Laura Elan
Interview Posted By: Ashley Smith
1. Can you tell us a little about your background?
I grew up in the Chicagoland area. I have lived here my entire life except during my undergraduate college days when I lived in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. I always knew that I enjoyed building things. My favorite toys growing up were Legos, Lincoln Logs, TinkerToys, and all kinds of building blocks. I also used to like to build cities in our basement with construction paper and glue and drive my little cars around the neighborhood! I was also a bit of a pest to my parents because I liked to take things apart, as well. I would open up radios and other appliances to see what was inside them. It’s a wonder I didn’t electrocute myself! However, I think this instinct to understand the working world and to be able to replicate it was the initial hint that science and technology was going to be a big interest for me.
When I started college, I didn’t know quite what I wanted to study but I knew I enjoyed math and science classes the best. I took a surveying class, a drafting class and also a software programming class, Fortran. It’s important to know that this was 1980, a long time ago, technologically speaking. Personal computers were just starting to become available, but we did not have access to them at school. When I took my first programming class, I had to write the program using paper and pencil, then create punch cards for each line of code and then read them into a card reader so the big, room sized computer could read, compile, and then tell me all my errors! This entire process took several hours and sometimes overnight. Imagine that! Writing a program today and then coming back tomorrow to see if it’s correct. I eventually learned to survey and draft and I became a cartographer (map drawer) and draftsperson. I worked for a landscape architect firm and a civil engineering organization during my Junior College days. When I started at the University of Illinois, I worked as a draftsperson and technical illustrator for the Department of Nuclear Physics and eventually I landed a job with the City of Urbana, updating their city infrastructure maps. It was then that I wrote my first “professional” program on the City’s IBM PC using the QBASIC programming language. I was an Electrical Engineering student at the time, however it was this activity that really boosted my interest in computer engineering and software.
I did complete my Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and won a position with Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL). UL is a public safety testing organization which has been in business over 125 years. You may recognize the UL Mark, a red “U” and “L” in a circle? Look for it on your electrical appliances at home. That mark indicates that the product has been tested by UL against industry safety standards for electric, shock, and fire hazards and was found to meet those requirements. I worked for UL for about 15 years after school and during that time I returned to college and received a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, again blending hardware and software interests to specialize in Artificial Intelligence.
I have also worked for a number of other companies, specifically in product development. I enjoy taking an idea of new products and working with all the different disciplines that are needed to realize an actual product. I worked for Shure Incorporated, a company that makes microphones and professional audio products. I worked at Baxter Healthcare in combination medical device development. I also worked for Sloan Valve company who makes professional plumbing products. It seems like a very strange assortment of industries, however I did learn much about many different types of technology, including manufacturing, mechanical engineering, fluid dynamics, acoustics, digital signal processing, and of course software and electrical engineering.
I was lucky to find a great role back at my first company, UL, and I now work in the Life & Health Sciences Business Unit. I’ll explain what I do in your next question.
2. What exactly IS your job? What do you do on a day to day basis?
I am the Global Service Line Leader for eHealth and Interoperability. As I summarized to you earlier, eHealth is the area of technology, services and solutions created by the connection of medical devices and software systems through networking technology including local area networks, wireless networks and cloud computing. When you visit the doctor or the dentist, they have all your information in a software program, including x-ray images, lab results, and other types of information. Some medical devices can be connected directly to IT networks and can send data directly to doctors or nurses who may be monitoring their patient remotely. Even more interesting is that now medical devices can “talk” to each other using data over networks. One device such as an oximeter, measuring the amount of oxygen in your blood, can perhaps even talk to a ventilator to change gas concentrations to keep the patient in perfect respiration. All these connections are enabled with software and networking technology, and things are great when everything works well, however risks to patients can occur if the products have not been designed to anticipate and then respond to different failures in the device operation. This is where my team provides a lot of value to our customers.
We provide information and training to medical device manufacturers on the risks associated with connected medical devices. We can review designs and offer input on additional techniques or risks that may not have been considered. We help manufactures understand medical device regulations and standards we can provide testing and auditing services to assure they meet those requirements. Ultimately, our job is to help manufacturers understand and meet medical device risks and safety requirements for connected medical devices.
