About the Team

Natalie Cherbaka is an Associate Collegiate Professor at Virginia Tech in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) and Affiliate Faculty with the Honors College. She is focused on project-based learning across the university as a member of the design and execution teams for both the Calhoun Honors Discovery Program and the College of Engineering's Interdisciplinary Design course.

Kimberly Ellis is an Associate Professor in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. She teaches and conducts research in the areas of production planning, logistics planning, and applied operations research. Ellis directs the Center for Excellence in Logistics and Distribution at Virginia Tech. Her teaching effectiveness has been recognized with the Wine Award for Teaching Excellence and the College of Engineering Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Andrew Thomas received a B.S. in ISE in 2019 and an M.Eng. in ISE in 2020. He is currently a Consultant at Alpine Consulting Partners working to drive efficiency and effective decision making through Enterprise Performance Management systems and implementations. He stays engaged in the ISE department through his membership in the Emerging Leaders Board (ELB) working to support both students and alumni. At Virginia Tech, chicken parm from Owens is his favorite meal.

Ben LaBine received a B.S. in ISE in 2019, and he is currently a Senior Consultant for Alpine Consulting Partners specializing in financial management system implementations for public and private sector organizations. His favorite aspect of his current role is that he is constantly challenged with new and exciting problems but is able to solve them through the support of his extraordinary peers and mentors at Alpine. While at Virginia Tech, he was privileged to be one of the HokieBirds!

Sophia Yoon received a B.S. in ISE in 2025 and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Systems Engineering. She is also working as a Business Analyst at Marriott International Headquarters supporting data-driven decision-making by analyzing customer data and recommending strategies to improve pricing, promotions, inventory, and overall business performance. She plans to stay in Blacksburg while pursuing her Master's and stay involved with ISE as a grad student.

Timothy Yang received his B.S. in ISE in 2025 with a minor in Industrial Design. As a past member of the Consulting Group at Virginia Tech, he gained skills in project management and UI/UX which he leveraged and expanded on in the redevelopment of The ISE Game. He is passionate about making effective design decisions that are both efficient as well as aesthetic. Outside of school, Timothy loves to go backpacking, fishing, and cycling.

Makayla Wonpat graduated in May 2025 with a B.S. in ISE and a minor in DTCE (Design Technology Creative Expression). She is passionate about using data analytics, consulting, and UI/UX to improve and innovate products and experiences. At Virginia Tech, she was involved in Alpha Phi Omega for two years—positively impacting social & environmental initiatives through community service. She also served as the SEC Chair for the Society of Women Engineers and won three intramural champion t-shirts.

Allison Hubbard is a rising Junior at Virginia Tech from Northern Virginia. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a minor in Business. Passionate about human factors and UI/UX, she is dedicated to optimizing user experiences and designing intuitive systems that enhance efficiency and usability. With a strong analytical mindset and a keen interest in the intersection of engineering and human interaction, Allison seeks to bridge the gap between technology and user needs. As she continues her academic journey, she looks forward to making a meaningful impact in the ISE department at Virginia Tech.

Maguire McMahon graduated in May 2025 with a B.S. in ISE and dual minors in CS & HCI. He led the undergraduate research team for the redesign in the fall of 2024 and headed the development of these changes. He is currently a software engineer at Padlet, an educational technology company located in San Francisco, CA. Maguire is passionate about user experience and is interested in the intersection of technology and education.