An Interview with Temitola Okunoren

From left: Lauren Kegley chair of the COE Early Career Advisory Board (and ELEG alum), Temitola Okunoren, Dean Kim Needy

Can you tell us a little about your life, what you studied/majored in college, and what your career has been like?

TO: My undergraduate degree is in Electrical Engineering. I focused on Telecommunications Engineering for my Masters degree. I was recruited by then Alltel Wireless after graduation. The company was acquired by Verizon and I moved to Texas working in operations. I moved through different engineering roles within the company. I'm currently a DMTS (Distinguished Member Technical Staff) working in the Planning and Strategy organization at Verizon.

How did the University of Arkansas prepare you for your career?

TO: The course work and research in the Telecommunications program, helped me hit the ground running when I started at Alltel. Since I was already familiar with the different technologies, I was able to excel and quickly distinguish myself. I also took advantage of the Career Development Center at the UofA which helped me integrate smoothly into the workforce.

What skills or knowledge did you learn throughout the program that you have found most useful in your career?

TO: While at the UofA, I worked on research and had to study a lot of research papers and publications. This experience helped me with reading technical specifications and standard documentation, which is part of my work. Today, I work on a lot of white papers and design documents, and my education at the college of engineering provided a solid foundation to flourish.

Now that you’ve achieved so much in your career, what advice would you give to students?

TO: My advice is, keep moving forward, keep improving your skills and working on yourself. Technology changes rapidly and you need to be up to speed. There will always be challenges but as long as you don't give up and keep moving forward, you'll be successful.

What was one of your favorite memories of your time at the college and why?

TO: I was part of an organization ISCA and my fondest memories were hanging out with friends. We were like a family and they supported me through my time at UofA.

What has been one of the most interesting or exciting accomplishments for you in your career or life post-college?

TO: The most exciting accomplishments is my family life and raising my children.

What do you like to do during your time outside of work?

TO: I volunteer with different organizations mainly working with youth and children. Most of my weekends are spent attending my kid's soccer and basketball games.

What’s up next on the horizon for you?

TO: I recently completed a Masters program in Analytics and I'm looking forward to helping my company with data-driven decisions.