Where are they now?-Silicon Valley Campus - Carnegie Mellon University
With over 500 graduates, the alumni of Carnegie Mellon University's Silicon Valley campus are making waves in their industries and climbing their way up the ladder. We present 'Where Are They Now?,' an opportunity for you to learn about our alumni and how they are impacting with innovation.
Where are they now?
“I did not enter the program with any preconceived notion of being an entrepreneur, however, the practical nature of the courses allowed me to see that it was possible to create a real product and helped me envision starting a company." MORE As of December 2010, Ethan Eldridge (SM ’10) will have spent a decade at Eyefinity/OfficeMate, a business that provides a wide spectrum of custom software, online business tools, and complementary technologies in support of the ophthalmic industry. These tools allow eye care professionals to manage everything from medical records to patient reminders, all the way through the ordering process; all the systems they touch as part of running their practice. MORE Mei Chen (SE-PM 07) has been passionate about helping others since she was very young. As she gained experience and pursued her education, she has been actively seeking ways to expand her horizon. Chen urges fellow alumni to get involved, step out of their comfort zone and pursue philanthropic activities for the betterment of others. “It is extremely rewarding to take what you know and offer these skills and talents to those in need,” offers Chen. MORE "One of the privileges of my role as mentor at Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley is to watch very talented professionals such as Salim, Jarek, Philip and Ivetta meet as they work together to get their business idea off the ground and on a firm foundation. We faculty provide some direction, but it is students like Salim, Jarek, Philip and Ivetta who provide all the energy, enthusiasm and can-do attitude." MORE “I would be interested in meeting with other CMU alumni and faculty who are exploring this field. As the Energy & Sustainability space is so new, collaborating with other professionals in the area could be of benefit to all of us working in the area. Sharing knowledge has been extremely helpful for me in my changing roles in the software industry and I would encourage other alumni and students to get involved in such activities. My network has increased by at least 100 people since joining the CMU family. We have an opportunity as a community to provide for some very important contributions to software development and have an impact in the Silicon Valley and beyond.” MORE “The hands-on, team-based education I received at Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley has been invaluable to me. The constant support and encouragement from the faculty helped immeasurably in building the confidence necessary to venture out into the software industry and start our company. Even in the current economic climate, the skills that I’ve gained during my studies at Carnegie Mellon have equipped me to take on the challenge.” MORE Virginia currently designs and facilitates learning sessions around generational differences. “Diversity, is very important to the success of today’s industry, especially in a large, global corporation like Boeing. I feel privileged to be able to provide resources to the Boeing community,” explains Moreno. MORE McCreight says, “although I had learned software engineering on my own through seven years of hard work, it was still very useful to obtain a more formal education in the area. The faculty at CMU-SV were well-versed in the field as many of them had worked for software companies prior to teaching.” MORE “The faculty has very close connections to the software industry and that helped us to test our skills on real-world issues. I encourage other alumni to look for opportunities in their companies to provide internships to Carnegie Mellon students. Not only does it provide the ideal environment for students to learn the practices and processes in the software industry, it also provides the companies with extremely well-trained, potential employees.” MORE “Carnegie Mellon alumni share a unique community that can provide for a variety of professional opportunities as well as helping us to keep abreast of the latest developments in companies and learning how others may be facing and solving similar challenges in the field.” MORE
