Hometown: Ningbo, China
Major: Human Factors Psychology
Minor: Entrepreneurship
Nancy is a senior from Ningbo, China, majoring in Human Factors Psychology with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Maintaining Dean's List recognition, Nancy is driven by a passion for creating human-centered products that address overlooked design problems and genuinely serve people's needs.
Throughout her time at Tufts, Nancy has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation. As Vice President of the Tufts Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, she has fostered a community of students passionate about improving the intersection of people and technology. Nancy's portfolio spans diverse projects that showcase her ability to solve complex human-centered challenges, from developing SafeLink, a three-part home security system for patients with dementia that she presented with her teammates at the NEC HFES Conference 2026 in front of industry leaders, to designing an eye drop assistive device for patients with arthritis. Her capstone project focused on refining the AI model deployment process for engineers on Red Hat's OpenShift AI platform, bridging the gap between technical innovation and user needs.
Nancy's entrepreneurial spirit has led her to make a tangible impact beyond campus. She founded SceneIt, a platform now available on the App Store that helps students discover what's happening around campus. She led the product from concept to launch through extensive user research and usability testing. Her innovation earned nationwide recognition when she won second place at the SharkNinja Innovation Challenge finale with Matcha Luxe, a premium countertop matcha machine she co-developed, securing over $20,000 in funding as she presented her vision to judges and a large audience.
On campus, Nancy has pursued diverse interests that complement her academic work. She is an active member of Kappa Alpha Theta and has served as Social Chair of the Tufts Buddhist Mindfulness Sangha for over two years, where she creates Instagram content and flyers to build community. Her background in acting and passion for photography bring a creative dimension to her technical work. Nancy has also gained valuable industry experience through product design and UI/UX internships, applying human factors principles to real-world challenges in tech and healthcare.
Whether she's conducting user research, building startups, or leading campus organizations, Nancy approaches every endeavor with thoughtful attention to human needs. She is excited to pursue opportunities where she can create meaningful products that bridge design and technology to improve people's everyday lives.
Nancy (Qianyi) Yang, A26