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Meet Alumna Dr. Sarah Boehm ’11, Associate Director for Education and Outreach

Name: Sarah Boehm

Class Year: 2011

Title: Associate Director for Education and Outreach

Organization Name: Center for Nanoscale Science, Pennsylvania State University

 

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?

I manage the educational and professional development portfolio for a large materials research grant that consists of roughly 20 faculty and 35 graduate students and postdocs.

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?  

With both the encouragement of Holy Cross faculty and the knowledge of career opportunities that a higher degree would afford me, I decided to pursue a doctorate degree in Chemistry. In graduate school, I attended the American Chemical Association’s Leadership Development Institute where I met a future colleague at BASF who introduced me to the company and their Leadership Development Program for new PhD scientists. This connection helped me to gain acceptance to the rigorous program that consisted of three 8-month rotations across the US in various roles. One of my rotations involved technology scouting and university collaboration development in Boston, where I learned about roles in academia for scientists outside of the lab. This experience ultimately reinforced the fact that I enjoy working in the academic setting and led me to seek out opportunities to utilize my skills beyond industry. Networking and relationship building led me from one position to the next, directing me to my current role where I find fulfillment mentoring students and inspiring the next generation of scientists.

 

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?

Cheerleading, Chemistry research, Chemistry lab teaching assistant, Physics Workshop tutor, Physics grader

 

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?

I was a chemistry major with a physics minor. As an undergraduate I was fairly certain that I wanted to work as a scientist and learned that obtaining a PhD would provide me with the career growth opportunities that I was interested in. I truly started to explore my options in graduate school where I learned about the varied roles PhD chemists play in industry, academia, policy, government, and beyond. Having a degree in chemistry expanded my options and allowed me to shift careers from industry to academia because I have the critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills necessary to be successful.

 

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

Holy Cross was a safe space for me to learn to ask for help. It’s not always comfortable and it takes confidence. In all my roles since graduating I have needed to gather resources and identify collaborators to build effective teams. I recognize that I need help in areas outside of my expertise and bring in people with varied and complementary skill sets to round out the team. Building confidence in my own abilities is also key to feeling comfortable acknowledging my limits and knowing when to ask for help.  

 

6. What advice do you have for students on campus today?

There are three main components in any job, internship, or graduate research lab – your boss, your work/project, and your coworkers. Before committing to any new endeavor, assess how you feel about each component. Will you be supported by your boss? Will you get along well with your coworkers? Will you enjoy the work? I suggest that you should feel positively about at least two of the three to be happy and successful in that role.
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Meet Alumna Sarah Palmieri ’08, Sr. Advisor, Federal Program Manager at Dell Technologies

Name: Sarah (Tagg) Palmieri

Class Year: 2008

Title: Sr. Advisor, Federal Program Manager

Organization Name: Dell Technologies

 

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?

As a Federal Program Manager, I lead programs supporting the Federal Services business at Dell – primarily focused on enabling our Services Sales and Online portfolios.

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?  

I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do when I graduated. I had majored in English because I enjoyed that subject, not because I had a particular career path in mind. I applied to various jobs during my senior year through the Career Planning Center and ended up accepting a Sales position at a publishing company. I knew Sales was not what I wanted to do long-term, but it was a way to get my foot in the door and gain some experience. I spent 5 years at that company, making a couple lateral moves until I found the area I was interested in – project management. At this point, I also realized I was more interested in the tech industry than publishing. So, I left for a position as a project manager for a website translation company. I stayed there for a year and a half and eventually ended up at EMC Corporation, which was later acquired by Dell. I have been at Dell for about 8 years now and am very happy in my current role.

 

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?

Summer Internship Program, SPUD, Women in Business

 

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?

I was an English major with a minor in Philosophy.

 

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

Critical thinking is fundamental to my role as a Program Manager. I need to be comfortable with ambiguity and changing priorities every day. I use my best judgment to make decisions on my programs to have a positive impact on the business. Communication and interpersonal skills are also key to success as a Program Manager.

 

6. What advice do you have for students on campus today?

Take advantage of the Holy Cross network and the Career Planning Center. Attend as many career events as you can – you may learn about career paths you never knew existed. If you don’t know exactly what you want to do upon graduating, that is OK! Find an area that aligns with your interests and get some experience. You can always try something new if it doesn’t work out.
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Meet Alum Alberto Correia ’78, Vice President of Technical Services

Name: Alberto Correia

Class Year: 1978

Title: Vice President of Technical Services

Organization Name: Proveris Scientific

 

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?

