Biography: Natalie Killeen, B.A. '10, B.S. '17, M.S. '18
Natalie Killeen
Design Manager, Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC), Keysight Technologies
B.A. Economics, '10, B.S. Electrical & Computer Engineering, '17, M.S. Electrical & Computer Engineering, '18
Natalie Killeen is the MMIC Design Manager for Keysight Technologies. Prior to landing her current role at Keysight, Natalie was a MMIC Design Engineer focusing on components contributing to the development of Keysight’s next generation of test and measurement equipment targeting the 6G and Automotive Radar Industries. Before Keysight, Natalie was a Contracts and Grants Analyst in the ECE Department at UC Davis. Natalie received the B.A. degree in Economics (’10), and the B.S. (’17) and M.S. (’18) degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from UC Davis.
We recently caught up with Natalie to learn more about what technology excites her, and also to reflect on her biggest influences when she was a UC Davis student.
What research or technology are you most excited about right now, and why?
I am most excited about the research and development efforts toward 6G solutions. As a test and measurement company, when you try to development the next test solution you find yourself in a real ‘Chicken or the Egg?’ scenario. It has been an amazing experience to see every team pull together to push their respective contributions forward to the next state-of-the-art solution, so that Keysight as a whole can evolve to meet future technology demands.
How did your time at UC Davis impact you and/or prepare you for your career?
My current career is actually a career change for me. My first degree was in Economics, and I completed the Accounting Program at UCD Extension to be eligible to sit for the CPA Exam. I was fully prepared to be an accountant. I am so grateful that my time in the ECE Department as a Contracts and Grants Analyst exposed me to the world of engineering. I would read the grant proposals submitted by ECE professors in my spare time after I helped prepare their budgets and I was instantly captivated. The cutting-edge research done at UC Davis is what convinced me to make a career change and go back to school for a second bachelors. Prior to my engineering education, I had no idea how the world operated technically. I could not tell you how a cell phone worked. It was when I took my first electromagnetics class that my eyes finally opened, and I was hooked.
Did you have a favorite course or instructor at UC Davis?
As I went through undergrad, I let my coursework guide me to an area of specialization. When I found a class that was really challenging, but I enjoyed struggling through it, I decided that was a sign to stick with the topic. Furthermore, classes that immediately come to mind as foundations in cementing my path to MMIC design would be ECE 110A/B, ECE130A/B and of course the infamous ECE132 series.
In addition to my coursework, I was also a department staff member in ECE at UC Davis. I was fortunate to build relationships with most of the professors even if I did not take their class, and they were all extremely supportive of my dual role of student/staff.
In regards to my favorite instructor, I would like to highlight my faculty advisor Professor Anh-Vu Pham who was key in developing my graduate research program and my relationship with Keysight, and also Professor Paul Hurst who entertained many conversations with me about my future in exchange for listening to his new jokes.
What advice would you give to young people who are currently seeking a degree in electrical and computer engineering?
It took me too long to realize that it is ok to ask for help, it is important to ask for clarification, and it is even more important to give help when the roles are reversed. The paramount advice that I often repeat to myself is to always understand the foundation of the problem statement. If you understand the basic principles, you don’t need to memorize a formula, and more significantly, you can invent.