Tamara Roberson

Background

About Tamara Roberson

My name is Tamara (TAM-ra). I am an engineer with a passion for people. I love working on low-level, system or embedded software, particularly if it also involves electronics. I am most at home in C on Linux. I am even happier if my debugger is an oscilloscope. I am one of those who have been programming since I was little. I cut my teeth on books like David Ahl's classic "BASIC Computer Games" and those that followed. Embedded constraints are relative. One of my STM32 Discovery boards has more memory than my first Linux development machine. I would have my dad drive me to Linux User Groups. The other men would try to chat with him and he'd have to tell them that it was actually his middle school daughter who was the Linux geek. I kept programming a hobby, just like many other creative hobbies people enjoy. I left high school and started college at 16 but opted not to go into Computer Science. Instead, I studied people through Sociology and History. I wanted to teach the next generation to care about their society. I didn't want my life to be "Office Space," stuck in a sea of cubicles doing mindless work, tarnishing my love of programming. Instead, my life became "SuperStore" but that has its own rewards as well, making the store a better place to work and shop and increasing profits. I was proud of the work I have done in the retail space. But when working alone, I would listen to tech conference talks and wanted more intellectually challenging work. I knew I could turn my hobby into a career. I have spent the past three years obtaining a BSEE and now I am looking to make a difference in embedded software. As with all fields I've been in, my purpose is to make both work life better for those we spend 40+ hours per week with and to improve technical proficiency and create the best products we can. I believe that emotionally healthy, communicative, and respectful workplaces produce the best products and long-lasting success.