When Zhiquan Tian was choosing a graduate program, he fielded offers from universities large and small, located in big cities recognized around the world. He ultimately chose Lehigh University: a renowned American institution with an elite R1 designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, nestled into the rolling hills and welcoming, historic cities and towns directly between New York City and Philadelphia, PA. He believed that the quality of the academic program and the strength of the faculty mattered more than the size of its surrounding city—a calculation that paid off almost immediately.
A reputation that opens doors
Tian entered Lehigh's master's program in mechanical engineering in 2012 and graduated in 2014. His first professional experience in the United States came through a Lehigh connection that provided an early internship opportunity to apply his education in a professional environment while opening the door to an even-brighter future.
“During that internship, I secured an interview for a full-time position, and my interviewer told me that engineering students from Lehigh had a very solid reputation in the marketplace,” he recalls. “I was fortunate to pass the interview and receive the opportunity. This reinforced my belief that Lehigh’s strong academic reputation provides lasting value beyond the classroom.”
Learning from challenging courses and dedicated faculty
When Tian reflects on his time at Lehigh, one of his strongest memories is a demanding course in solid mechanics.
The course challenged students with advanced concepts and a rigorous workload. Few students chose to take it, but Tian considers it one of the most valuable parts of his graduate education.
“It was one of the most challenging courses I took,” Tian says. “If I had known how difficult it would be, I am not sure I would have signed up. But it was worth it.”
The professor who taught the course also left a lasting impression. Tian remembers him as an accomplished researcher who also had a rich life outside of engineering, demonstrating that professional excellence and personal interests could exist together.
That example represents what Tian values about Lehigh's faculty more broadly: professors with strong academic backgrounds who are also willing to spend time helping students understand difficult concepts and explore their interests.
Tian was especially interested in aerospace engineering and found opportunities to pursue that interest through Lehigh’s wind tunnel laboratory. He remembers instructors connecting classroom learning with real engineering applications, helping students imagine how their studies could translate into future careers.
“It gave you a very clear picture of what you would actually be building,” he says.
The power of the Lehigh alumni network
One of Tian’s earliest professional opportunities in the United States came through another Lehigh graduate. While studying at Lehigh, Tian was contacted by a university alumnus who had founded a company in New York City. The alumnus reached out through Lehigh connections and asked whether Tian would be interested in an internship opportunity.
The shared Lehigh connection created an immediate sense of trust, and Tian joined the company in a role similar to a business analyst, gaining his first workplace experience in the United States. For Tian, the experience demonstrated the true value of Lehigh’s alumni network.
“What matters is not only how many alumni there are or how impressive their professional titles are,” he says. “What matters more is whether someone is willing to connect with you and share, simply because you are a fellow alum.”
Today, Tian remains connected with Lehigh alumni in China and around the world. He believes these relationships continue creating opportunities for students and graduates.
An engineering education that supports many career paths
After Lehigh, Tian’s career took him across industries and continents. He worked in the United States, including time in Chicago and at Philips, before moving to Guangzhou, where he now works in healthcare and medical technology.
Although his current work is not in traditional engineering, Tian says his Lehigh education continues to influence how he approaches problems.
“There is not much of a direct subject-matter connection,” he says. “But what Lehigh taught me was how to face an unknown situation, explore it and find the answer. That problem-solving ability is the part I still use every day.”
He believes Lehigh's interdisciplinary environment helps graduates adapt to changing industries and pursue opportunities beyond their original field of study.
Advice for prospective graduate students
For students considering graduate study in the United States, Tian encourages them to think about education as a long-term investment.
“An engineering degree is like aged wine,” he says. "Put it away for a short time and you may not notice the difference. But over many years, the wine only grows more valuable. It is a process of growth.”
Tian recognizes that students must consider practical factors such as the job market and economic conditions. However, he believes the right graduate program provides value that extends throughout a career.
“If I were choosing today, I would look most closely at three things: the quality of the faculty, the location, and the alumni network,” he says.
More than a decade after choosing Lehigh, Tian continues to recommend the university to students seeking a strong engineering education, supportive faculty and a global community that can help them build their future.
