Jimmie Macabou

Jimmie Macabou decided to study industrial engineering to help the world address challenges such as pandemics, climate change, health care problems and more. Industrial engineering incorporates various engineering disciplines in addition to managing people and projects. 

“I thought majoring in industrial engineering was a great way for me to make a difference by helping people and making processes more efficient and sustainable,” says Macabou, who was on the dean’s list every semester of his program.

Macabou initially wanted to go to college back in his native France, but a tour of Arizona State University in which he talked to current students in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering showed him the array of resources the university offers. Choosing ASU has led to many opportunities that have prepared Macabou for an impactful career. 

One of his most influential professors was Daniel McCarville, an industrial engineering professor of practice. McCarville helped Macabou grow by showing him why engineers are important and preparing him to work in industry. 

He has already started applying the tools he learned in class to his work in an internship at Avnet, an electronics component and service company.

“At Avnet, I was able to identify and implement changes that optimize workflows, reduce costs and carbon footprint,” Macabou says. 

His most memorable project during the internship was finding the opportunity to install a new set of racks for one of the company’s warehouses to increase capacity. 

“I drew the racks on AutoCAD and defined how much material the company needed to purchase. I was able to communicate with different levels of the company like the directors and leads of the warehouse,” Macabou says. “I feel my contribution and the help of many others added to the success of this project through communication and overcoming the challenges we faced.”

For his capstone project, Macabou is leading a team of engineering seniors to help Banner Health improve the process of transitioning patients to hospice care.

He has also made a difference with his engineering skills through ASU’s Engineering Projects in Community Service, or EPICS, program. In this program, Macabou worked with a team of engineering students to brainstorm and find solutions to clean Tempe Town Lake.

He hopes to continue making a difference in others’ lives as an industrial engineer by making work conditions more comfortable, enabling the more efficient production of goods and reducing waste to help address climate change.

After graduation, Macabou will spend three months in France completing an internship at Vitesco Technologies, an automotive company. He will then return to ASU to complete an industrial engineering graduate degree as part of the Accelerated Master’s degree program and work at Avnet part time as an industrial engineer. 

His long-term career goals include implementing new assembly lines for future technologies or improving the health care system. 

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ Spring 2023 class here.