Yunus Khan was born and raised in Bangalore (also known as Bengaluru) in south India, where his mother taught high school math and his father was a chemical engineer. Known as the “garden city of India” for its lush and lavish parks and lakes, Bangalore is also a crucial global technology hub. Drawn to USF for its graduate programs in engineering, Khan now makes his home in Tampa where he is a Senior Lean Program Manager for Siemens, the worldwide technology company that in North America focuses on industry, infrastructure, transportation and healthcare. Always fascinated with science and engineering, Khan now helps advance technologies and organizations to achieve their goals and do more with the resources they have.
He recently shared some of his work experiences and perspectives on how he grew as a professional during his years in the USF College of Engineering with USF World.
In essence, I help organizations produce more products with less resources. The resources can either be people, time, public utilities, or capital investments.
USF World: In just seven years since you graduated from USF, you have had an amazingly rich experience helping organizations develop operational excellence. Could you briefly describe what you do?
Khan: Thank you for identifying with my skill set. My journey into Operational Excellence (OPEX) was through a course I took in grad school at USF called Advanced Lean Six sigma. I learned how organizations can implement lean methodologies to optimize their manufacturing processes. The methodology of Lean was first developed after World War II by a Japanese engineer named Taiichi Ohno who worked for Toyota and is known as the father of “Toyota Production System.”
In essence, I help organizations produce more products with less resources. The resources can either be people, time, public utilities, or capital investments. I analyze their current state of operations, identify gaps in their processes and build a future state where they can run efficiently.
Coaching and mentoring leaders adds an invaluable dimension to my role, as empowering others to embrace these methodologies ensures sustainable improvements within the organization. It’s not just about the processes, it’s about fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
USF World: How easy — or tough — was it to get internships and a job in the field of mechanical engineering? Professor Rajiv Dubey, chair of USF Mechanical Engineering Department, tells us that it is a very positive time for mechanical engineering jobs in the U.S. today.
Teaching Leadership skills to the management team during Covid in a manufacturing plant in Dayton, Ohio
Running a beverage plant and its operations during Covid in Dunkirk, New York
Khan: Finding internships is never easy. There is a common misconception that doing well in your studies will automatically land you a good internship. While some of it is true, the more important part of landing an internship, or even a job, is networking! As they say, it’s not what you know but who you know. As an international student, I struggled more because I was out of my comfort zone in a new country with a very different culture. Besides, I had to find an internship in my field of study, with the visa work limitations.
I remembered landing my first internship at Jabil, an electronic manufacturing company that produces almost 90% of the world’s electronics. They were at a career fair at USF, and I had a math exam the very next day. There was a long line of students waiting to talk to the recruiter. While most of my friends left the line to focus on their exam, I stayed put as I wanted to make an impression on the recruiter. I had my two-minute pitch ready and made sure the recruiter would remember me as I followed up with her the next day.
While we saw a high demand for artificial intelligence jobs at tech companies during Covid, this was not the case for jobs in mechanical, electrical, civil and chemical engineering. When Covid subsided, tech companies started layoffs. However, these evergreen fields of engineering remained stable. There are always jobs that would require such skillsets because the world runs on these engineering degrees.
I chose USF as it was one of the best research universities in the U.S. and Florida also had no state tax.
USF World: In one of your earlier positions, you conducted networking events to help students engage with people and improve their leadership and presentation skills. As a mentor, apart from technical knowledge, what other skills would you advise mechanical engineering graduates to learn?
Khan: Serving as the professional chair for Tau Beta Pi — an engineering honors society — allowed me to connect with peers to industry professionals while honing my leadership and networking skills. I would always recommend complementing their technical skills with soft skills, as they do not come naturally and must be cultivated at an earlier stage in life. When you have conversations and build relationships with people, try to add value to their life. Every person, no matter when and where you meet them, will teach you something. It is also important to develop a passion for learning and keep up with news in various subjects — technology, demographics, politics, food, sports, etc. — to be able to easily break the ice with people.
USF World: Tell us a bit about your background — where you grew up, your early education and how and why you chose to do your master’s at USF.
Khan: I was always fascinated with science and engineering as my mother was a high school math teacher and my father was a chemical engineer. I used to see my dad bring home big draft papers with engineering to me, which further attracted me to this field of study. Mechanical engineering to me is very visual. I am able to see how machines run, transfer energy from one part to the other and make things work, which was easy to understand and visually fascinating! I tried my hand in tech when I worked for IBM right after my undergrad but did not find passion in it, so I chose to pursue my master’s in the United States. I had learned from my peers that American colleges focused on practical application of engineering degrees. I chose USF as it was one of the best research universities in the U.S. and Florida also had no state tax. Win, win right?
USF World: And now we come to your two years at USF: What were the major lessons that have helped you in your successful career and which you still hold dear?
USF has a rich culture of inclusivity. Being one of the most prestigious schools in the U.S., it promotes learning through diversity.
Khan: USF has a rich culture of inclusivity. Being one of the most prestigious schools in
the U.S., it promotes learning through diversity. Each class of mine had more than
10 different nationalities at any given moment learning something new.
USF’s inclusive culture and dedicated faculty have played a pivotal role in shaping
my career as a successful operations and engineering professional. The university
fosters an environment where diverse perspectives are not only welcomed, but celebrated,
allowing me to collaborate with peers from various backgrounds and disciplines. This
rich exchange of ideas, paired with the guidance of knowledgeable and supportive faculty,
equipped me with both the technical skills and the confidence needed to navigate complex
challenges in my field. Their commitment to student success, coupled with hands-on
learning opportunities, has instilled in me a strong foundation in engineering principles
and operational strategies, ultimately driving my professional growth and success.
One faculty member I still remember is Professor Rasim Guldiken who taught me fluid dynamics. His persona and knowledge always kept me interested and because of this course, I took up a career at Refresco Beverages and applied his teachings in the food and beverage industry.
USF World: What other memories are special? What was your favorite place at USF to meet friends or just relax?
Khan: One memory I hold dear to me is when I was inducted into an engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi, which celebrates engineers throughout the world. This society does a thorough job in selecting students as they carefully go through not only academic but also extracurricular achievements.
USF has a Bull Market that happens every Wednesday and this was also a great way to be introduced to different student associations such as Students of India, Muslim Students Association, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. I also enjoyed attending social events to meet new friends.
Castor Beach is an artificial beach that has ducks walking around. I liked this place the most as I could sit on a hammock on a Saturday evening and read a book. USF also took us to explore Kennedy Space Center where we saw and learned about Saturn V, Atlantis and the Apollo missions. We touched a piece of the moon and also had a satellite launch experience, which is a realistic simulation of a satellite launch. I was also part of an intramural soccer team called the Raging Bulls where I played midfield. And of course, the most special memory is of graduating from one of the best universities in the U.S.
USF World: You took time out to join a webinar to guide and talk to incoming students of USF some weeks ago. How was that experience? How else would you like to be a part of USF efforts to connect students with mentors?
Khan: It’s incredibly rewarding to connect with incoming students and offer guidance. Mentorship can make a huge difference in a student’s journey, providing valuable insight and support. I would love to be a part of USF’s efforts to connect with students and mentors by having virtual mentorship sessions, resources sharing, networking events, and conducting workshops and webinars. As they say, in the circle of life a student should always become a mentor. I’m fortunate enough to have had great mentors through my life and would love to give back.