Ugonwa Echendu (She/Her)
Ugonwa Echendu is an associate consultant with Kearney, a global management consulting firm, where she helps clients identify and develop solutions to their organizational challenges.
McMaster Chemical Engineering Class of 2018
How did the chemical engineering program at McMaster prepare you for life after school?
The chemical engineering program really emphasizes and instills problem solving skills, which were super helpful in getting me prepared for consulting work. My chemical engineering background was also very useful when I was with PepsiCo and working in their supply chain because I was able to understand processes—or even what a heat exchanger is—whereas many of my colleagues did not understand them to the same extent. It also allowed me to understand issues faster because much of the chemical engineering program is based on using a first-principles approach. I think this may be a reason why I was promoted quickly at PepsiCo.
How would you describe your experience in the chemical engineering program at McMaster?
The atmosphere was very family-like, and this had a lot to do with the faculty. They were good at remembering your name and stopping to say “hi” and to check in on how you were doing if they ran into you in the hallway, which is especially nice if you’re a bit of a quiet person. They were also always available to meet up after class or outside of office hours to help you understand something or give advice if you needed it. I actually thought this was the norm for all departments, but it turns out that the chemical engineering department was special in this respect.
Was there anything about the program that surprised you?
During school, I worked in Dr. Jones’ and Dr. Hoare’s labs, and my work focused more on the bioengineering side of things. This was a whole new area for me. I had no idea you could be a chemical engineer and also work on things that will affect people in 20 years, like updating the way drugs are delivered within the body or the types of medications people use to treat scar tissue, for example.
