Celebrating Edgio Engineers: Erica Ehnert

Why did you choose to become an engineer?

I kind of fell into it. I was hired to manage a team in a NOC and started learning network engineering while I was managing the network of the company I worked at. I found I had a knack for it and it was interesting so I focused on that aspect of the work.

What are the most important qualities for an engineer to have?

Engineers should be detail oriented.

What do you enjoy most about being an engineer? And about being an engineer at Edgio?

I love the networking industry. It is always interesting and ever changing with new technologies and…….lasers. I get to work with lasers. =) Edgio has interesting projects to work on and a great networking team. I really enjoy working with them all.

What excites you about the future of engineering and what we are doing here at Edgio?

I am excited about the next version of optics for fiber optic networks. The industry is really working on larger and larger optics to carry data. It’s very exciting to follow along. For Edgio. I am excited to see how we move forward with our options. We have a lot of very interesting projects going on and it will be neat to see how they turn out.

What advice would you give to someone who is just beginning their engineering career?

Best advice I can think of is be detail oriented and really think through the projects being worked on. Don’t ever stop learning new things about your industry.

Share a fun fact about yourself or something you enjoy doing outside of work.

I love live music and I spend a lot of time outside of work going to shows. We see between 50 and 60 shows a year. If I am not out seeing live music, I am hiking in the mountains.

Engineers Week 2023 runs from February 19 to 25. This year’s theme — Creating the Future — recognizes how engineers play a vital role in innovating solutions to global challenges that impact future generations. By working together to develop new technologies, products and opportunities, engineers create new possibilities that make the world a better place. This Engineers Week we hope that you’ll take a moment to recognize and celebrate the work of engineers and engage students in engineering. DiscoverE, the organization behind Engineers Week, has free resources you can use to inspire future innovators, such as hands-on engineering activities and lesson plans, information about engineering education, and pathways to a technical careers. Visit DiscoverE.org and get the help you need to focus on the “E” in STEM.