Engineering grad revels in role as alumni board president

Julia Cain (B.S.'01/En) enjoys giving back to her alma mater.

A number of large, highly ranked universities courted Julia Cain (B.S. '01/En) as a high school student.

But the chance to be a part of the recently established School of Engineering drew her to Virginia Commonwealth University in 1997.

"It was the brand-new engineering program," she says. "It sounded really exciting."

Not even being one of the few female engineering students in the program gave her pause.

"Honestly, it wasn't too weird," Cain says. "It probably should have been, but everyone was interested in the same things I was."

Cain flourished during her time at VCU and found that the school met her needs and expectations. The tight-knit community within the School of Engineering made the larger university manageable.

"You get the advantages of a big school with the activities and things to do but also the small class sizes so you can be more intimate with professors and fellow classmates," she said. 

The School of Engineering encourages collaborations between schools and departments and this multidisciplinary approach afforded Cain great opportunities. The school's work with the chemistry department gave her the material-science knowledge necessary for an engineering career, and a strong collaboration with the School of Business allowed her to complete a minor in the subject.

After working in research and development, Cain joined the German company Qimonda more than four years ago as a process engineer. Six months ago, she stepped into a management role and credits her engineering and business education for preparing her well.

"In the real world, you have to be well-trained, but if you don't understand how things work in the context of the business, it's much harder to fit in with a company," Cain says. "You have to realize that you're doing things not just because it makes engineering sense but also because it makes business sense."

Out of the office, Cain devotes time to her alma mater. Her appointment in July 2008 as president of the School of Engineering Alumni Board allows her to stay connected to VCU and fellow alumni.

"That's one of the exciting things about VCU," Cain says. "We have this kind of opportunity to be involved and give back even when we're fairly young in our careers."

As president, Cain supports the School of Engineering by recruiting prospective students, helping current students enter the workforce and encouraging alumni to stay involved.

"It's a way to give back that's unbelievable," she says. "It really makes you feel good when you can give back to the school that's given you so much."

Cain looks back fondly on her VCU experience and considers her choice the right one.

"At VCU I was able to excel and get individual attention," she says, "whereas at those other universities I don't think I would have gotten the personalized attention that I got at VCU. It was just so valuable."

Now that she's started down the management track, Cain has begun thinking about graduate school.

"I'm trying to decide which is more appealing: to stay more technical and do engineering or go forward with business," she says. "My goal is to figure out the right fit for me."