- Campus:
- IU Bloomington
How did you end up at IU?
I first came to IU from my native country of Spain to pursue a Ph.D. in Philosophy. At some point I realized I would rather write programs than papers, so I switched my major to Computer Science. When it was all said and done, I ended up with two M.A.s, one in Philosophy and one Computer Science.
As far as my professional career at IU, it started while I was still a student first as a regular hourly employee, then as a graduate assistant, and finally as a full-time employee.
Could you explain some of the responsibilities of your role at IU?
I am currently a Software Developer for the Enterprise Student Systems area in UITS. My teammates and I write and support web applications that are used by students and advisors across all of IU's campuses. We also write batch processes that help automate administrative tasks or integrate IU's Student Information System with various vended products that are used across IU.
Do you have any advice for women and those of marginalized genders who work with technology?
This is not something I personally struggle with, but some women and/or people from diverse backgrounds hesitate to share their perspectives or concerns in situations where others have more knowledge or experience.
I would encourage everyone to speak up, and/or ask questions. They are either going to learn something, help others consider other perspectives, or both. There is a certain kind of magic that happens when people from diverse backgrounds and with different experiences collaborate: projects have better outcomes.
Do you have any advice as a woman in a leadership role?
You should like your job. There will be the boring tasks, the stressful situations, the tough times, ... but when it is all said and done, you should like your job most of the time.
This year I am celebrating 30 years of service at IU. Think what a tragedy it would be if, as I reflect on this milestone, I concluded that I had spent the bulk of my days, for half of my life, doing work I did not enjoy. You can’t go back and fix that!
Fortunately, when I reflect on my career at IU, I think of all that I have learned, all the great people I have worked with, and all the lifelong friendships I have made. I call that a win, and I would encourage everyone out there to make sure they are winning too, not by doing jobs that others want or admire, but by doing jobs they want to do.
What would you do for work if you weren’t doing this?
I guess if I had not switched majors, I would be teaching somewhere, and I am sure I would love interacting with students.
If I were not doing that, I suppose I would enjoy any job where I got to work with people, but also by myself, intellectually challenging, but not too much, creative but practical, familiar, but not too repetitive.