Assistant Professor Bochen Jia considers his master’s student Hardeep Singh an important ambassador for his classmates. That extends to their academic life, where Singh, as president of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, has helped his fellow automotive engineering students gain real-world experiences with industry partners.

“As president for the society, he has taken on a number of initiatives along with other core team members to help engineering students excel,” Jia said, citing organization of industrial visits and JACK software training sessions. “His work has shown his leadership skills, his commitment to students and his dedication to the school.”

And Singh, who is originally from India, has also made contributions on the cultural front through the Diversity Ambassador Leadership Initiative.

“Being part of that program, I was able to lead a tour for students at a Sikh temple,” Singh said. “I thought it was an interesting opportunity for students to learn about a new culture and beliefs.”

With a passion for both technology and human diversity, it is perhaps no surprise that Singh has excelled in his study of ergonomics—a dynamic engineering field that requires a human touch. In particular, he hopes to make a contribution in the rapidly changing automotive industry, tackling ergonomic and passenger comfort challenges for new vehicles and driverless cars.

Singh also is a big believer in paying it forward. Beyond his career, he has ambitions to develop programs that promote technical education in rural areas of his home country.

“I believe that, just as someone has helped me through mentoring to attain a certain skill set, it is now my responsibility to share those skill with others,” he said. “The Difference Maker award will definitely act as fuel for me to continue my efforts to share knowledge.”