Welcome Message
(Photo from left to right) Mona Simpson, Laurie Haack, Dorota Huizinga
Welcome to the College of Engineering and Computer Science inaugural newsletter honoring Women’s History Month! Looking back at the history of the College and the University, which celebrates its 50th anniversary, we are proud to feature three distinguished alumnae. I know these women personally, and am happy to share their stories with you. Dardenella Robinson’s (CS’93) life led her from Harvard, through ten years as a practicing attorney, to a Computer Science degree at Cal State Fullerton and her true calling as a systems engineer, which she currently holds at Northrop Grumman. Mona Simpson (ME’87), who says that her “parents didn't put boundaries around what a girl should or should not do”, manages to balance her executive position at Boeing with her family of five (!) and still finds the time to volunteer at many college functions. Laurie Haack (CS’79, MSE’06), who was named one of the “50 Women of Distinction” this year, exemplifies the ideal of “giving back” to her alma mater. In addition to these exceptional people, the newsletter features the testimonials of two student leaders: Maza Eshak (CpE), who is the president of the local chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and Anastasia Deckard (CS), the president of the Computer Science Honor Society: Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE). Our historical piece describes the little-known story , recently brought to light by Kathy Kleiman, of women programmers behind “ENIAC” , the first “true” computer.
Please enjoy the newsletter and do not forget to visit our upcoming ECS events section on the last page.
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 Dorota Huizinga, Ph.D. Associate Dean |
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| Inside This Issue: | |
| Welcome Message | 1 |
| Excelling Alumnae | 1 |
| Excelling Alumnae Con't | 2, 3 |
| ECS Student Stars | 4,5 |
| Historical Figures | 6 |
| Upcoming Events | 7 |
Northrop Grumman - El Segundo
M.S. Computer Science '93
Ms. Robinson holds multiple degrees(Harvard, New York University, and CSU Fullerton) and considers pursuing further education.
I took a computer course in my last year at Harvard and discovered that I enjoyed programming.
However, since I had made a decision to go to law school and become a lawyer, I didn't ascribe much to this fact.
Years later after receiving my J.D. at New York University, and passing the Bar, I received a clerkship with our jurisdiction's Chief Judge.
Working around the courthouse, I was introduced to many non-networked computer systems.
I found that it was easy for me to learn their intricacies and I became somewhat of a computer guru around the courthouse, with the ability to get into and maneuver around any system.
I decided to go to school to get a formal computer education. My classes went so well that I decided to give up law altogether and focus on a second career in computer science engineering. It is ironic that I chose this course of action.
It seems that I came by this honestly since my mother was a mathematician and computer programmer for the DoD for 35 years.
However, in college I had decided NOT to do what she did!
I originally started my M.S. work at UCLA. I had to take the basic classes in order to qualify for the graduate level courses. Since I had been a Slavic Languages and Literatures major at Harvard, this meant I had to start at the beginning with CS 101. By the time I transferred to CSUF (I had moved from the Valley to Orange County), I was just about ready for graduate work. I really enjoyed the evening courses taught by practitioners in the field. I believe that CSUF provides its students with an excellent, practical education which translates into being prepared for eventual work in the field. Specifically, Dr. Dorota Huizinga was a significant mentor for me since she let me work with her on a grant. That work - on an important topic at the time - turned into my thesis. In addition, contacts made in the department with a former adjunct professor (Jess Irwin) led to my current employment with Northrop Gruman.
I enjoy my work for Northrop Grumman and have focused on security issues in network architectures. In the future, I want to return to school to get my PhD to pursue further research in the area. Over the years, I have enjoyed teaching and would like to help other students discover and develop a love for the computer sciences.
Just working every day - successfully - in the field is a huge accomplishment for me. When I graduated from Harvard, I wanted to be an international lawyer and get to travel around the world. I ended up being a computer 'techno-geek'. I'm living proof that you can successfully change your life's direction at any time. Just disregard the 'naysayers' and march to your own drumbeat.
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