Meet UTS graduates who are applying their engineering and IT skills in industries ranging from healthcare and technology to product development and beyond.
No two student journeys look the same, and that’s the beauty of studying at UTS.
For Amelia and Yuka, their paths show that your degree doesn’t have to define you. Instead, it can give you the skills, experiences and confidence you need to discover where you truly fit.
Amelia: how engineering led to a career in medical device testing
When Amelia Giugni started uni, she was drawn to a path that combined her two biggest interests: health and problem-solving. The UTS Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Bachelor of Medical Science double degree gave her both the technical foundations of engineering and deep insights into medical science.
“It was the practicality of the degrees that drew me in. And the fact that the campus was so vibrant and connected to the city. I could finish class and immediately step into real life.”
Amelia Giugni
UTS graduate
Her studies were hands-on from the beginning. In one standout project, Amelia and her teammates connected muscle sensors to a robot, using a custom-built classifier to interpret signals and replicate movement, a technology with potential for stroke rehabilitation.
“It was both practical and meaningful. We were showing how engineering could directly improve someone’s quality of life.”
Fast forward to today, Amelia is a Verification and Validation Engineer at Cochlear. While her degree was rooted in medical science and engineering theory, her role focuses on testing and quality assurance, ensuring life-changing products meet the highest standards before reaching users.
“My role is highly collaborative, and every day I use the skills I developed at UTS; problem-solving, attention to detail, and breaking big challenges into manageable steps.”
Yuka: combining creativity and technology
For Yuka Maruyama, the journey looked very different. Although she began her uni learning Bachelor of Media in Adelaide, she was a high school student when she saw another student’s work presented as an interaction design project. She was mesmerised by the presentation, which prompted her to pair media studies with computer science to balance creativity with technology.
“I had never heard the term before, but I was amazed at how this student’s design work completely changed the way people understood information. That was the moment I realised interaction design was magic.”
Yuka Maruyama
UTS graduate
That spark turned into a pursuit. An internship in Cambodia showed her how user experience design could shape everything from apps to museums. “Every area needs interaction design,” Yuka says. “It’s about making user experiences better, and I want to be part of everything.”
At UTS, she found her fit in the Master of Interaction Design. Each semester was project-based, with opportunities to design and test real products from mobile apps to interactive exhibitions.
Her professors, Allie and Elisa, became pivotal mentors, and a major research project in Human-Centred Design Methods revealed her love for academic research and set her on the path to a PhD in inclusive design. Today, she’s exploring how augmented reality can improve education access for children in developing countries, particularly those with disabilities.
“Media gave me creativity, computer science gave me logic, and interaction design ties it all together. What you study might not directly match your career, but it can help you find your fit.”
More than one path to success
You don't need to have your entire career mapped out before starting your degree. Engineering and IT graduates often discover new interests, opportunities and specialisations throughout their studies. What matters most is building the skills, experience and confidence to take the next step when opportunities arise.
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