Numbers Aren't Neutral: Teaching students to model for equity

Dr Jessica Leung, 2026

Purpose

Jessica Leung set out to show students that optimisation metrics are never neutral – building professional identity and bridging engineered efficiency with human-centred design, aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 5, 9 and 10.

Practice

Students applied queueing theory to a real design question: restructuring gender-specific restrooms into unisex configurations, modelling highly variable service times based on diverse user needs and testing equity objectives against operational throughput.

Output

Students built simulation models that successfully quantified the complex relationship between diverse user needs, restroom configuration and operational efficiency.

Outcome and impact

Students gained a practical understanding of how to balance engineered efficiency with social equity – learning first-hand how simulation can design fairer, more inclusive public spaces, and entering the workforce ready to advocate for equitable infrastructure.