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

My first job was as an educator. I taught mathematics at both high school and college levels. What I learned from the experience was that the strength of our world is in its youth. We need to spend time helping them understand their future challenges and the importance of the contribution that they can make. We need to help them discover their skills and abilities, and show them how they can develop and use them.

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

Grace Murray Hopper is a person that I very much admire. Hopper made significant contributions to the field of computer programming: she conceptualized the notion of code libraries, developed the first compiler, and was instrumental in developing COBOL. But besides her influence in the world of technology, Hopper was absolutely committed to young people. She often remarked that youth are our future, and considered that her most important job was educating young people.

Albert Einstein is also someone that I respect. He once said, "Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." I see this as a description of the Year 2000 project.

What is your favorite book?

My favorite book is Carl Gustav Jung's Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle. Synchronicity has to do with the fundamental connectedness of the universe. We sometimes experience it in events that seem to be coincidences, but nevertheless appear to be linked together in some meaningful way.

What advances in your field do you envision over the next 10 years?

Over the next ten years, I expect to see a concentrated and mandatory approach to the development of Information Technology as an enabler of the business. Until now, Information Technology has been a somewhat unstructured discipline. I expect to see better project management, more structure in developing and using technology to meet business objectives, and improved evaluation processes, metrics, and controls. Most companies will strive to attain SEI Level 2 and 3, which is not where they are today

What do you see as the single most interesting element of your work?

People are the major force; they are critical in getting the job done, the "right" job done. You can have the best technology and business plans, but without the people that "make it happen," you will not achieve success.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?

Year 2000! I was assigned the project in the fall of 1995, and have been involved from the project's inception.

What was your greatest challenge and what did you learn from it?

The greatest challenge of Year 2000 is project management. Year 2000 is the largest and most challenging project Information Technology has ever been faced with. I have also learned that even with the best of these structures in place, unless you have people who are committed to the project and motivated in moving it forward, things do not happen. It's people that make the difference.

What advice would you give to young women who want to enter your field?

I advise women to take advantage of the opportunities that Information Technology offers and will continue to offer in the global market. There are excellent opportunities for women today in the fields of science and technology; their skills are needed. It is important for women thinking about a technology career to develop their math and science skills. They need to believe in themselves, in their qualifications and capabilities, and then they need to go after their dreams. The world of Technology and the ability to enable successful business through technology require "brain power," which implies that women, who represent fifty percent of the population, must be equally represented as technology resources.