Catherine Yang Goes Above and Beyond

Catherine Yang, a sophomore studying electrical and computer engineering (ECE) and biomedical engineering (BME), received the Beyond Duke Student Leadership Award from Duke Alumni Engagement and Development (AED), a new award that recognizes her contributions to alumni mentorship programs at Duke University.

Last summer, Yang worked with three other Duke undergraduates on a Code+ team to develop an algorithm to pair alumni and undergraduates in a mentorship program called Blue Devil Bridges. There are a growing number of opportunities for Duke students and alumni to connect, including Duke Engineering’s own alumni-student mentorship program.

After a successful launch with Blue Devil Bridges, Yang volunteered her time in the fall to tailor the algorithm for the DukeNY alumni chapter. Yang’s extracurricular efforts inspired AED to create a new award for students who go above and beyond for alumni groups, and she was honored alongside the annual Forever Duke Student Leadership Award winners.

“AED recognizes our top alumni volunteers each year, and there are awards for students for their work on campus,” said Susan Gordon, assistant vice president of alumni and student connections at AED. “With Catherine we had a student who volunteered her time to support an alumni program and had a significant impact. We’re so thankful to Catherine for her willingness to dedicate her time and expertise to supporting our efforts to grow a culture of mentoring across the global Duke community, and that’s why we selected her as the inaugural recipient of the Beyond Duke Student Leadership Award.”

Automating the Blue Devil Bridges Match

Two years ago, AED, Duke Student Government (DSG) and the Duke Career Center teamed up to launch Blue Devil Bridges with the goal to connect undergraduates with alumni mentors.

Interest quickly grew with more than 1,000 matches made in the inaugural year. With an anticipated increase in participation in year two, they sought the help of the Code+ team to build a more robust algorithm.

Rather than starting from scratch, the students looked at existing algorithms to build upon. They considered the original algorithm used in year one, as well as the famous algorithm used to solve the stable matching problem, which received the Nobel Prize for economic sciences and is commonly known for its use in the medical residency match process.

The team eventually selected a different methodology, the Hungarian algorithm, because it performed best for both mentors and mentees. It takes into consideration many factors, such as location, major and gender.

“The stable matching pair algorithm prioritizes the applicants, but our algorithm, based on the Hungarian algorithm, prioritizes both sides equally and ensures everyone has their best possible match,” Yang said.

Last fall, the new algorithm helped produce more than 1,200 matches, and Yang said she’s received great feedback from numerous parties involved.

Volunteering with DukeNY

The DukeNY alumni board heard about the Code+ team’s contributions to Blue Devil Bridges and wanted to launch their own mentorship matching program last fall. Unfortunately, the other students on the Code+ team couldn’t continue working on the project, but Yang, who is considering moving to New York after graduating, jumped at the opportunity. With more time, Yang refined the algorithm and customized the DukeNY matches to their specific needs. When DukeNY launched its program in October, it produced about 200 pairs.

“Catherine went above and beyond the call of duty for the DukeNY Beyond program,” said Amir Mokari, co-chair of DukeNY Blue Devils Beyond Committee. “She stepped up at each stage to volunteer her coding skills and provide us with solid advice. We honestly may not have been able to achieve our pilot’s success if it was not for her tireless efforts.”

Not everyone is willing to volunteer their time and effort amidst the busy schedule of a Duke Engineering student, but Yang said this experience has provided so much real-world experience that can’t be replicated in class. While pursuing a rigorous double major, Yang has found the experience of working on Blue Devil Bridges to be uniquely formative.

“In ECE and BME, you learn so much from the projects,” Yang said. “Designing something that has both technical depth and real-world impact, that’s the kind of work that drives me.”

Yang participated in the Blue Devil Bridges matching process last fall and matched with an alum with a background in both electrical and biomedical engineering—a pairing she found particularly meaningful as she explores her own academic interests.

“These aren’t just matches. They are relationships that can help someone navigate critical career decisions,” Yang said. “This is more than a technical system. It’s a platform for building connection, support and guidance at scale. I’m proud to be part of it.”

Yang plans to continue working with AED and Code+ to expand the algorithm platform across mentorship programs at Duke, such as with school-specific programs and other regional alumni groups.