ORIE Senior Spotlight--Charlie Ruan

Why Cornell?

Cornell is exceptional in a wide range of academic fields, allowing me to meet people coming from different backgrounds and aiming for different goals.

Why ORIE?

I fell in love with the major when I took ENGRI 1101 with Sam Gutekunst. ORIE is a practical major that teaches you how to solve engineering problems in real-world systems quantitatively and rigorously, an invaluable skill that can be applied in many different fields.


What have you learned while pursuing this major?

I learned how to model and optimize an arbitrary and potentially stochastic system mathematically. For instance, I have used what I learned in ORIE to route traffic in computer networks and optimize car-dispatching policies in ride-hailing systems (e.g. Uber).

Any advice for students considering ORIE?

ORIE is a flexible major: you can explore a variety of career tracks such as academia, software engineering, data science, and even finance.


Any interests outside of school work?

I love playing tennis and watching Formula One with friends.


What stands out to you about your Cornell ORIE experience?

Cornell ORIE is a tight-knit community, where you can meet lifelong friends and knowledgeable advisors. The professors are approachable and excel at both lecturing and researching. The curriculum is well-designed and has top-notch quality.


What’s next for you?

Attending MSCS at Carnegie Mellon University, planning to do research in machine learning systems.


Favorite quote that helps inspire you in your work/life?

"Trust the process" -- a close friend of mine.