And keep reading to the bottom for a special Fun Facts Throwback with a long-time Enterprises coworker.
Get to know seven new coworkers through their answers to goofy questions, including learning who was previously a chef de partie at a Michelin-starred restaurant and who owns more than 500 board games.
Katee Coleman, Software Test Engineer Associate, Vincent
Are you a Pittsburgh local or did you grow up elsewhere? I was born in Dayton, Ohio (Go Buckeyes!), but I grew up moving all over the country. My family made a final move to the Pittsburgh area about 8 years ago, and while I wasn’t initially a fan of this side of the state, I’ve grown to love Pittsburgh. I decided to stick around the city, and I eventually graduated from the University of Pittsburgh.
Where in the universe would you like to visit someday? I enjoy hiking in my free time, so I’d love to visit the best hiking spots around the world. I’m thinking a trip to Austria is next on my list for destination hikes.
What’s in your perfect meal? A burrito, a stack of pancakes, and fries (with a lot of Heinz ketchup).
Sam Cho, Software Test Engineer, Associate, Photon
Are you a Pittsburgh local or did you grow up elsewhere? I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to Oakland about a year ago to help start a church group at Carnegie Mellon University.
What’s in your perfect meal? Braised beef cheek with plenty of roasted tomatoes on a bed of fresh tagliatelle.
Free space: Share any fun fact! Before I started working in tech, I worked as a chef de partie at a Michelin-starred establishment in San Francisco.
Rama Mani, Software Test Engineer, Kamioka
Are you a Pittsburgh local or did you grow up elsewhere? I grew up in a small town called Tiruchirapalli in South India.
Do you have any kids? Any pets? I have one daughter and 2 Russian Campbell dwarf hamsters named Pickle and Pippin.
Which is better: board games or video games? I enjoy playing board games (Sequence is my favorite!)
Eric Kaun, Software Engineer, Tech Lead, ParlaiQ
Are you a Pittsburgh local or did you grow up elsewhere? I grew up in Beloit, Wisconsin, a small city on the southern border with Illinois, and went to college in Evanston near Chicago. I met my wife on DARPANET (the precursor to the Internet), and that plus a job offer from PPG found me moving to Pittsburgh after college. I really love Pittsburgh and the Western PA area.
Do you have any kids? Any pets? We have one son, Alex, who’s 6 years old, and four cats, only half of which were foisted upon us. Alex has been pestering us for a dog, so we’ll see what happens.
Do you have an unusual talent or hobby? Talent? Maybe bad puns. Hobby? Strategy board games. My wife and I own around 550 of them and play games several times per week. On my commute, I listen to podcasts about board games.
Free space: Share any fun fact! My wife and I enjoy watching boxing, and used to score each round on homemade score sheets, comparing our results to the judges. (Hoping to get back into it soon.)
Larry Shields, Lead Data Engineer, Data Engineering
How did you get into the industry? I started pretty much out of college with a local company working in Facilities and Asset Management software for health care.
Are you a Pittsburgh local or did you grow up elsewhere? I grew up in the bustling city of Altoona, Pa. I moved to Pittsburgh in 2000 to attend Pitt.
Do you have any kids? Any pets? We have a rescue German Shepherd named Abbey.
What makes you a geek (if you consider yourself one)? I guess it’s being interested in science and technology. I don’t perform in a circus as the original definition would suggest. ?
What’s in your perfect meal? Pizza and chicken wings.
Patrick Waddingham, Software Engineer, Kamioka
How did you get into the industry? I’ve wanted to be a software engineer ever since my father lectured me in 5th grade about my report card. He said the only reason he can see why I’d play Nintendo so much is if one day I was going to make games. I was like, “Wait, I could MAKE these?” Don’t know what else he said that day.
Do you have any Kids? Any Pets? I have three children – all girls who are 10, 4, and soon-to-be 2. I also have two cats, both of which are girls. So, there is no reprieve for me.
What makes you a geek? Well, I like computers, games, nerd culture, and I have a YouTube channel dedicated to a mobile game (Fire Emblem Heroes), so I suppose I have enough credentials.
Which is better: board games or video games? Oof, that’s a big question…Honestly, it all depends on the company I have at the time. Some people are more willing to do reactionary or energetic activities while others are a little more contemplative. And casual folks each have their own barriers to entry, so a board game might be too much an ask while a video game is easier to manage.
Naveen Runthla, Software Test Engineer, Kamioka
How did you get into the industry? I did my under graduate in Electronics and Instrumentation but I was much more interested to pursue my career in the software industry. From my college campus I got my first job in a software company.
What’s your favorite quote from a movie or TV series? I like House of Cards (Netflix series) and one of my favorite quotes is, “If you don’t like how the table is set, turn over the table”
Where in the universe would you like to visit someday? I planned a few times but it always got cancelled. I want to visit Rome and see the Colosseum, where gladiators used to fight.
What’s in your perfect meal? Anything which is vegan or vegetarian.
Throwback Fun Facts
Kim Marie Adams, Executive Assistant – Shared Services
How did you get into the industry? Due to deregulation of the power industry, Duquesne Light outsourced the majority of its executive staff and only maintained transmission and distribution. After quite an interesting and long journey, including a stop along the way as Business Development Campaign Manager for United Way, I landed at UPMC 13 years ago.
How long have you been working at UPMC Enterprises? 7 years.
What’s changed the most since you started here? Moving from a small section of the 3rd floor which was made up of 39 employees, while it was still under construction, and moving into the entire 2nd floor of the build working with about 250 + employees and still expanding. Also, to watch new companies evolve, seeing the mission come to fruition.
Thinking about your work, what is the funniest thing you used to use tech-wise that you don’t use anymore? My flip phone and a desk top computer.
As technology has evolved throughout the years, what stands out to you the most? Self-driving cars and “flying cars.”
What’s your favorite part about working here? It is close to home and I love to interact with all kinds of people. I am always learning something new about different cultures and various companies and organizations.
Do you have an unusual talent or hobby? I sign language and teach different courses at our Bible Institute. I am also a certified nouthetic counselor with a BA in Legal Studies actively involved in legal research for many years. Don’t come ask me what that means; stretch your brain and look it up!
Share any fun fact. I am a “foodie” and LOVE experimenting with different cultural foods, even if I get a stomach ache! I have 47 nieces and nephews.
