Emily Moeller
Interview Posted By: Ashley Smith
1. Can you tell us a little about your background? i.e. Where you grew up, what education do you have, a summary of your resume, did you always want to do what you are doing now, when did you start to become interested in STEM, what internships/ volunteering
I have always been interested in math and science more than any other subject throughout grade school and college, and I was advanced in math and science classes throughout high school. I attended MIT, and my B.S. degree is in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary sciences. I then attended grad school at UC Santa Cruz and received an M.S. in Earth Sciences, with an emphasis on Geophysics. I was in a Ph.D. program, but decided not to pursue it, because my interests changed, and I determined that a Ph.D. was too much work for a subject I wasn't that interested in.
Luckily, I used computers for everything in college and grad school, so I was able to get a job at a Unix operating system company doing Technical Support. Since then, I have mainly been doing computer support-like jobs.
I've been at UL for almost 7 years, and have moved from Tech Support, to Training, to Implementations, and now I am a Project Manager on our implementation engineering team, which does all the new customer installations and custom data work for customers.
2. What exactly IS your job? What do you do on a day to day basis?
I am a Project Manager, which means I coordinate our projects within the engineering (i.e. technical) team. A project is defined when we receive a new contract for some work, like a new customer installation or upgrade, or a conversion from a 3rd party system into our own software, up until the time that the work is completed.
I have also been in this company a long time and know our products well, so I tend to answer all sorts of technical questions from customers and other people in the company, such as salespeople or other support people. I'm somewhat of technical resource for the company.
On a day to day basis, I am on the phone or answering emails all day. Some phone calls are related to project updates or scheduling for customers, but others are for specific technical work or questions that customers have about the products. The emails are similar, either project-related or have technical questions to answer.
3. How does STEM relate to your job?How do you use the information you learned from your degree in your job?
Although being a Project Manager doesn't require the technical background that I have, being technical certainly helps. I can answer questions from customers without having to pull in additional resources.
Unfortunately, I don't use my geology background at all in my current job, although I have a posted in my office titled "Exploring the Earth Using Seismology." But I definitely use the tools I learned to use while getting my degree. Specifically, I learned how to type quickly, use all sorts of computer technology (basics like email and web, and more advanced like programming and networking), and just generally be comfortable with technology in general. Being familiar and comfortable with computers has been the most valuable part of my education, and something I would certainly not want to have given up.
4. Have you faced any discrimination/ challenges being a woman in a stem field? If so, how did you deal with it? Do you have any advice for up and coming women in STEM?
The only challenges I have received have been a little bit of attitude from some men in the IT field. I just had to stand my ground with them, and show confidence that I knew what I was talking about.
5. What is the best and worst part of your job? What do you look forward to in your job on a day to day basis? What do you wish you could change?
The best part of my job is working through projects to completion. It's a great feeling getting a project done. The worst part is that I'm extremely busy, but that's more related to the company I work for.
6. How do you balance your work and personal life? Any secrets or advice you’d like to share?
Being a working mom isn't for everyone. You just have to make an effort to spend time with your kids in the evenings. Don't bring work home with you.
7. What do you define success as?
Success is doing what you want to be doing. It's not getting a specific salary or position on the company, unless that's what you want. But finding the right career for you and being able to do that every day is a great feeling.
8. What is one personality trait that you think is universally important for a successful career?
Perseverance
9. Who was a mentor to you throughout your career? (can be more than one!) What did they teach you? How did they impact your life?
I didn't have any mentors.
10. What do you think is the best advice you've ever received ? What advice would you give your younger self if you had the chance? What’s one piece of advice you can pass on to us?
Do what you want and need to do, not what other people expect you to do. Don't feel like you have to follow a career path because you're a woman, or because your parents or family expect you to, or because that seems to be what everyone else is doing.
I have always been interested in math and science more than any other subject throughout grade school and college, and I was advanced in math and science classes throughout high school. I attended MIT, and my B.S. degree is in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary sciences. I then attended grad school at UC Santa Cruz and received an M.S. in Earth Sciences, with an emphasis on Geophysics. I was in a Ph.D. program, but decided not to pursue it, because my interests changed, and I determined that a Ph.D. was too much work for a subject I wasn't that interested in.
Luckily, I used computers for everything in college and grad school, so I was able to get a job at a Unix operating system company doing Technical Support. Since then, I have mainly been doing computer support-like jobs.
I've been at UL for almost 7 years, and have moved from Tech Support, to Training, to Implementations, and now I am a Project Manager on our implementation engineering team, which does all the new customer installations and custom data work for customers.
2. What exactly IS your job? What do you do on a day to day basis?
I am a Project Manager, which means I coordinate our projects within the engineering (i.e. technical) team. A project is defined when we receive a new contract for some work, like a new customer installation or upgrade, or a conversion from a 3rd party system into our own software, up until the time that the work is completed.
I have also been in this company a long time and know our products well, so I tend to answer all sorts of technical questions from customers and other people in the company, such as salespeople or other support people. I'm somewhat of technical resource for the company.
On a day to day basis, I am on the phone or answering emails all day. Some phone calls are related to project updates or scheduling for customers, but others are for specific technical work or questions that customers have about the products. The emails are similar, either project-related or have technical questions to answer.
3. How does STEM relate to your job?How do you use the information you learned from your degree in your job?
Although being a Project Manager doesn't require the technical background that I have, being technical certainly helps. I can answer questions from customers without having to pull in additional resources.
Unfortunately, I don't use my geology background at all in my current job, although I have a posted in my office titled "Exploring the Earth Using Seismology." But I definitely use the tools I learned to use while getting my degree. Specifically, I learned how to type quickly, use all sorts of computer technology (basics like email and web, and more advanced like programming and networking), and just generally be comfortable with technology in general. Being familiar and comfortable with computers has been the most valuable part of my education, and something I would certainly not want to have given up.
4. Have you faced any discrimination/ challenges being a woman in a stem field? If so, how did you deal with it? Do you have any advice for up and coming women in STEM?
The only challenges I have received have been a little bit of attitude from some men in the IT field. I just had to stand my ground with them, and show confidence that I knew what I was talking about.
5. What is the best and worst part of your job? What do you look forward to in your job on a day to day basis? What do you wish you could change?
The best part of my job is working through projects to completion. It's a great feeling getting a project done. The worst part is that I'm extremely busy, but that's more related to the company I work for.
6. How do you balance your work and personal life? Any secrets or advice you’d like to share?
Being a working mom isn't for everyone. You just have to make an effort to spend time with your kids in the evenings. Don't bring work home with you.
7. What do you define success as?
Success is doing what you want to be doing. It's not getting a specific salary or position on the company, unless that's what you want. But finding the right career for you and being able to do that every day is a great feeling.
8. What is one personality trait that you think is universally important for a successful career?
Perseverance
9. Who was a mentor to you throughout your career? (can be more than one!) What did they teach you? How did they impact your life?
I didn't have any mentors.
10. What do you think is the best advice you've ever received ? What advice would you give your younger self if you had the chance? What’s one piece of advice you can pass on to us?
Do what you want and need to do, not what other people expect you to do. Don't feel like you have to follow a career path because you're a woman, or because your parents or family expect you to, or because that seems to be what everyone else is doing.