Author: jrw7800@rit.edu

Hello there! My name is Jaharie Waterman Jordan, but most people call me Jaharie. I am currently an MBA student at Rochester Institute of Technology after recently graduating from RIT with my degree in Robotics and Manufacturing Engineering Technology.

My background is a mix of engineering, manufacturing, project management, and leadership. I currently work full time at L3Harris as a Production Planner, where I work with production and planning to help keep things moving. Before L3Harris, I worked as a Project Manager Co op with JCS Process & Controls. That experience allowed me to work on automation projects, budgeting, data, process improvement, and working with different teams to take projects from an idea to something actually being used.

Although my degree is in engineering, I have always found myself interested in more than just the technical side of things. I really enjoy looking at how people work, how processes work, and where things can be made more efficient. I tend to look at a problem and immediately start thinking about what is causing it, what is slowing things down, and how we can make it work better. My engineering background definitely plays a role in that, but my experiences in leadership have also taught me that you can have the best system in the world and it still will not work if you do not understand the people using it.

Outside of work and school, I have spent a lot of time involved in student organizations, leadership, and event planning at RIT. I have helped lead organizations, supervise students, plan large events, and work with different groups to bring ideas to life. Those experiences are actually a big part of why I decided to pursue my MBA. I want to understand the business side of the things I have already been doing and eventually use that knowledge to help lead teams, improve organizations, and potentially run a business of my own.

Right now, I am especially interested in the connection between people, technology, business, and efficiency. I do not necessarily know exactly where that will take me yet, but I know I want to be somewhere where I can solve problems, work with people, and make things better.