Each spring, the University of Michigan (U-M) College of Engineering selects two student speakers for the undergraduate and graduate commencements. This year both speakers are from the Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering (IOE). Undergraduate student Bella Wash and Ph.D. student Dr. Leena Ghrayeb will share their unique paths and their commitment to human-centered engineering.
For Wash, college was always about more than just the classroom. Growing up in Los Angeles with a graduating class of just 52 students, she knew she wanted to take a big leap.
“I wanted to go somewhere big that would give me opportunities to do things that I didn’t have exposure to in high school,” said Wash.
Interested in the intersection of biotechnology and entrepreneurship, she initially explored biomedical and chemical engineering. Over time, she met industrial and operations engineers at the Nexecon Consulting Group, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) U-M Chapter and at her McKinsey & Company internship.
During her internship, Wash was placed on the sustainability transformation team, helping companies lower their carbon emissions.
“That’s when I realized I can do really cool sustainability work, but with a technical, engineering lens,” said Wash. “I also made it a point to talk to as many McKinsey engineers as I could who were working at the firm. Eighty to ninety percent of them had an industrial systems engineering background.”
At U-M IOE, Wash also found a community. Her first semester coincided with Department Chair Dr. Julie Simmons Ivy joining the department. The weekly community-building events led by Ivy helped Wash feel at home, along with the importance of seeing a Black woman lead the department for the first time.
Wash took full advantage of U-M’s extensive resources and opportunities. She was a Graham Sustainability Scholar, founding member of the Ross School of Business minority-based finance club BlackGen Capital, member of venture capital organization UpRound Ventures, University Career Center peer advisor, Entrepreneurial Leadership Program participant, Central Student Government justice and much more. She even spent her last week of college competing at and winning the Canadian Hydrogen Convention’s case competition in Edmonton.
As she takes the stage to deliver the undergraduate commencement address, Wash will speak to both her own and her fellow graduates’ evolutions.
“You are always going to be someone with an engineering mind, no matter how your interests or values or priorities change. You’ll always have that,” Wash said.
After graduation, Wash will be moving back to her hometown to work as a business analyst at McKinsey.
For Dr. Leena Ghrayeb, engineering is not just about efficiency, it’s about putting people first.
Ghrayeb completed her Ph.D. at U-M IOE in April 2025 after earning her undergraduate and master’s degrees in industrial and systems engineering from Northern Illinois University. Raised in Chicago with roots in Palestine, she saw how systemic healthcare inequities shape lives. Ghrayeb is interested in developing and applying operations research methodologies to guide patient-centered decision making in healthcare and public health, with the overall goal of improving healthcare access and outcomes.
“I chose U-M and IOE because they truly are the leaders and the best,” said Ghrayeb. “The faculty is incredibly supportive, and not only is the program a leader in operations research, but also in applying those methodologies to healthcare.”
Her dissertation, titled “Operations Research Approaches for Right-Sizing Prenatal Care,” focused on better tailoring prenatal care guidelines to reflect patients’ medical and social needs.
“I developed models to quantify the operational impacts of adopting these new guidelines, as well as to provide data-driven insights on policies related to scheduling and capacity planning at prenatal care clinics,” said Ghrayeb.
Ghrayeb hopes her work will help make healthcare more accessible and equitable at home and abroad. When she spent time in Jordan during her Fulbright research grant, she helped organize a workshop with U-M IOE department chair Julie Simmons Ivy, associate professor Ruiwei Jiang and local researchers. It explored how operations research tools can be applied to Jordanian healthcare systems.
“The workshop was a space for mutual understanding,” said Ghrayeb. “It was such a rewarding experience that highlighted the power of both interdisciplinary and cross-cultural research.”
As this year’s graduate commencement speaker, Ghrayeb will remind graduates of their responsibility to make positive change in the systems that everyday people use.
“I feel immensely privileged to be graduating from U-M IOE, and I recognize the responsibility that comes with this privilege,” said Ghrayeb. “We hold the power to make significant and beneficial changes to systems all around us.”
As she looks ahead to postdoctoral research and eventually a career as a professor, she hopes to pay it forward just as others have done for her.
“U-M IOE has provided me with so many meaningful experiences,” said Ghrayeb. “I hope to one day follow in the footsteps of the great professors who have guided and supported me along the way.”
Together, Wash and Ghrayeb represent the breadth of talent and passion within U-M IOE. As they address their fellow graduates on April 30 and May 3, they’ll be speaking not just about their own journeys, but how all Michigan engineers will help shape the world.
“As you move through your journey, you will discover what really excites you, and opportunities will follow,” said Ghrayeb. “Just keep an open mind and stay curious.”