When Sabrina Rule, a junior industrial sciences major, walked into the ISE Career Fair, she wasn’t just handing out resumes. She was building connections that would lead to her summer 2026 Tech Consulting internship at Deloitte.
“The ISE Career Fair was a big reason I was able to land my internship with Deloitte,” Rule said. “It gave me the chance to meet recruiters in person, share a little about myself and make a real connection that I could follow up on after.”
Behind that opportunity were the University of Florida’s ISE Ambassadors, whose student leaders organize events, build industry connections and create pathways for their peers to succeed in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, known as ISE.
Since its founding in 2011, the ISE Ambassadors group has represented the department to prospective students, faculty and alumni, offering a peer perspective on what it means to study industrial and systems engineering at UF.
From teaching ISE sections of EGS1006: Introduction to Engineering to hosting departmental forums and engagement events, the student ambassadors represent the department to prospective students, faculty and alumni, offering a peer perspective on what it means to study industrial and systems engineering at UF.
The program is built around students who excel academically while demonstrating leadership and a commitment to service, noted ISE Undergraduate Program Coordinator Katie Basinger-Ellis, Ph.D.,
“They represent the best of the ISE department,” Basinger-Ellis said. “Their commitment to leadership and service elevates the student experience in meaningful ways.”
As an organization run by students, for students, the ISE Ambassadors play a central role in encouraging undergraduates to engage more deeply with the department, be it discovering research opportunities or building connections with peers who share similar academic interests. Through course tip sheets, advising tools and structured outreach, ambassadors help demystify the ISE curriculum and make departmental resources more accessible to students at every stage.
Ambassadors help bridge the gap between students and faculty by expanding awareness of undergraduate research opportunities. Trevor Fai, a senior industrial sciences major from Denver and vice president of ISE Ambassadors, leads this front by organizing informational sessions, sharing peer-to-peer guidance on how to approach faculty and highlighting ongoing department research projects.
“ISE Ambassadors are really about being a resource for other students, whether that’s academically, professionally or personally,” Fai said. “If we can help someone navigate research, scheduling or career decisions a little more confidently, then we’re doing our job.”
ISE Ambassadors are also focused on helping students with one of the most important milestones of their college careers: navigating the workforce.
Each fall, ambassadors organize and host the ISE Career Fair, a recruiting event designed exclusively for ISE students. The fair connects undergraduates, graduate students and alumni with companies seeking interns and full-time hires. Ambassadors coordinate logistics with faculty, reach out to employers such as General Electric, Carnival Cruise Line and PepsiCo, and work for months behind the scenes to ensure the event runs smoothly.
For Alexa Bishop, a junior from Boca Raton and the current ISE Ambassador president, the career fair represents service and impact. After previously serving as Career Fair co-chair, she saw firsthand how the event creates meaningful opportunities.
“Organizing the ISE Career Fair was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in college,” Bishop said. “The fair played a huge role in helping me secure my internship at Carnival Cruise Line. It showed me how powerful our network really is.”
The ISE Ambassadors play a crucial role in shaping the culture of the department. Through workshops, peer advising and initiatives like the Undergraduate Research Symposium, ambassadors make students feel informed, connected and supported throughout their time at UF.
“Our ambassadors are always working to improve the student experience within the ISE department,” said Melissa Baker, ISE undergraduate advisor. “After all, optimization is what ISEs are all about.”
Brian Roof, a junior from Tampa and the director of operations, said serving as an ambassador has deepened his investment in the department’s future while building his leadership skills
“I really enjoy being able to contribute to an environment where everyone feels welcome and supported,” Roof said. “Our goal is to help students feel connected to the resources and opportunities available to them.”
As the organization continues to expand its outreach and programming, its mission remains consistent: empowering students to take ownership of their academic journeys while helping shape a more connected and forward-thinking ISE community.