Marcia MaciasDegree & Year Graduated

M.S. Computer Science 2005

How did you become interested in your field?

I have a BS in Electrical Engineering and my first job was to participate on software development for an aircraft test station at General Dynamics.  I became very interested in computer programming and decided to apply for the MS in CS at SDSU.

What do you do for a living now? What do you enjoy most about your current career position?

I am an Information Technology Consultant at the LARC Department – SDSU. I started this job as soon as I graduated with my MSCS.  I truly enjoy my job at SDSU because it has given me the opportunity to become a member of the CSU system. I like working with students, faculty and staff.

What have been the biggest challenges in your career?

When I graduated from my BSEE, I worked in the field as an Electrical Engineer for several years, but once married, I stopped working to take care of my daughters for about fourteen years. Starting my MS in CS was a critical time for me. I needed to work and start taking classes at the same time; therefore I became a full time student and a full time employee, and was still a full time mother. It was hard and it took me five years to reach my goal.

What is the best professional lesson you learned from the Computer Science Department?

The best professional lesson that I learned was during my thesis project. I had to do research and development under the supervision of Professor Nenad Marovac. He always expected a lot from my project, and it was a very good learning process for me. I should also mention the classes that I took with Professor Whitney, which provided me with the discipline and knowledge to develop my final projects.

What was the best class you took? Did you have a favorite Professor?

The best classes that I took were the Object Oriented languages courses with Professor Whitney.

What is your favorite memory from the time spent in the department?

I met many wonderful and brilliant people who were excellent classmates and later on became good friends. Another good experience that I got from being a CS student at SDSU was that I got to participate in several internships with several companies in San Diego. One of them was SPAWAR. My internship at SPAWAR lasted three years. This internship gave me the opportunity to learn so many aspects of my career and at the same time provided me with the experience for my present job at SDSU.

What advice do you have for our current students?

It is always good to keep your mind set to do the best you can at any job you perform, no matter how simple or how hard it is. Doing your best will always reflect on your personality and people will look up to you with respect.

 

 

If you are an SDSU Computer Science alumni and would like to submit an alumni profile for the web site please email ajensen@mail.sdsu.edu