- Campus:
- IU Bloomington
Could you explain some of the responsibilities of your role at IU?
I recently joined the Enterprise Student System Architecture team as a Software Engineer/Architect. In this role, I am responsible for coordinating architecture implementation, fostering adoption, and facilitating knowledge sharing across the Enterprise Student and HR Systems. Additionally, I stay updated on technology trends, frameworks, tools, and third-party dependencies relevant to system architecture and software development, incorporating new elements when appropriate.
Before this, I served as a Lead Software Engineer in the Enterprise Student and HR team. In that capacity, I successfully led cross-development teams to deliver multiple complex projects on time, significantly enhancing departmental delivery and aligning with organizational objectives. My responsibilities included overseeing project development, coordinating teams, collaborating with Product Owners to define project scopes, providing work estimates for stakeholders, implementing high-level technical designs, and determining short- and long-term visions for projects.
Throughout my career at UITS, spanning 15 years, I began as a Software Developer in the Enterprise Business Solution System (EBS) team. My work included contributions to projects such as the Travel system, Kuali Financial System, C-series vended applications, Chart of Account Interface, OnBase integration, and more. Evolving into a leadership role, I closely collaborated with functional experts, translated requirements into technical specifications, and played a key role in designing data models, user interfaces, and service.
In my leadership capacity, I mentored and provided guidance to developers, enhancing the overall quality and quantity of Kuali Foundation System development at IU. Collaborating with team leaders, IU Foundation, FMS customers, colleagues at Kuali Financial System partner institutions, and UITS development and infrastructure teams, I contributed to determining processing needs and employed standard system design techniques to devise resulting systems.
Other than my core responsibility of my job, I am involved in different taskforce within Enterprise System including being chair of Student internship taskforce, co-leading Data integration taskforce, being a member of Technology Advisory Group and involved in IT Leadership Community (ITLC) teams. I have recently been elected as a board member of ITLC.
Being a pioneer in remote work before it became popular, how has your experience as a fully remote employee influenced your career journey?
As an early adopter of remote work, I had to develop innovative ways to communicate, collaborate, and stay productive like doing virtual lunches with colleagues, using different communication channels like Slack and Zoom to do virtual sessions with the team, looking for opportunity to broaden my professional network by joining different groups like ITLC book club, attending conferences that provided remote sessions, and looking for any opportunity that provided ways to learn and grow in my career.
Remote work often requires strong communication skills, as you need to actively reach out to colleagues and build relationships without the benefit of face-to-face interactions. Adaptability and creativity show valuable traits in my career, demonstrating an ability to navigate and thrive in different work environments. This experience has become an asset for me as more and more teams transition to or adopt flexible work arrangements now.
Another aspect of working remotely is establishing and maintaining a healthy work life balance—particularly dealing with family and setting their expectations about work hours, meetings, and when they can interrupt me. When I started remote work, my daughter was in pre-school, and it took me almost a year to help her understand what “work from home” meant. Following consistent routing made it easier for her to understand when I’m working and when I’m available for her. Remote work requires a high level of self-discipline and effective time management.
Do you have any advice for other women in IT?
Never let your self-esteem waver. Follow your dreams, and remember that everyone is different, with unique paths. Balancing personal and professional life isn't always easy, and reaching your career goals may take a bit longer. Always remember the mantra of 'never give up', even when the path seems challenging. Expand your network as much as possible, keep a growing mind set, and keep learning new skills as time permits.
Is there a role model you look up to in your personal or professional life?
There are several people in my life who have had a significant impact on both my personal and professional journey. My father, with patience, helped me with math and taught us to be strong. He never treated us as if there was anything a boy could do that we couldn't. My mother, who holds a Master's in organic chemistry, never had the chance to work, however, she had a dream for all her four daughters to receive a good education and one day join the workforce. Her strong will and direction help me to become who I am today.
In my academic path, a couple of my professors were incredibly influential, providing valuable mentorship and guidance. My pre-engineering tutor played a crucial role in my education, teaching me the importance of staying focused and maintaining a never-give-up attitude, no matter how tough the situation. Professionally, Melanie Ebdon, Lora Fox, and Matt Leslie have been instrumental in providing valuable mentorship and guidance, nurturing my career growth in Enterprise Systems.
What are some of your hobbies outside of work?
I don't have specific hobbies, but during my leisure time, I enjoy various activities with my family. We often go hiking, play tennis, and I particularly cherish painting sessions with my daughter.