Delhy Arias, M.S. in Engineering Management, 2010

According to Delhy Arias, the lessons she learned in her Master of Science in Engineering Management program gave her the stamina, people skills and management expertise needed to adapt to the changing work environment. With an FIU B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, she moved through research positions and eventually started her career with a South Florida biotechnology company. After 17 years, she has accumulated a wealth of knowledge, skills and abilities to take on new responsibilities and describes herself as “a team player, trust builder and silo breaker.”  

The MSEM program at FIU offered everything Arias was looking for. “I could choose from its variety of engineering and business courses to complement my technical skills,” she says.  

“I was a full-time student, taking courses at night and on Saturdays. This approach allowed me to take what I learned in class and quickly implement it at work. I finished the program within 16 months,” Arias mentions.  

In the following, Arias reflects on her education and affirms that it provided her with a solid foundation to build from.  

When did you graduate?  

I graduated in 2010 with an M.S. in Engineering Management. Previously, I graduated in 2005 with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from FIU and immediately landed a job with Bioheart where I served in various research and quality roles for four years.  

Why did you decide to study this area and choose this program?  

I was looking for a program that would help me acquire leadership and management skills and at the same time marry those skills with my technical background. Many of us graduate with a science background, but we don’t know how to effectively communicate important issues. I wanted to get a sense of what management typically considers important to the bottom line, all while getting out of my “shell.”     

I was also working full-time, so I was looking for a program that offered night and weekend courses and was affordable.    

Where do you work now? What do you do?  

I am a Regulatory Affairs Manager at BioTissue Holdings, Inc., a biotechnology company based in South Florida. I have served BioTissue for 13 years in various roles in production, quality assurance, and regulatory. I focus on the areas of international product registrations, regulatory assessments and surveillance, federal and state licenses, supporting inspections, supporting IND submissions, and being a regulatory liaison to other departments.    

What was your favorite class and why?  

Looking back, I enjoyed all of them! One of the most memorable ones was Dr. Nathan Hiller’s Leadership in a Global Environment. At the time I took this course, I was a Quality Assurance Specialist at BioTissue, and the company was small. Given that I was working while taking this course, I could quickly relate to the case studies we would dissect in class. Things made sense.    

I learned to be resilient throughout the years both professionally and personally. Rather than being afraid of change, I accept it and move forward. I readily adapted to BioTissue’s growth.      

What immediately applicable skills did you learn?  

One of the earliest skills that I quickly applied was identifying others' perception of me and my perception of them. Dr. Sungu Armagan’s Organizational Design & Behavior course highlighted how perception can be an important factor in decision making, leading to bias under inappropriate circumstances. I learned that taking the time to understand others helps dissipate misperceptions and makes for better decision making.   

How does your degree help you in your work?  

The MSEM is a degree that prepared me for my role in 2010 and for the future. Twelve years later, I still recall aspects of the courses I took and implement them in my profession.    

Dr. Shih-Ming Lee’s Logistics Engineering course provided a thorough understanding of exporting and importing requirements. Some of the regulatory activities I currently deal with include understanding importing requirements for specific countries.   

Dr. Chen’s Advanced Project Management course emphasized the importance of identifying appropriate planning, critical paths, adding buffer times to your projects, and effective communication. The idea of adding “buffer time” to my projects has been instrumental in meeting deadlines.      

What is one thing you learned that you didn’t expect?  

The MSEM program offered the opportunity to take courses from the Construction Management program. I have always had an interest in Law, so I took the course in Construction Law. One of the things I learned was to identify the appropriate rule(s) to assess each case. Through the years, I have used this practice when conducting audits, regulatory assessments, and exploratory work. It is surprising to me how something from a construction law course could be relevant to my profession.    

Would you recommend this program to other students?  

I highly recommend the MSEM program at FIU. Over time, I use the lessons learned to adapt to new roles, overcome perceptions, and be a better professional. The program challenges students to think outside-of-the box and gives opportunities to meet others with different backgrounds. The professors are supportive and want students to succeed. I made lifelong friends from this program and keep in touch with some of my professors to this day.      

I also recommend this program at FIU for promoting lifelong community engagement and volunteerism.  I have the privilege of being a member of the Accreditation Committee and the Secretary of the Quality Council at the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), the premier standard-setting body promoting the safety and use of donated human tissue.  I am also the new VP of Public Relations for the Landing Toastmasters Club, a group that engages in improving public speaking, becoming effective communicators and leaders.  In the past, I served as Secretary of the Kiwanis Coral Gables Latin Chapter, engaging with volunteers in improving the world, one child and one community at a time.  The desire to be better and help others achieve their goals motivates me every day, and I got the right toolbox from the MSEM program.