Faces on Campus – Tamara Bonaci

Tamara Bonaci kick-started her career at NU-Seattle as a Part-Time Lecturer at Northeastern University’s College of Computer and Information Science. She received her PhD from the University of Washington in 2015, specializing in security and privacy of emerging biomedical technologies. Since graduating, she has been involved in a pre-public local Seattle startup, focusing on biometric methods. She also teaches a sequence of security and privacy courses at Northeastern University and the University of Washington. Tamara feels very strongly about diversity in engineering, and about bringing women to and retaining them in STEM. In her free time, Tamara enjoys going to playgrounds and running. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I moved to America from Croatia almost a decade ago. I came as a trailing spouse. My husband got an offer neither of us wanted to refuse. We spent one year in Vancouver, B.C. I was waiting for my PhD program to commence, so in the meantime I decided to start working on mobile app and software development on a freelance basis. That was a lot of fun, and only reaffirmed my decision to go to graduate school to continue my academic endeavors. I have been working in academia since then.
I am also working on improving the security of biomedical technologies. I really enjoy this work, as it is so different and I now undertake challenges I never thought I would. I have worked on bionic eyes, brain-computer interfaces, and surgical robots. I also work in personal and home assistance. All of my projects are out there! I love doing this type of work; it is a lot of fun and almost like science fiction! I wouldn’t change it for the world. 

What influenced your decision to join the Northeastern University–Seattle faculty on a full-time basis?
One of my friends from graduate school collaborated with Northeastern University-Seattle and Dr. Ian Gorton to assist with organizing the PinkElephantUnicorn event, a campus-wide hackathon. She had nothing but overwhelmingly positive things to say about the staff and the Seattle campus. She eventually put me in contact with Ian and the rest is history!
I initially worked at Northeastern University-Seattle on a part-time basis, but I have recently accepted a full-time position. I really like and admire the students at NU-Seattle; they are very driven and knowledgeable, yet they are also eager to get the most out of their courses. They genuinely want to learn. I hope to help open new doors for the students here and broaden their horizons, while also building upon my current work. Northeastern University-Seattle seems like the perfect place to accomplish all of these goals. 

You are very passionate about encouraging more diversity in the engineering field. How do you think this can be achieved?
I have been contemplating that topic for some time. I see the diversity issue as a multifaceted one. We want to have enough supply to remain competitive, yet we also strive to help make our young people confident and interested enough in STEM to continue to advance in this field and explore, to find something that interests them. Our graduates will encounter a number of obstacles, be they personal, familial, or professional. I aim to equip our students and graduates with the means to overcome any of these potential obstacles. It is extremely helpful that most universities, employers, and businesses in this area offer more flexibility than most. It is now easier to maintain passionate people, who are wonderful contributors with many different viewpoints. This is invaluable to the industry. It is also important to acknowledge that Northeastern University-Seattle is at the forefront of this battle for equal opportunities. It seems like a great place to come as you are and achieve your dreams. 

What are your long-term objectives at Northeastern University–Seattle?
I would like to see the generation of students that take my courses graduate, of course! I wish to be there when they graduate and congratulate them on all of their hard work. I also want to offer advice and hear their success stories after graduation.
Regarding long-term objectives, I have a number of personal and professional goals I hope to accomplish. I am hoping to build upon my career here at Northeastern University-Seattle. I aim to continue to grow and conduct research on a number of different areas that I never had the chance to before. This semester I have the opportunity to teach a brand-new course. I am very excited about it!
I also want to continue with my research in the security and privacy sectors. I am thrilled to collaborate with the Northeastern University campuses in both Seattle and Boston. I am particularly looking forward to working alongside members of the newly founded Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute. 

What do you value most about Northeastern University-Seattle’s vision?
The co-op requirement gives students the opportunity to acquire some real-world experience before they graduate. As a result, they have a much better understanding of the industry. Our students also have a head start as many of them graduate with multiple job offers, which is quite rare. The students at Northeastern University also get to make educated decisions for themselves and figure out what is right for them, which really is invaluable for people in their early 20s.
The whole vision and culture of the Seattle campus is so positive and innovative. I love how we are so neatly aligned with the city and region. We have an entrepreneurial spirit and drive to grow, but grow in the right way. The atmosphere is relaxed and everyone is given ample opportunity and resources to succeed.
I am also very fond of my colleagues and students. I am already very excited collaborating with students, staff, and faculty on a number of projects. Northeastern University-Seattle just seems like a really great fit for me, on so many levels.