Minju Yoo

Minju Yoo, who is graduating as a spring 2025 Impact Award winner from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, came to Arizona State University hoping to grow through new challenges.

“I wanted to understand the world beyond the perspectives I had grown up with,” she says.

As an international student, Yoo says her curiosity and motivation to connect with different people led her to get involved in community activities at Central Arizona Shelter Services and St. Vincent de Paul, two nonprofit organizations in Phoenix dedicated to supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Yoo played a key role in easing the adjustment of first-year students as a peer mentor and community assistant at Barrett, The Honors College. She says that she followed the guidelines carefully at first, but as she became more familiar with students’ needs and personalities, she realized that meaningful support requires more than structured guidance.

“Many first-year students often feel overwhelmed and isolated,” she says. “I incorporated their feedback to help them build relationships and feel comfortable sharing their ideas.”

Yoo says that interacting with other students on a daily basis and engaging with communities around Phoenix broadened her perspective on people from different backgrounds.

“I learned how to connect with others and support people around me in pursuit of their success,” she says.

Of all her experiences at ASU, Yoo is particularly proud of her research experience under Assistant Professor Cindy (Xiangjia) Li on additive manufacturing. Across multiple projects, she investigated novel approaches for fabricating complex structures.

Her passion for engineering also extended into teaching. She served as a teaching assistant for MAE241 Introduction to Thermodynamics under Associate Professor Ryan Milcarek, where she facilitated peer-led study group recitation sessions and explored the impacts of interactions in active learning environments.

“I feel fortunate to have had so many supportive professors throughout my time at ASU. They were approachable and always willing to share their insight and encouragement, which helped me grow as an engineer,” she says.

Yoo says she knew that mechanical engineering was right for her when one day she became so immersed in her work that she completely lost track of time.

“Looking back, my biggest achievement wasn’t just a single result — it was realizing my own potential,” she says.

After graduation, Yoo plans to continue deepening her knowledge in mechanical engineering through ASU’s Accelerated Master’s program.

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ spring 2025 class here.