Matthew James Saenz, EIT
Education
My five years of education at Carnegie Mellon University afforded me an excellent education and many unique experiences, allowing me to pursue my interests in both engineering and themed entertainment. Beyond my courses, I became involved in leadership in CMU's Theme Park Engineering Group and SHPE chapters, was honored with admittance to the IEEE Eta Kappa Nu and Tau Beta Pi engineering honor societies, and was admitted to the DoD SMART Scholarship.
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BS/MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering
In May 2025, I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a Master's in Electrical and Computer Engineering, after graduating with my Bachelor's in Electrical and Computer Engineering with University Honors the year prior, through the Integrated Master's/Bachelor's program. During my studies, I gained experience across the broad field of Electrical and Computer Engineering, but focused on the areas of Embedded Systems and Control Theory in my higher level courses.
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I achieved my EIT designation in the state of Virginia in November 2024.
Minor in Robotics
During my undergraduate degree, I also pursued a Minor in Robotics, as I have maintained a strong interest in the field since receiving my first LEGO Mindstorm as a kid. This allowed me to explore the applications of my primary degree in the field of Robotics, taking courses in Computer Vision, Robotics Planning, and Robotics Kinematics and Dynamics to complete the program.
Themed Entertainment Coursework and TPEG
I was drawn to CMU by my interest and passion in the Themed Entertainment Industry, as I knew its multidisciplinary excellence would be able to support the intersection of technology and creativity required of the Themed Entertainment Industry. During my time at CMU, I became heavily involved in the Theme Park Engineering Group (TPEG) student organization, helping to restart it after COVID in 2021. I served as its Vice President of External Affairs from 2021 to 2023, and then as President from 2023 until my graduation. During this time, I helped foster a community of passionate creators, growing from 4 to over two dozen active members. This was achieved through a focus on competitions, qualifying for the Toronto Metropolitan Thrill Design Invitational in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and club-wide hands-on projects.
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I was also able to take multiple courses in Themed Entertainment through CMU's Entertainment Technology Center, such as Guest Experience in Theme Park Design, Experience Design, and Dark Ride Design. These courses helped to grow my understanding of the design theory behind my favorite attractions and to apply my engineering background in creative works.
A walking robot, created as part of my Introduction to Robotics course.