3. How does STEM relate to your job? How do you use the information you learned from your degree in your job?
Many of UL’s customers come to our team for education and advise on understanding technical requirements. Therefore, I use my knowledge of electrical engineering and software development to first support my understanding of my customers designs and obstacles in their product development processes, and then my experience allows me to provide examples of best practices, alternative methods for meeting requirements, even explaining what requirements mean.
As an electrical engineer and software programmer, I know how to read schematics, review software architectures and design documents, even review software code in several languages.
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?
I have been very fortunate to have worked for great companies that support and promote women in technical fields. Of course, it is true in engineering that there are fewer women professionals and I often find that I am the only lady in a meeting or at a conference presentation. At times, an individual may not “believe” I have as much technical knowledge rambling in my brain that I do. When this occurs, I remember to stay humble and simply be myself. I believe that confidence and competence when used together make for the best professional presence -- for both men and women.
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?
In my job, I have two “hats”. I am a technical leader (which I like) and a business leader (which is less fun). As a business leader, I do budgets, financial statements, performance reviews, and business plans. I did have to learn much about business and financial administration. Although I did not return to school for an MBA, I have probably read my fair share of business books. I think the most important to thing to remember is that science and technology are often parts of a business. Even in a safety science business such as UL, we still need to be mindful of sustaining the business. Although to be honest, I would rather work with customers or write software!
6. How do you balance your work and personal life? Any secrets or advice you’d like to share?
It’s a great question. It takes planning and time management. For example, I set aside time every day to eat lunch. I have not always done that in my career. There were years (yes, years) where I would work all through the day never leaving my desk, quickly eating something unhealthy. However today I make sure I have time each day to eat lunch, talk to friends, and move away from my computer. In the summer I especially like to take a walk around our campus. I think this principle works after work hours as well. I tend to give myself daily goals such as homework, housework, relaxing. I also make sure I don’t lose too much sleep. I know that can be hard, especially when you are grown and have a family. Striking a balance is most important and also to remember that we “can’t do it all” (sometimes). I know that’s the hardest aspect of work/life balance for me to practice.
7. What do you define success as?
I think success is different for different people. I believe we define for ourselves what success means at any given point in our life. I also think our idea of success changes throughout our life. I prefer to set myself goals, both near team and long term. For example, I have a goal today to earn a second Master of Science in Computer Science. For me, achieving that will be a success. But then I’ll need to figure out the next goal! I think it is important to be mindful and conscious of the direction you would like your life to take. I actually wrote a “Life Plan”, similar to a business plan for me. It was informal, I used mind mapping software on my iPad. My “Life Plan” includes what I wanted to achieve near-team, mid-team and long team. It identifies what I need, like perhaps more education and what type of career path I envision for myself, at least for the next 5 years. It also includes personal and aspirational goals (such as learning to speak fluent French and rock on my guitar like Dave Grohl). I think this is an important question, however I believe that each of you should answer it for yourself!
8. What is one personality trait that you think is universally important for a successful career?
This is an easy one: Perseverance. The great thing about being an older person is that we gain lots of experience along the way. My experience tells me that 1) things may not go as expected, 2) there will always be bumps in the road, and 3) nothing is set in stone. I have had many setbacks in my education, career, and even personal life. But the ability to weather those and to continue moving forward is the most important characteristic of a successful person.
A good dollop of humor also goes a long way.
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 have had several mentors in my life, including my favorite high school teacher, a neighbor lady who was a civil engineer, my very best friend who is also an engineer, and one of my past bosses. The one thing they all provided me was a different perspective. I think people can often get trapped into a way of thinking, for example, a belief that a problem can’t be solved. When very wise and intelligent people offer their opinions, it’s important to listen. I have found that when I expand how I see a problem or situation, I often find a solution or direction that I could not see before. One characteristic of really smart people is that we often think we know all of the answers and we get frustrated when we cannot figure something out. It’s ok to get a second opinion, actually it’s a great idea to get as many good ideas as possible. It expands your set of possibilities!
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?
If I could go back and give my younger self advise, I would likely say “LISTEN!!”. Expanding upon your question #9 above, I find that I learn so much today from listening to other people. I often learn about things I don’t know and I am often surprised at how different the world looks through other people’s eyes. Even though we are scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians, this does not mean that we should not also be creative and artistic. Invention requires innovation, and that requires curiosity and a lot of hard work; it requires brain work to think of ideas, physical work to build and experiment, and emotional work to not get frustrated and give up. I think that is also what I would tell myself: Never give up on a great idea!