My focus is customer support. The functions that report to me include:  marketing; field and in-house services and sales of specific product lines.

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross?

I was a chemistry major and one of our instruments broke down. I went to the vendor to obtain the part we needed and met an alumni who offered me an internship in the laboratory from there I worked my senior year and two weeks before I graduated I started a full time position.

 

3. How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you? 

The company was based on chemistry and had a customer focus that was unmatched.

 

4. What were you involved in when you were on campus?

Junior year I was working 3-4 nights in the laboratory at Waters. Senior year a spent every other week traveling across the USA lecturing for Waters. My professors were great as they allowed friends to tape the lectures and fed-ex them to the hotels I was staying at so I could keep up.

 

5. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?

I was a  chemistry major and all of the positions I have held were related to knowledge of chemistry. 

 

6. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

The chemistry knowledge was critical, but as important was the life lessons that a Jesuit education instilled in me: loyalty; ethics; hard work.

 

7. What advice do you have for students on campus today?

Follow your passion. I am 65 years old and never worked a day in my life. I go to work to have fun and make an impact. No amount of money is worth following a path that you do not enjoy.
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Meet Alumna Kat Rosenthal ’13, Project Manager, John Moriarty & Associates

Name: Kat Rosenthal

Class Year: 2013

Title: Project Manager

Organization: John Moriarty & Associates, DC

 

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail? 

I manage the financial and manpower requirements to build buildings

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decided it was a good fit for you?    

A series of failed attempts at finding my passion lead me to start throwing darts at the wall to find a career. I wanted something that had a team component, as I missed playing sports so much. I connected with someone from high school who worked for a large general contractor in Boston who then pointed me in the direction of another general contractor. I reached out for an unpaid internship and was hired as a paid intern. Three months of interning lead to a full time job. Six years later, I now run my own project and still love what I do.

 

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?  

Varsity softball, President of ABiGaLe/Allies (now Pride), Physics grading and tutoring, and a Pub Rat 🙂

 

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions? 

I studied Physics with a Concentration in Women’s and Gender Studies. I knew I did not want to work in a lab forever after a few summer internships. Physics taught me how to collaborate and problem solve; I knew that whatever I did for a living had to let me critically think and work with a team.

 

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

Most definitely teamwork and creative problem solving. Construction is a very big field with a lot of different specialties. As a general contractor, we work to learn a little about a lot, working with the experts (designers and engineers) to make a building. It involves working as a team and problem solving as a group. So many times I know only high level details, but my ability to think outside the box to solve a difficult constructability issue is very helpful!

 

6. What advice do you have for students today?

Do as much as you can while you’re still at Holy Cross. Try everything you can. Get outside of your comfort zone. Do not worry so much about your grades. Instead, work hard, maintain a good reputation, and create great and long standing relationships with professors, staff, and classmates; that will pay off so much more in the long run.
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Meet Alum Michael Pettinati ’13, Data Scientist, Biofourmis

Name: Michael Pettinati

Class Year: 2013

Title: Data Scientist

Organization: Biofourmis

 

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail? 

I develop algorithms using large datasets to improve upon and support patient health.

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decided it was a good fit for you?    

I went to graduate school for a PhD following holy cross. I attended Ga Tech. I spoke at length with my academic and research advisors (professors Royden and king) about this decision. I had the opportunity to visit these schools upon acceptance and interview with the professors I would be working with. It was these visits that cemented that I wanted to be at ga tech.

 

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?  

I was involved in the recruitment office my freshman year, and. I worked in food services my first year on campus. I provided tutoring through the computer science department when I was at holy cross. I was a TA and RA for the computer science department as well. I participated in research over the summers with Professor Royden. I was also a member of the honors college and did a senior thesis with professor Royden.

 

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?  

I was a double major in mathematics and computer science. My work at holy cross was the foundation for my graduate school work, which lead my first job in industry.

 

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work? 

Holy cross gave me a solid foundation as a programmer, and I write scripts everyday at my job. Also, Holy Cross gave me my first experience doing research. I learned to approach problems from different angles. I understood how to ask questions that have value, learn what has been done to answer those questions and do the work to help answer those questions.

 

6. What advice do you have for students today?

Although it’s very cliche, I think it’s important to know that failures are only the end if you let them be. There is no single assignment, test, denial, etc. that prevents you from continuing to study and work on things that interest and excite you.
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Meet Alumna Helen Tucceri ’15, Senior Software Engineer at True Fit Corporation

Name: Helen Tucceri

Class Year: 2015

Title: Senior Software Engineer

Organization: True Fit Corporation

 

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?  

