My path in and out of the university wasn't exactly a straight line. I entered the University through the East Bank, planning to become an electrical engineer, and emerged seven years later from the West Bank as a fledgling attorney specializing in intellectual property law.
Halfway through my undergraduate program I realized I wasn't cut out to be an engineer. Despite my general fascination with technology, in lab sessions I was constantly afraid of blowing something up. Law offered me a comforting alternative: I could combine my communication skills with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. Today I think they call that “interdisciplinary studies.” Back then, however, people just thought I'd gone mad. But the high-tech age was dawning, and I suspected that having a technical background would be advantageous to a young lawyer. My hunch was right.
For me, the marriage of law and technology is extremely satisfying, and the tie that binds the happy union has always been IT and the University. As an undergraduate I was convinced that IT was the place to be; as an intellectual property lawyer I firmly believe the college is Minnesota's single most valuable institution.
My client base offers solid proof that IT helps build Minnesota's economy. In my work I encounter a steady flow of ideas and technology that originated one way or another in IT. When transferred to the marketplace, these innovations lead to new jobs, enhanced productivity, and an improved quality of life. I meet many talented faculty and alumni who produce the technology and establish the companies that generate economic growth. They also serve as expert witnesses on my cases, which range over a variety of technologies.
I joined the IT Alumni Society because I share its goals, but what keeps me involved and motivated are the members and the support staff. They create a culture of continuous improvement that encourages everyone to look for ways to make things better. ITAS leaders are highly skilled professionals who know how to manage people and to transform your ideas into reality.
You can help us decide which alumni programs offer the greatest benefit and how we can serve you better. In this issue you'll find a brief alumni survey form that asks for demographic data (degrees, graduation date, schools attended, employment status, companies founded) and for feedback on our programs. All individual responses will be kept strictly confidential. We'll also email you instructions for completing the survey online.
As ITAS president, I urge you to take a few minutes
to complete the form. Survey results will give us an
updated collective snapshot of our alumni—your
careers, entrepreneurship, professional interests—that
documents the ways in which IT serves individuals, its
alumni, and the broader community.
Currently much attention is focused on the legislature and the painful process of slicing up the budget pie. In the long term, though, we must find ways to make the pie bigger and increase our state's collective wealth. IT is an essential ingredient in that recipe.
I look forward to hearing from you now and in the future. Your comments, suggestions, and participation are always welcome.
—Daniel W. McDonald
Dan McDonald (EE '82, JD
'85) is president of the IT Alumni Society. You can
reach him at 612-626-8282 or by email at itas@umn.edu.