I grew up in the Chicagoland area. I have lived here my entire life except during my undergraduate college days when I lived in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. I always knew that I enjoyed building things. My favorite toys growing up were Legos, Lincoln Logs, TinkerToys, and all kinds of building blocks. I also used to like to build cities in our basement with construction paper and glue and drive my little cars around the neighborhood! I was also a bit of a pest to my parents because I liked to take things apart, as well. I would open up radios and other appliances to see what was inside them. It’s a wonder I didn’t electrocute myself! However, I think this instinct to understand the working world and to be able to replicate it was the initial hint that science and technology was going to be a big interest for me.
When I started college, I didn’t know quite what I wanted to study but I knew I enjoyed math and science classes the best. I took a surveying class, a drafting class and also a software programming class, Fortran. It’s important to know that this was 1980, a long time ago, technologically speaking. Personal computers were just starting to become available, but we did not have access to them at school. When I took my first programming class, I had to write the program using paper and pencil, then create punch cards for each line of code and then read them into a card reader so the big, room sized computer could read, compile, and then tell me all my errors! This entire process took several hours and sometimes overnight. Imagine that! Writing a program today and then coming back tomorrow to see if it’s correct. I eventually learned to survey and draft and I became a cartographer (map drawer) and draftsperson. I worked for a landscape architect firm and a civil engineering organization during my Junior College days. When I started at the University of Illinois, I worked as a draftsperson and technical illustrator for the Department of Nuclear Physics and eventually I landed a job with the City of Urbana, updating their city infrastructure maps. It was then that I wrote my first “professional” program on the City’s IBM PC using the QBASIC programming language. I was an Electrical Engineering student at the time, however it was this activity that really boosted my interest in computer engineering and software.
I did complete my Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and won a position with Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL). UL is a public safety testing organization which has been in business over 125 years. You may recognize the UL Mark, a red “U” and “L” in a circle? Look for it on your electrical appliances at home. That mark indicates that the product has been tested by UL against industry safety standards for electric, shock, and fire hazards and was found to meet those requirements. I worked for UL for about 15 years after school and during that time I returned to college and received a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, again blending hardware and software interests to specialize in Artificial Intelligence.
I have also worked for a number of other companies, specifically in product development. I enjoy taking an idea of new products and working with all the different disciplines that are needed to realize an actual product. I worked for Shure Incorporated, a company that makes microphones and professional audio products. I worked at Baxter Healthcare in combination medical device development. I also worked for Sloan Valve company who makes professional plumbing products. It seems like a very strange assortment of industries, however I did learn much about many different types of technology, including manufacturing, mechanical engineering, fluid dynamics, acoustics, digital signal processing, and of course software and electrical engineering.
I was lucky to find a great role back at my first company, UL, and I now work in the Life & Health Sciences Business Unit. I’ll explain what I do in your next question.
2. What exactly IS your job? What do you do on a day to day basis?
I am the Global Service Line Leader for eHealth and Interoperability. As I summarized to you earlier, eHealth is the area of technology, services and solutions created by the connection of medical devices and software systems through networking technology including local area networks, wireless networks and cloud computing. When you visit the doctor or the dentist, they have all your information in a software program, including x-ray images, lab results, and other types of information. Some medical devices can be connected directly to IT networks and can send data directly to doctors or nurses who may be monitoring their patient remotely. Even more interesting is that now medical devices can “talk” to each other using data over networks. One device such as an oximeter, measuring the amount of oxygen in your blood, can perhaps even talk to a ventilator to change gas concentrations to keep the patient in perfect respiration. All these connections are enabled with software and networking technology, and things are great when everything works well, however risks to patients can occur if the products have not been designed to anticipate and then respond to different failures in the device operation. This is where my team provides a lot of value to our customers.
We provide information and training to medical device manufacturers on the risks associated with connected medical devices. We can review designs and offer input on additional techniques or risks that may not have been considered. We help manufactures understand medical device regulations and standards we can provide testing and auditing services to assure they meet those requirements. Ultimately, our job is to help manufacturers understand and meet medical device risks and safety requirements for connected medical devices.
3. How does STEM relate to your job? How do you use the information you learned from your degree in your job?
Many of UL’s customers come to our team for education and advise on understanding technical requirements. Therefore, I use my knowledge of electrical engineering and software development to first support my understanding of my customers designs and obstacles in their product development processes, and then my experience allows me to provide examples of best practices, alternative methods for meeting requirements, even explaining what requirements mean.