Zhiquan Tian在选择研究生项目时，曾收到来自大大小小、坐落于世界知名大城市的多所大学的录取邀请。最终，他选择了理海大学——这所声誉卓著的美国学府，获评美国卡内基高等教育机构分类中的精英R1级别，坐落于纽约与宾夕法尼亚州费城之间起伏的丘陵地带，周边遍布热情友好、历史悠久的城镇。他相信，学术项目的质量与师资力量，远比学校所在城市的规模更为重要——这一判断几乎立刻就得到了印证。
声誉，为你打开一扇扇大门
Tian于2012年进入理海大学机械工程硕士项目，并于2014年毕业。他在美国的第一份职业经历，正是通过理海大学的人脉关系获得的——一次早期实习机会，让他得以在专业环境中运用所学，也为他打开了通往更光明未来的大门。
“在那次实习期间，我获得了一个全职岗位的面试机会，面试官告诉我，理海大学的工程专业学生在职场上一直有着非常扎实的口碑，”他回忆道，“我很幸运通过了面试，获得了这份工作机会。这也让我更加确信，理海大学的强大学术声誉，能够在课堂之外持续带来价值。”
从充满挑战的课程与倾力付出的教师身上学到的东西
回顾在理海大学的时光，Tian印象最深的记忆之一，是一门极具挑战性的固体力学课程。
这门课程以高阶概念和繁重的课业量考验着学生。选修这门课的学生并不多，但Tian认为，这是他研究生教育中最有价值的部分之一。
“这是我修过的最有挑战性的课程之一，”Tian说，“如果当初知道它有多难，我不确定自己还会不会选。但这一切都是值得的。”
教授这门课的老师同样给他留下了深刻印象。Tian记得这位教授不仅是一位成就斐然的研究者，工程之外的生活也十分丰富——这让他明白，专业上的卓越与个人兴趣完全可以兼得。
这正代表了Tian眼中理海大学教师群体更广泛的特质：既有扎实的学术背景，又愿意花时间帮助学生理解难点、探索自己的兴趣。
Tian对航空航天工程尤其感兴趣，并通过理海大学的风洞实验室找到了追求这一兴趣的机会。他记得授课老师会将课堂所学与真实的工程应用联系起来，帮助学生想象自己所学知识未来将如何转化为职业发展。
“它让你非常清晰地看到，自己实际上究竟在建造什么，”他说。
理海校友网络的力量
Tian在美国最早获得的职业机会之一，正是来自另一位理海校友。还在理海求学期间，一位在纽约创办公司的理海校友主动联系了他，通过理海的人脉关系询问Tian是否有兴趣参加一次实习机会。
共同的理海背景，让彼此之间立刻建立起信任，Tian随后加入了这家公司，担任类似商业分析师的职位，获得了自己在美国的第一份工作经历。对Tian而言，这段经历真正证明了理海校友网络的价值所在。
“重要的不仅仅是校友的数量有多少，或者他们的职位头衔有多么亮眼，”他说，“更重要的是，是否有人愿意主动与你建立联系、分享经验，仅仅因为你们是校友。”
如今，Tian依然与中国及世界各地的理海校友保持着联系。他相信，这些关系将持续为在校生和毕业生创造更多机会。
一段能够支撑多种职业道路的工程教育
从理海大学毕业后，Tian的职业生涯横跨多个行业与大洲。他曾在美国工作，包括在芝加哥和飞利浦（Philips）任职的经历，随后搬到广州，如今从事医疗健康与医疗科技相关工作。
尽管目前的工作并非传统意义上的工程领域，但Tian表示，理海大学的教育依然深刻影响着他解决问题的方式。
“具体专业内容上的直接关联并不多，”他说，“但理海大学教给我的，是如何面对未知局面，去探索、去找到答案。这种解决问题的能力，正是我至今每天都在使用的部分。”
他相信，理海大学的跨学科环境，能够帮助毕业生适应不断变化的行业，并在自己原本所学专业之外，去追寻更多的机会。
给未来研究生申请者的建议
对于正在考虑赴美攻读研究生的学生，Tian鼓励大家把教育看作一项长期投资。
“工程学位就像一瓶陈年美酒，”他说，“短时间内把它放在一边，你可能感觉不出什么不同。但经过多年沉淀，它只会变得愈发珍贵。这是一个不断增值的过程。”
Tian也承认，学生们必须考虑就业市场和经济形势等现实因素。但他相信，一个真正适合自己的研究生项目，能够在整个职业生涯中持续创造价值。
“如果是现在做选择，我会最看重三件事：师资质量、地理位置，以及校友网络，”他说。
距离选择理海大学已过去十余年，Tian依然在向学生们推荐这所大学——无论他们追求的是扎实的工程教育、悉心支持的师资，还是能够帮助他们构建未来的全球化社群。
