Alumni & Faculty Spotlights
Meet our alumni - Zeke Santamaria
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Zeke Santamaria is a seasoned DevOps expert with over 20 years of experience in software engineering. His journey in IT began after earning a degree from St. Thomas University in 2009.
Meet our alumni - Lulu Wang
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Lulu Wang is an established professional with extensive experience in the tech industry. After earning her BS in Electrical Engineering from St. Cloud State University, she began her career as a software engineer at Nonin Medical, Inc. With over a decade of experience, Lulu currently leads data-driven optimization in modem software at Qualcomm, overseeing cross-functional teams throughout the entire project lifecycle (ML or non-ML), from problem to commercialization. In addition to her technical role, she is also a board member of Qualcomm Employee Networks, where she is dedicated to helping women and emerging leaders advance their careers.
Meet our alumni - Prapti Shrestha
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After graduating with a B.Sc. in Computer Science, Bioinformatics from Winona State University in 2010, Prapti Shrestha made the decision to join the MSSE Master’s program in 2012 at the University of Minnesota. This decision came after searching for a software engineering program that would align with her work schedule and future career.
Meet our alumni - Dr. Udhaya Kumar Dayalan
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The discovery of the MSSE program proved to be transformative. It provided the perfect balance, allowing me to continue working full-time while acquiring practical skills and knowledge crucial for advancement in my field. Tailored for professionals like myself, this program not only enabled me to financially support my family, but also allowed me to invest in my future.
Meet our alumni - Ryan Ricard
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MSSE was an opportunity to step back from my narrow view of the software world to study the entire end-to-end practice of software engineering. Prior to MSSE, I had over seven years of heads down coding experience but did not yet understand the complete effort involved to orchestrate the creation of world class software systems, from inception to completion. Thanks to MSSE, I am now confident that I can lead nearly any software engineering challenge to a successful outcome.
Meet our alumni - Bradley Jewel
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The skills I learned in the program were put to an abrupt test when I was unexpectedly promoted. If I had been given the promotion before attending the MSSE program, I'm not sure how successful I would have been. Everyday I draw on things my professors have taught me. I've been able to avoid numerous missteps thanks to the MSSE program.
Meet our alumni - Denny Cheng
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The program has helped me to become a more well-rounded engineer from a technical and leadership perspective. Before coming into the program, I didn't have much experience in understanding what was true enterprise software. The MSSE program taught me to think critically and to understand that "it depends" truly is the answer to any technical decision.
Meet our alumni - Christopher-Marc Cumberbatch
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One of my work colleagues, who is an alumni of the program, strongly recommended it after learning that I was interested in studying software engineering. My decision was based on the reputation of the University of Minnesota and that I could continue working while I earned my degree.
Faculty Spotlight - John Kruse
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After 36 years of doing AI research/prototyping and usability/human factors for 3M; John Kruse shares his interest in user experience in the classroom with articles, books, and dissecting humans and their interactions with technology. A few things he hopes student will take away from his courses are to consider different perspectives, listen, and aim to create the best experience for users.
Faculty Spotlight - Allan Tokuda
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With a background in mechanical engineering, Allan Tokuda has knowledge of both sides, physical and digital, of a product. Tokuda is an MSSE alum himself and believes the program's masters level allows a space for mutual learning between instructors and student. He encourages is classes to try and apply the concepts to real world situations, while being mindful of where that focus is.