he said. “Nobody is translating between them effectively.” 

Ranak wants to be that translator. Rather than narrow his focus to engineering alone, he chose to build on that foundation with the program leadership skills to bridge the two worlds. 

His internship with Redwood Materials gives him an opportunity to test what he has learned so far in the MEM program. The company, founded in 2017, recycles up to 95-98 percent of critical materials—such as nickel, cobalt, copper, and lithium—from batteries to produce components for new electric vehicles and energy storage. Redwood Materials serves partners that include Panasonic, Ford, and Toyota.  

Ranak’s role as a TPM intern will be about ensuring complex projects cross the finish line. He anticipates working across engineering, operations, and leadership to connect management and the people doing the hands-on work.  

He said he is excited to be a part of something as ambitious as what Redwood Materials is trying to do. 

“Coming from global shipping, I know firsthand how hard it is to coordinate large-scale operations,” he said. “Doing that in an industry where the playbook is still being written? That's the kind of challenge I want to be part of.”  

Ranak is confident thanks to his MEM experience. He developed valuable skills in his courses on operational excellence and negotiations, and he's prepared to make smart, data-driven decisions amid potential ambiguity.  

And besides, whatever challenges may come, none will include 15-foot waves.  

"I've spent my career in environments where your decisions have immediate, tangible consequences," he said. "What excites me about this next chapter is bringing that urgency and systems mindset to a bigger stage."