Tell me about your job.
Most of what I deal with is software development. I manage a product that needs software, embedded system — closer to hardware than PC software. Cisco’s main product line is networking equipment, routers. They recently expanded into computer space, video processing, all sorts of networking equipment and devices. I develop software for one of the products, a low-level service balance sends traffic to multiple Web servers to distribute the load. If people are going to ncsu.edu, they are going to the same site but not one machine, because that machine would overload. I’ve been at Cisco for six years, been with the same group seven years — I was at a small company that Cisco bought. The merger ended up being beneficial in multiple ways. The start up I was involved in was an engineering shop, all engineers developing a product — little sales or market, little drive to get money, through Cisco we got access to those channels and we could really focus on building the product.
Where did you work before Cisco? I worked at Netiverse, San Jose, Ca. I was recruited as one of the first engineers, tenth or eleventh employee. When I joined the company it was about one or two months old — I didn’t participate in searching for an office or office furniture, but as far as developing the product, figuring out what we were going to do with it I was there for a lot. The most challenging thing, also the most exciting, was not having anything for structure. A lot of these things, like figuring out IP and setting up the phone, like getting office furniture — its fun but its not helping your product, but you are controlling all aspects — if the computer dies you can’t call the help desk, you have to do it yourself. How has your education helped you? I graduated in 1995, computer engineering from State. I went straight to Stanford after graduation, technically for electrical engineering. I think N.C. State has very good practical curriculum, very real world and could actually be applied to the job almost day one. I think in that respect I was prepared very well. The exposure I had — that if you are trying to start something as an engineer you want to focus on the business side or the engineering side — shows you have to pick. There are people that are successful at marketing but they have that technical background, so which you focus on is important, but they are both needed.
What do you think about the EEP? I was under professor Miller for senior design, but not actually in the EEP program — I had heard about it, but I think it was in the beginning stages then. I think that the program is very strong now in giving exposure to students.