In my role as a Senior Software Engineer on True Fit’s Retail Shopper Experience Squad, I am responsible for all of our different integrations including standard JavaScript, iOS/Android, and API based integrations on retailer sites and connect the end user with our backend services to provide fit and style recommendations.

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decided it was a good fit for you?    

After graduation, I knew that I did not immediately want to continue with graduate school, so I put my resume out there and started studying for the first Actuarial exam. A recruiter who came across my resume contacted me about a “Web Engineer” position at a company called True Fit. I decided to give it a shot and got the position. Once I started working there, I knew I found the right place because my coworkers were so supportive of my continued growth and learning and were always willing to help me out when I needed guidance. I loved the fast paced startup environment and grew from Web Engineer to Software Engineer to Senior Software Engineer over the past five years.

 

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?  

Throughout my time on campus I was involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Science Ambassadors, Habitat for Humanity, giving tours for the Admissions office, and Dance Ensemble.

 

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?  

I majored in Mathematics and minored in both Computer Science and Italian. My math background had me interested in becoming an actuary, which is why I started studying for the exam after graduation. I was also interested in Software Engineering because of my CS background. I decided to go for it when the recruiter contacted me about the position at True Fit, assuming I could fall back on a career as an actuary if it wasn’t for me. I ended up loving it and am so glad that I took the risk and tried something new.

 

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work? 

One part of my Holy Cross experience that has benefited me both in and outside of work is study abroad. I spent a year studying in Bologna, Italy and was able to learn so much about communication, working with others from different backgrounds, and embracing new ways of thinking. These communication skills that I gained during that year help me to communicate with coworkers both inside and outside of the Engineering department as well as with clients. I was also able to participate in summer research with Professor Hwang, during which I learned a great deal about building web applications. This was a great experience that taught me that it’s ok to learn as you go and to not give up even when presented with a problem that you may not know how to solve immediately. This resilience and love of learning has been extremely helpful to me as a software engineer at a growing startup where the pace is fast and learning on the job is required.

 

6. What advice do you have for students today?

One piece of advice that I would give is that it’s ok to not know what’s coming next. Be open to any and all opportunities that present themselves to you. Even if you try something and find that it’s not what you love, you’re still one step closer to finding what you DO love!
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Meet Alum Joseph Wihbey ’16, Mechanical Engineer @ Sikorsky

Name: Joseph Wihbey

Class Year: 2016

Title: Mechanical Engineer

Organization: Sikorsky

 

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?  

I am a mechanical designer that designs, analyzes, and details test machines for Sikorsky helicopter components.

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decided it was a good fit for you?    

I had always planned on pursuing engineering. I was unsure of which engineering field I would be most interested in. My experience within the Holy Cross physics department helped me decide on mechanical engineering.

 

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?  

I was involved in on-campus research – I studied atomic physics in Professor Oxley’s lab. The hands-on experiments I took part in through Professor Oxley’s lab were very formative and a major inspiration. I was also involved in SPUD and Track and Field.

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?  

I was a 3-2 engineering student at Holy Cross. I studied physics at Holy Cross and mechanical engineering at Columbia. In both majors, I got to use a lot of math – particularly calculus and differential equations. I wanted a job where I would be able to use those math skills on a regular basis. I feel very lucky that in my current role I am constantly referring back to my college textbooks and applying what I learned in school.

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work? 

Taking detailed notes! A lot can happen in the course of the day, between meetings and other types of distractions, and keeping a notebook has helped me stay on task.

6. What advice do you have for students today?

Take advantage of the liberal arts curriculum! Try not to think of the common requirements as a chore, but as an opportunity to try something new.
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Meet Alumna Dr. Kathleen D. Dejwakh ’09, NASA

Name:  Dr. Kathleen D. Dejwakh

Class Year: 2009

Title: Computer Engineer, Data Management Team Lead, CERES Science Team

Organization:  NASA

 

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?  

I oversee the production of publicly available data products, generated from data collected by NASA and NOAA Earth observing satellites, that constitute a twenty-year and ongoing climate data record of Earth.

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decided it was a good fit for you?
I suppose that you could say that this is my first “real” job since graduating from Holy Cross, since I was in graduate school and engaged in a brief post-doctoral opportunity for so long (2009-2017). When I think about it, each transition made sense, but it was mostly serendipity that got me here.

