Peter Culley

Peter Culley chose to major in industrial engineering due to his passion for statistics and using data to make informed decisions.

Since gaining his education in industrial engineering from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, Culley now finds himself thinking of ways to improve processes he sees in the world. He enjoys analyzing problems to come up with creative novel solutions.

“No two problems are exactly the same, so it is always fun to see what new strategies I can employ to reach an answer,” Culley says.

He knew he was in the right major when, in his operations research class, he applied the theories he learned to his passion for baseball. In an assignment originally intended to maximize efficiency in a factory setting, Culley realized he could apply the same skills to create the best sports team roster possible within specific constraints.

“I cannot stress enough how important it is to make the content in your classes relevant to you and your goals,” he says.

Culley also learned the importance of ethical decision-making. He emphasizes that when improving process efficiency, the impact on those affected must be at the forefront of all industrial engineering efforts.

“We are conserving our communities’ resources so that they have plenty in times of crisis,” Culley says. “We are protecting the lives of many in our world so they can enrich the lives of those around them. The moment we forget why we are trying to be efficient, our quality of life will degrade rapidly.”

During his time at ASU, one of his favorite experiences has been volunteering as an altar server at the ASU Catholic Newman Center. Culley previously served in a similar capacity at his church in Chandler and says he is grateful to continue his service at the Newman Center.

After graduation, he will return to complete his master’s degree in industrial engineering through the Fulton Schools Accelerated Master’s degree program. In the long term, he aims to work for a baseball team to build the best player roster possible.

“Of particular interest to me would be to improve upon existing models used to predict player performance and develop the next great system to figure out which players are poised to become talented major leaguers,” Culley says.

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ fall 2024 class here.