Jingheng Huan

Why I Chose Duke Engineering

I first arrived at Duke for my exchange semester during my junior year at Duke Kunshan University (DKU). The sense of belonging gave me a seed of thought that this is a school I could return to for my master’s, and the final decision to pursue a graduate program here was made when I discovered amazing engineering communities, which foster the spirit of innovation and help students from all backgrounds uncover the magic of technology. As a data science major during my undergraduate career, I knew Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) would, on the one hand, deepen the materials I’ve already mastered; on the other hand, help me expand the skills needed for a software engineer. I’d like to highlight two courses—ECE 551D (Introduction to Programming, Data Structures, and Algorithms in C++) and ECE 651 (Software Engineering)—which helped me the most. The first pushed me to continuously engage with the material, transforming abstract concepts into tangible results, while the second taught me the importance of collaboration, with each team assigned to an “industry friend”—a person with work experience in big companies, such as Google or Meta. Last but not least, for me, Duke is not only about academics— this summer I secured an internship in Berkeley, CA mainly because I was in touch with a co-founder who is a Duke ECE alumnus, and people at Duke Engineering and at Duke in general are always willing to support you on your journey, making the campus special, the workload more manageable, and anxiety over finding a job easier to handle.

Before Duke Engineering

Before enrolling in a graduate program, I was majoring in data science. I strongly believe that the modern world is driven by software and big data. We all use Safari, Outlook, Google Maps, and similar apps daily, but we rarely think that these are all software that require teams of professionals to make them function. This is what intrigues me the most—the opportunity to contribute to the development or maintenance of a platform used by millions of users worldwide. The field I’ve chosen is not always easy, as it demands a lot of practical experience. One of the research studies that contributed to boosting my knowledge and skills was a project designing a FedCampus—the mobile app that preserves users’ private data, from which one of the insights I gained was about the central role ethics plays in technological development. Another influential internship I had was during my senior year at a summer camp, where I guided a team in the hackathon to create a facial recognition system for turnstiles, and mentoring during that project showed me what leadership really demands, especially in stressful moments. Going through these experiences, I started seeing clearly that being a machine learning engineer might not be enough for my career ambition, which was the main reason that motivated me to pursue further education and enroll in Duke ECE—a program that now serves as a bridge between my initial abilities and my dream to work in influential tech companies in Silicon Valley.

After Duke Engineering

My long-term aspiration is to gain experience in leading tech companies and eventually found my own startup, making an impact not only through contributing code alongside thousands of colleagues, but by building a unique product from scratch. My first idea is to design an AI-driven personalized daily podcast app, which would integrate information from one’s chosen books, videos, or blogs, saving hours on consuming content. I imagine an AI-powered audio platform that helps start the day with updates while a person is having breakfast or taking transportation to go to work or school. In addition, guided by my curiosity, I ended up stepping out of my interests and attending a talk by a jazz professor at Duke, where one takeaway stuck in my mind: “1. Life is improvisation. 2. You need to be prepared to make a detour.” Thus, an event completely unrelated to my major planted a seed for a potential development—an app which will give arbitrary prompts to users, encouraging them to leave their comfort zones and do daily tasks, from studying peculiar topics online to investigating hidden spots in their cities. What I find special about such a startup is its simplicity coupled with the potential to create real change for those willing to stay open-minded, experiment, and step into the unknown.

5 Ways to Maximize Your Time at Duke

1. Venture beyond Pratt for one “just for fun” class. Use one of your elective slots to take a class completely unrelated to your major—whether it’s public policy, art history, or even a music instrument class. This not only provides a mental break from rigorous technical work but also fosters creative thinking and introduces you to a diverse group of peers, which can lead to unexpected and brilliant ideas.
2. Make the Innovation Co-Lab your second home. The Co-Lab is the place to turn ideas from concepts into prototypes. Attend their workshops on new technologies. It’s a sandbox for innovation where you can experiment, fail, and learn without academic pressure, and you’ll meet other builders and potential co-founders.
3. Schedule “curiosity coffees,” not just networking calls. Each month, find a student, professor, or alumnus doing something you find fascinating—even if it’s outside your career path—and invite them for a 20-minute coffee chat. Your only goal should be to learn about their journey and what excites them. This approach builds genuine connections and can spark inspiration in ways that formal networking rarely does.
4. Embrace the Gothic wonderland. Study in Perkins Library, attend a free concert at the Duke Chapel, or simply take a walk through the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. These spaces are designed to inspire awe and reflection, offering a necessary counterbalance to the fast-paced, problem-solving mindset of engineering.
5. Become a teaching assistant (TA) for a core course. The best way to truly master a subject is to teach it. Being a TA for a course like ECE 551D forces you to understand the material at a much deeper level because you have to explain it clearly to others. It also builds leadership, communication, and mentorship skills—all of which are invaluable whether you’re leading a team at a large tech company or pitching your own startup.