Attending a graduate school so close to a NASA center, (NASA Langley Research Center), was certainly lucky. As I found that I needed supplemental income, I planned on finding an internship type of opportunity, transitioning out of my graduate program in computer graphics. Since I wanted to expand my concept of the types of imagery I could work with, I applied for and obtained a position as a NASA DEVELOP participant, working with Earth observation data. Comparing this more academia-like experience to a previous industry internship that I’d had, I became certain that I wanted to work in a sector that had more direct benefit to humanity and the environment. So, I applied for a civil service position at NASA and was selected.

 

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?  

I participated in several clubs and activities while on campus: S.P.U.D., liturgical ministry (lector coordinator), Sailing Club, Bishop Healy Multicultural Club, and Math/C.S. Student Advisory Council.

 

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?  

I majored in Computer Science simply because I enjoyed the classes. I really didn’t have a career goal in mind, at the time. The part-logic, part-creativity involved in creating programs felt really satisfying. It just so happened that it is a hot market for software engineers out there.

 

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work? 

First off, I would say that I employ mindfulness and empathy day-to-day. Practicing the motto and spiritual cultivation at Holy Cross strengthened in me the importance of being kind to myself and understanding of others, and the bigger picture. Secondly, I use those core Computer Science classes of algorithms, data structures, and programming. They’re the backbone of software engineering! What can I say.

 

6. What advice do you have for students today?

I think the best career for someone would be not just what they enjoy, but what they’re good at. To figure that out, you probably have to cast a wide net in school. Don’t be afraid to do that, change with time, cross things off of your list, and envision a career-path that may play to multiple strengths at once or in sequence. Sometimes…you even have to create a niche for yourself. There are no rules.
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Meet Alum Daniel O’Brien ’17, PhD Candidate, Georgetown

Name: Daniel O’Brien

Class Year: 2017

Title: PhD Candidate at Georgetown

 

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?  

I’m designing and building a “smart BandAid”-like patch for monitoring patient health.

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? 

I wanted to experience physics research, so I applied for and was accepted to an NSF-REU program at Georgetown after my sophomore year at Holy Cross. After, graduation, I ended up returning for grad school.

 

3. How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?    
My department is small and has a great community, just like HC Physics! After getting to know everybody on a first-name basis, I was sure it was the spot for me.

 

4. What were you involved in when you were on campus?  

I was in the society of physics students, acting as president during senior year. The rest of my time was taken by intramural sports.
5. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?
I was a physics major at HC, and my time in class taught me analytical skills that I’m sure will carry on for years. I hope to stay in STEM, moving to either micro-scale device fabrication, medical work, or climate science after grad school.
6. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work? 
My writing – every day. I write papers, grant applications, etc. When I’m not in lab, I’m either writing or analyzing data, so I recommend you take those CRAW classes seriously and don’t go skipping lecture.
7. What advice do you have for students today?
Get more involved! I wish I spent more time as an ally & engaging with BSU, Pride, POW, LASO, etc. Every community needs allyship in order to extend its reach, and that’s a sphere I wish I spent more time in. Also: take advantage of those common area requirements. They’re not just check boxes to tick — you can gain so much by really taking advantage of the liberal arts offerings.

 
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Meet Alumna Virginia Roach ’81, Stormwater/Green Infrastructure Lead Practitioner

Name: Virginia Roach

Class Year: 1981

Title: Stormwater/Green Infrastructure Lead Practitioner

Organization: CDM Smith

 

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?

I am a civil/environmental engineer managing and designing stormwater/combined sewer overflow/green infrastructure systems with CDM Smith Inc. in Boston.

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decided it was a good fit for you?  

Joined Jesuit Volunteer Corps, teaching 7thand 8th grade in Zuni, New Mexico after graduating from Holy Cross in 1981. Was then enrolled in law school, but read more about civil/environmental engineering in WPI course catalogue and was drawn to it.  Switched to WPI civil/environmental engineering program, and professor recommended me to CDM Smith recruiter visiting campus.  Have been working there since graduating from WPI in 1985.

 

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?

Long-distance running, theater, Holy Cross Choir

 

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?

Major at Holy Cross was mathematics, and studied junior year abroad in Madrid, Spain.  The combination of mathematics, Spanish language skills and liberal arts provided a great, broad foundation for civil engineering career.  Was able to complete second Bachelor’s Degree in civil/environmental engineering in a little over two years.  Completed Master’s Degree in civil engineering while working at CDM Smith.

 

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

One of the most important skills developed at Holy Cross that has helped me in my career is writing.  Another is the ability to prove ideas through logic, developed from proving mathematical theorems.

 

6. What advice do you have for students on campus today?

If you are planning to continue your education after Holy Cross in a specialized area, read the course descriptions for the courses you will be taking.  This will give you a better idea of what you are getting into, and you will know better how interested you are in that career.