As an electrical engineer and software programmer, I know how to read schematics, review software architectures and design documents, even review software code in several languages.
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?
I have been very fortunate to have worked for great companies that support and promote women in technical fields. Of course, it is true in engineering that there are fewer women professionals and I often find that I am the only lady in a meeting or at a conference presentation. At times, an individual may not “believe” I have as much technical knowledge rambling in my brain that I do. When this occurs, I remember to stay humble and simply be myself. I believe that confidence and competence when used together make for the best professional presence -- for both men and women.
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?
In my job, I have two “hats”. I am a technical leader (which I like) and a business leader (which is less fun). As a business leader, I do budgets, financial statements, performance reviews, and business plans. I did have to learn much about business and financial administration. Although I did not return to school for an MBA, I have probably read my fair share of business books. I think the most important to thing to remember is that science and technology are often parts of a business. Even in a safety science business such as UL, we still need to be mindful of sustaining the business. Although to be honest, I would rather work with customers or write software!
6. How do you balance your work and personal life? Any secrets or advice you’d like to share?
It’s a great question. It takes planning and time management. For example, I set aside time every day to eat lunch. I have not always done that in my career. There were years (yes, years) where I would work all through the day never leaving my desk, quickly eating something unhealthy. However today I make sure I have time each day to eat lunch, talk to friends, and move away from my computer. In the summer I especially like to take a walk around our campus. I think this principle works after work hours as well. I tend to give myself daily goals such as homework, housework, relaxing. I also make sure I don’t lose too much sleep. I know that can be hard, especially when you are grown and have a family. Striking a balance is most important and also to remember that we “can’t do it all” (sometimes). I know that’s the hardest aspect of work/life balance for me to practice.
7. What do you define success as?
I think success is different for different people. I believe we define for ourselves what success means at any given point in our life. I also think our idea of success changes throughout our life. I prefer to set myself goals, both near team and long term. For example, I have a goal today to earn a second Master of Science in Computer Science. For me, achieving that will be a success. But then I’ll need to figure out the next goal! I think it is important to be mindful and conscious of the direction you would like your life to take. I actually wrote a “Life Plan”, similar to a business plan for me. It was informal, I used mind mapping software on my iPad. My “Life Plan” includes what I wanted to achieve near-team, mid-team and long team. It identifies what I need, like perhaps more education and what type of career path I envision for myself, at least for the next 5 years. It also includes personal and aspirational goals (such as learning to speak fluent French and rock on my guitar like Dave Grohl). I think this is an important question, however I believe that each of you should answer it for yourself!
8. What is one personality trait that you think is universally important for a successful career?
This is an easy one: Perseverance. The great thing about being an older person is that we gain lots of experience along the way. My experience tells me that 1) things may not go as expected, 2) there will always be bumps in the road, and 3) nothing is set in stone. I have had many setbacks in my education, career, and even personal life. But the ability to weather those and to continue moving forward is the most important characteristic of a successful person.
A good dollop of humor also goes a long way.
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 have had several mentors in my life, including my favorite high school teacher, a neighbor lady who was a civil engineer, my very best friend who is also an engineer, and one of my past bosses. The one thing they all provided me was a different perspective. I think people can often get trapped into a way of thinking, for example, a belief that a problem can’t be solved. When very wise and intelligent people offer their opinions, it’s important to listen. I have found that when I expand how I see a problem or situation, I often find a solution or direction that I could not see before. One characteristic of really smart people is that we often think we know all of the answers and we get frustrated when we cannot figure something out. It’s ok to get a second opinion, actually it’s a great idea to get as many good ideas as possible. It expands your set of possibilities!
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?
If I could go back and give my younger self advise, I would likely say “LISTEN!!”. Expanding upon your question #9 above, I find that I learn so much today from listening to other people. I often learn about things I don’t know and I am often surprised at how different the world looks through other people’s eyes. Even though we are scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians, this does not mean that we should not also be creative and artistic. Invention requires innovation, and that requires curiosity and a lot of hard work; it requires brain work to think of ideas, physical work to build and experiment, and emotional work to not get frustrated and give up. I think that is also what I would tell myself: Never give up on a great idea!