What was your first job and what did you learn from it?

My first professional job was a software engineer for Burroughs Corporation. The first thing I learned was how little I really knew about developing commercial software. Even though I had just spent six years getting two technical degrees, I found out I had a lot to learn about working in the "real" world. I also found out the importance of good teamwork in getting projects completed. I learned something important about myself from my first job - that I enjoyed coordinating and managing projects and people.

What inspired you to choose your current field or the position you currently hold?

My career has always been associated with software development (as a software engineer, an engineering manager, and as a business manager of several software products). When I chose this field in college, it was still an industry in it's infancy with an immense future ahead. Certainly, the last 25 years has seen this industry grow beyond our wildest imaginations. Even today, people entering the industry and those of us already in the industry can imagine an immense future ahead. The continuous stream of challenges in this industry has been invigorating, and I expect this to continue throughout the remainder of my career.

Why would you encourage other women or young women to choose careers in your field? What advice would you give someone who wanted to choose your career?

The field of software engineering provides many opportunities. First, the majority of industries today require some form of software to keep the businesses running. Second, new technology is being introduced faster than it was five years ago, which was faster than 10 years ago, etc. The Internet is still in it's infancy and will introduce many opportunities for software engineers for many years to come.

The main advice I would give to someone who wanted to choose software engineering is to learn how to stay up-to-date on technological advances. This does not mean you have to know all the technical details of every technological advance. But, it does mean that you need to understand the concepts and terms of the important technological advances. If you're not willing to be in continuous learning, then don't enter this field.

What motivates or inspires you on a daily basis in your field or job?

My main motivation stems from the challenges of managing product development in a field where technology advances faster than you can blink an eye. This type of rapid change means that I have to constantly be in a learning mode (which is very exciting for me). Even more exciting and motivating, however, is that it also means I have to be able to lead teams to be effective in such a rapidly changing environment. If these challenges didn't exist, I wouldn't be happy in this field.

Why is your field important to society?

Software affects almost every aspect of our lives today - at work, at home, and even at play. Almost every industry relies on some form of software to run. Even our everyday items like our phones, cars, and TVs have software in them. Software has become an integral part of our lives and will continue to be in the future.

What is your vision for your field's future? What are some of the exciting things to watch for in your field?

The Internet is an exciting part of our industry, and is still in it's infancy. Standards will eventually emerge around the Internet that will make the use of the Internet truly more consumer useful and safe. This will make it possible to eventually do many of our daily tasks (work and home) from our computers (wherever they are located).

What values are the most important to you, and what do you value in others? How do you prioritize these values in your daily life?

Honesty, integrity, proper balance of work and family, diversity, and the dedication to continuous learning are the most important values that I have. They are also what I value in others. Honesty and integrity aren't values to be prioritized - you just do it! Properly balancing work and family is tricky. When I'm working, I work long, hard hours, and when I go home, I devote my attention to my family and friends. I schedule important family functions (such as child's concerts, teacher conferences) on my work calendar to minimize conflict between work and family activities. Early on in my career, I developed my own way of making sure that I was attaining the proper balance of work and family time.I show my value of diversity by first, understanding and challenging my own biases, and, second, by being active in promoting diversity (through volunteer programs, monetary contributions, etc.).

What do you think are the most important character traits to develop in order to succeed professionally?

Integrity (including knowing who you are and truly being who you are), perseverance, and dedication to continuous learning. With these traits, you have the stamina to face any challenges thrown your way.

Who is your hero, mentor, or person you most admire, and why?

I really can't think of one person. I have many people over the years that I have really admired for different reasons. I admire people for being champions for worthy causes (despite the hardships being a champion has), e.g., Gloria Steinem, Carolyn Leighton. I admire people who have abilities and/or talents that are extraordinary, e.g., Mozart, Van Cliburn, Michael Jordan. I admire people who have overcome extreme hardship to make a successful and happy life for themselves and their families, e.g., my father and mother. I admire people who help others without question, e.g., my next door neighbor, my last mentor at work. So, you can see, that I have lots of different reasons for admiring people and would really not want to pick just one.

What is your favorite book, and why?

I tend to have authors that I like, and then I read all their books. My favorite types of books are mysteries and adventure/drama (I usually call them airplane books). I have read every Agatha Christie book available, all the Margaret Truman mysteries, all the Mary Higgins Clark books, all the Robert Ludlum books, all the John Grisham books, and many more that I can't remember. I like to try to figure out "who-dunnit" or to piece together plots as they unfold throughout a book. Essentially, I like the problem solving that goes along with reading these types of books.

What technology has improved your life professionally or personally?

Needless to say, the accessibility of computers and information by the masses has made a huge difference to the way I work and interact both professionally and personally. If you take that to its ultimate root, you find the invention and evolution of semiconductor along with the invention of programming languages to make computers do the exciting things they can now do.

What are your future goals?

I have 3 main goals:

• to continue to have a happy marriage and raise our daughter in a way that helps her accomplish her goals
• to make a positive impact on how society views diversity
• to be the head of an independent software business

What do you do to relax?

Music helps me to relax by either listening to music (classical, oldies, soft rock) or playing the piano or the guitar, or singing (I'm an alto who used to sing in choirs). My 16-year-old daughter shares in this with me, and we sometimes play and sing together (which I find extremely satisfying). Other activities that help me relax are reading (mysteries mainly) and doing things with my home computer (games, surfing the net, learning new software, etc.). I also like to go to the mountains or the beach and enjoy the outdoors.