Major: Computer engineering
Class: 2009
Major: Computer Engineering
Class of: 2009
Hometown: Cadott, Wis.
Why did you pick MSOE?
When searching for a school, there were not many that specialized in computer engineering and were noticeably reputable in industry. MSOE was continuously surfacing in my search for a college. They were ranked nationally amongst colleges, they had a high placement rate, and their curriculum was very well defined in areas of study. After doing my personal visit, the decision became more clear from the well-placed campus and community feel. The campus is located right in the middle of Milwaukee. Students are never far from activities, can enjoy Milwaukee landmarks and professional sports, and they can be involved in extracurricular activities. The people I came in contact with were helpful, friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to help. It felt like a strong community in a large city. It was comforting, but offered variety outside of my professional life as well.
What did you like about MSOE?
The thing I liked the most was the emphasis on education. The teachers were very personable and wanted to get to know the class on an individual basis. There was a lot of one-on-one interaction and it was generally initiated by the teachers. They made me really feel that they were there for me, not that I was there to learn from them. There was also a lot more than just an academic life as well. The student life office has an unbelievable involvement in the community of the school. Events are constantly being organized, organizations are formed constantly, and there was something to participate in what seemed like daily. I also was extremely impressed with the recently built Kern Center. Not only did it house the array of sports events that MSOE teams participated in, it is the most impressive workout facility I have ever been in. Aside from that, it was a very nice community overall. Everyone was friendly and open. The small class sizes made it easy to get to know your peers, as well as professors. It was an incubator for growth professionally and personally.
What did you like about your major?
I became interested in technology at a very young age. Going through high school I started becoming overwhelmed with all the technology fields available, so I decided to focus on a specific area. I chose computer engineering because of its clear definition of expertise and flexibility in applications. When comparing other colleges I felt that their curriculums were very high level and didn't offer enough specialization in the domain to be effective. MSOE's CE program offers a strong, focused balance of electrical and software. The graduate will come out feeling confident enough in those areas of study to understand the concepts and applications well enough to continue their development in both, or one, area. Personally, I have had experience doing very high-level software development writing in Java and C#, but I now do very low-level development working with embedded hardware and writing software in C and C++.
What have you been up to since graduation?
Since graduating from MSOE I have moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa and am working as a software engineer for Rockwell Collins. I assist in the development of many of software-defined radios that are used in applications such as air traffic control.
What would you tell someone who is considering coming to MSOE?
I would tell someone that MSOE is an extremely strong engineering school that is recognized across the world, but it is much more than that. There is a strong business program, nursing program and technical communication program. There is life outside of academics and there is a wealth of support from its surrounding environment by being located in the heart of Milwaukee. A student from MSOE will be prepared for life after education, in more ways then one. They will make friends they will never forget and professional contacts they will have for a life time. MSOE does not just stop helping their students once they graduate. MSOE has continued to help me even now.
What do you do in your free time?
I participate in a lot of recreational sports sponsored by Rockwell Collins. I also do some snowboarding in the winter and outdoor adventures such as camping, four-wheeling, and hiking in the summer. On the side I assist my dad in managing his website (wrspaniels.com) and social media accounts (wrspaniels on twitter and Springer Spaniels on facebook) for his dog-training hobby.
Ogden is currently contributing to JSOnline's My Milwaukee blog, where a group of Milwaukeeans write about the city they call home.