Zachary Lafrance is a senior in the Industrial and Management Engineering (IME) and Economics double major, graduating this May. From an early age, Zachary demonstrated a natural curiosity for how systems and devices functioned, often taking things apart and rebuilding them. This hands-on mindset, combined with RPI’s strong reputation in STEM and its proximity to home, made the RPI a natural choice. He was particularly drawn to Industrial and Management Engineering because of its unique integration of technical and business perspectives, allowing him to develop a versatile skill set applicable across a wide range of industries and career paths.
During his time at RPI, Zachary has been actively involved in varsity football, Sigma Chi fraternity, and undergraduate research on medical procedures with Dr. Nima Ahmadi. Through these experiences, he strengthened his ability to collaborate within teams, manage demanding commitments, and contribute to goals larger than himself. His involvement in varsity football was especially formative, teaching him discipline, resilience, and the importance of balancing a rigorous academic schedule alongside significant extracurricular responsibilities.
Academically, several experiences helped shape Zachary’s perspective on the breadth of industrial engineering. The Discrete Event Simulation course, in particular, demonstrated how engineering methods can be applied to complex systems across many industries. Exposure to healthcare related modeling within the course, along with his research experience and faculty mentorship, introduced him to new ways of thinking about efficiency, operations, and decision making in medical settings.
Throughout his time in the IME program, Zachary developed strong analytical, communication, and systems thinking skills. With guidance from faculty mentors and through hands-on coursework and research, he refined his academic interests and gained confidence in how his engineering background could be applied in a variety of impactful contexts.
Following graduation, Zachary will pursue a post baccalaureate premedical program at Bryn Mawr College to complete his premedical requirements and prepare for medical school. He views this next step as a natural extension of his education in Industrial and Management Engineering and Economics, bringing a systems-oriented perspective to challenges in healthcare and patient care delivery. We are proud to have Zachary as part of the ISE community and are excited to see the impact he will make in the years ahead.
