About Me...

I am a graduate of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I earned an undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering. I moved to Chattanooga nearly a decade ago to pursue this degree and have since fallen in love with this vibrant city. The mountains may have been what brought me here, but the community is what has kept me. It seems as though every week there is a new tech meetup, conference, or hackathon to attend.

When I took my first Project Lead The Way class in high school, was when I became hooked on tinkering. Engineering offers me the ability to be creative while staying within my logical nature. Computers, and all engineering really, still seem like magic to me. I will never stop asking questions, mostly because there is more than a lifetime's worth of them out there.

You can usually spot me reading up on Wired.com, buying every Einstein book at McKay's, watching a Simone Giertz video, or maybe running frantically from meeting to meeting. Some (nerdy) topics that I read about often include 3D printing, artificial intelligence, robotics, start-up company culture, space travel, nuclear power generation, and cyber security. Yes, that covers a lot. I may not know a lot on any one subject, but I have a pretty decent general understand of a broad range of engineering-related subjects.

If I were to sum up my college in one word it would be: extracurriculars. I have always thrived in hands-on learning environments and workplaces. Groups like the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) are what I credit many of my skills to. Whether it is building robots or mixing concrete, I find motivation in working with other passionate like-minded folks.

Alongside classes and extracurriculars, I have had the privilege to work for The Tennessee Valley Authority’s IT department the past three years. I have gained invaluable professional and technical experience in my time with this company. With that being said, there is still so much to learn about TVA and its massive power operations. I consider myself fortunate to be able to serve the Valley in this context of computer engineering. TVA continues to excite me with all it has to offer myself, the general public, and the surrounding environment.

As a collegiate and professional, I have been heavily involved with the Society of Women Engineers. Over the years, SWE has taught me what it means to be an empowered woman leader in the tech industry. I will continue to pour my efforts into our mission of demonstrating the value of diversity and encouraging other women to pursue their full potential as engineers.

Last but not least, my personal hobbies include gardening, volunteering, classical dance, outdoor activities of all kinds, and playing the clarinet. I do believe a well-rounded person is more capable of bringing a different point of view to the workplace, not to mention the amount of stress-relief hobbies can provide.

I hope this gives you a little bit of insight into who I am and what I do. And as always, you can download a copy of my resume here.

-Erica