Alumni share their stories

"Seeing a computer do what I told it to do first got me into Computer Science – and is still part of what makes programming fun. However, what gets me up in the morning is knowing that what I'm doing is helping people and literally saving lives half a world away."
–Ben Wolfe, BS '05, Ben is working on an exciting project creating an open source electronic medical record system in developing countries. He travels to Africa a few times throughout the year.

“My computer science education has given me the technical and communication skills needed to lead a team in designing, developing, and successfully deploying a real world project. Besides all that, it was a ton of fun!”
–Alexei Czeskis, BS '06, minor in Russian
Merlin's Magic Castle Project Leader

“What makes computer science interesting to me is that it’s about ‘why?’ You don’t just learn that you program a certain way; you learn why you do it that way.”
–Michael Armbrust, BS Computer Science ‘06, BS Mathematics ‘06, graduate student, University of California–Berkeley

"I developed a diverse set of skills in CS that I now use to resolve security concerns involving both system technology and people. It’s exciting to play such a key role in protecting a national infrastructure."
–Sofie Nystrom, BS ‘00, MS ‘02, chief engineer and manager for NORCERT, Norwegian National Security Authority

“I am in bioinformatics. I work directly with biologists and chemists to understand the diseases they are trying to study and the medicines they are trying to develop.”
–Amar Kumar, BS ‘03, information analyst at Eli Lilly

"Purdue is one of our top recruiting schools for Computer Science. Purdue graduates are uniquely prepared to enter the workforce as top performers."
–Jim Clamons, BS `75, MS `77, vice president of engineering in the Government Communications Systems Division, Harris Corporation

"A CS degree is only the beginning. Many have gone on to be lawyers, business owners, managers/executives in larger corporations, law enforcement, and key designers of a critical system. But more importantly, it's the best beginning to answer the question for yourself ... What do you want to do with your CS degree? The opportunities are endless. A Purdue CS degree has been my foundation. A foundation that enables me to provide for my loved ones, give back to my community in many ways, and successfully confront technical challenges in my career beyond any imagination."
–Luke Wellman, BS `96, information technology architect/designer, State Farm Insurance Companies

"My degree in Computer Science greatly prepared me for the challenges I have faced and equipped me with the skills I need to advance in my professional career. Now that I am the one doing the hiring, Purdue is the first place I look to find top-notch talent!"
–Curt Knapp BS `00 Software Development Manager, ECM, at Aprimo, Incorporated