“At Berkeley, I met many strong leaders in the MEng program and was able to expand my personal philosophies based on their diverse experiences.”

Edited by Ashley Villanueva

Each year, Master of Engineering students nominate their peers and vote for the candidate who has contributed the most to the program in areas of leadership. This year, Liwei Chen, MEng ’19 (CEE), was recognized for that honor for his demonstrated leadership abilities across teams. One of his nominators shared:

“My first impression of Liwei was from my first day of Fall 2019 bootcamp, when he drew on his experiences from industry to give a perspective on one of Dr. Fleming’s questions. As someone who came straight from undergraduate, I continually appreciated Liwei’s ideas as they added valuable insight to our discussions. Since those first two weeks, Liwei and I have become friends and I am constantly amazed at how he contributes to our cohort. While he doesn’t hold a formal leadership role, he is always doing what he can to make others’ lives easier, whether that be through giving life advice, connecting people to resources, or advocating for an often unheard voice. Not only have I learned valuable information from him on what it means to be an effective technical leader, I’ve also learned what it means to be a humble and selfless leader. Liwei earns respect from all who encounter him because he genuinely cares for their well-being. He added so much value to my time, and countless others’ time, in this program. He is very deserving of this recognition.”

We asked Liwei some questions about his Berkeley MEng experience.

What does it mean to you to receive this award?

I am very humbled that my classmates nominated me to receive this award. At Berkeley, I met many strong leaders in the MEng program and was able to expand my personal philosophies based on their diverse experiences. They definitely made my MEng experience unique and worthwhile.

What are your post-graduation plans?

I will be working at Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, as Production Director providing emergency facilities maintenance and services.

What was your favorite class at Berkeley?

I really enjoyed Professor Fleming’s classes. In particular, I was impressed by his dedication to keep the case studies current with relevant ethical challenges facing engineering leaders such as the downfall of Theranos.

What is your advice to future MEng students?

The one year in MEng will go by super quick, so make sure to take advantage of everything the program and Berkeley has to offer whether that means taking extra technical electives, listening to the diverse speakers on campus, or traveling through the Bay Area. But most importantly, spend time with your classmates!

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Liwei Chen wins Intellectual Contribution Award in Leadership was originally published in Berkeley Master of Engineering on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.