A Passion for Sports and Engineering

Andrew Christenson ‘24 Sc.M. has always been drawn to the intersection of sports and engineering. As an undergraduate at the University of Connecticut, he studied mechanical engineering while conducting research in kinesiology, sports medicine and biomedical engineering labs. “I was looking for a way to bring together the technical and the human side of things,” he shared.

Graduate school was always part of Christenson’s plan, but he knew staying close to industry was critical for his career path. Brown’s master’s in biomedical engineering offered that unique blend. 

One of the most appealing aspects of the program for Christenson was its flexibility. While certain requirements needed to be fulfilled, the program allowed him to take classes that aligned with his passions and arrange his schedule to meet his needs. He also appreciated the personal support and mentorship.

"Program Director Marissa Gray designed my academic schedule to be both enriching and flexible, allowing me to pursue opportunities alongside my studies.” Christenson said. He added, “Professor Crisco was a fantastic mentor with a strong background in sports engineering and biomechanics. He connected me with professionals who helped me understand the language of the industry and refine my thesis.” 

Education in Motion

At Brown, Christenson built an interdisciplinary toolkit. He explored human-centered design and 3D modeling with Ian Gonsher, Assistant Professor of the Practice of Engineering, gained exposure to market research methods in Angus Kingon, Professor of Engineering, course deepened his sports engineering expertise with Joseph Crisco, Henry F. Lippitt Professor of Orthopedics and Professor of Engineering, and spent time using the Instron to conduct mechanical tests, with guidance from Gerald Zani at the Brown Design Workshop (BDW). His thesis — Design, Development and Perception Testing of 3D Printed Insoles with Variable Longitudinal and Lateral Forefoot Stiffnesses in Athletic Footwear — blended engineering precision with real-world application.

Outside the classroom, he made networking with industry leaders a top priority. “I made it a goal to have as many coffee chats as possible, not to ask for a job, but to learn the language of the industry,” he said. “My classmates and I engaged in friendly competition, motivating each other to connect with as many sports engineering professionals as possible.” Those connections, along with a summer internship at Adidas on the Market Insights and Strategic Projects team, helped him land a role at New Balance even before graduation. He spent his final year at Brown commuting from Lawrence, Massachusetts, to Providence, working at the shoe company while finishing his thesis. 

From Biomedical Engineering to Game-Changing Sneakers

At New Balance, Christenson plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of athletic footwear. As a product testing analyst, he works at the intersection of design, engineering, development and product management — designing studies that evaluate fit, durability and performance across key categories like basketball, tennis, global football (soccer) and skate.

“I deliver results from these studies to our product creation teams to inform iterations on our prototype products,” he explained. “The goal is to build the most well-fitting, durable, high-performance product on the market.”

Through collaboration with both the Inline (working on product one to two years out from market) and Innovation (working on product three to five-plus years out from market) teams at New Balance, Christenson has expanded the company’s approach to testing. In addition to traditional fit and wear trials, he introduced Dynamic Fit Testing — a method that brings in local testers to perform sport-specific movements in prototype footwear and provide real-time perception feedback to answer specific questions from the product creation teams.

And yes, the job comes with perks. “Lots of free shoes,” Christenson jokingly shared. “Luckily, I am sample size, so I get to fit test everything, which is very useful at work  — though I’ve definitely slowed down on bringing shoes home after almost two years on the job,” he said.

Embracing Flexibility and Opportunity

"Andrew exemplifies exactly what we hope to see from our biomedical engineering master's students," said Program Director Marissa Gray, Ph.D.. "When I first met Andrew, he aspired to work as an engineer in the sports industry—an incredibly competitive field. Together, we developed a plan to help him get there, and despite some twists along the way, that is exactly where he ended up."