IEEE R5 Houston Section & Women In Engineering Speaker Series - From Electrical to Software: Lessons from an Unplanned Switch : vTools Events

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IEEE R5 Houston Section & Women In Engineering Speaker Series - From Electrical to Software: Lessons from an Unplanned Switch

#WIE

What does it really take to move from hardware to software engineering—and does it always require a formal plan?

In this candid, experience-driven webinar, our speaker shares her unexpected journey from electrical engineering into software—starting in a small-to-mid-sized company where “doing a bit of everything” turned into a full career pivot.

Instead of a step-by-step playbook, this session focuses on what actually happens in the real world:

How working across hardware and software can naturally open the door to transition
The reality of learning to code on the job—and what “good code” really means
How formal education (like a master’s program) can reshape your understanding of algorithms, structure, and scalability
Why starting before you’re ready—by automating tasks and building tools—can accelerate your transition
Real examples of turning manual work into software solutions (long before AI tools existed)
How AI is now changing the way engineers write code—and what that means for career switchers

Whether you’re intentionally planning a transition or simply finding yourself doing more software work over time, this session will help you recognize opportunities, build the right skills, and take practical steps toward a software-focused role.

👉Join us for a 1-hour session including live Q&A on Thursday May 14th, 2026 at 7PMCST.

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Starts 30 April 2026 05:00 AM UTC
Ends 15 May 2026 01:00 AM UTC
No Admission Charge

Speakers

Somreeta

Biography:

Somreeta Roy is a Senior Electrical and Software Engineer at LivaNova in Houston, Texas, where she designs Class III medical implants and the software systems that communicate with them — work that sits at the intersection of hardware, firmware, and regulated software development.

Somreeta began her career as an electrical engineer, designing analog circuits and DC-DC converters for high-temperature downhole tools at Schlumberger in the oil and gas industry. She then made a significant industry pivot to medical devices at LivaNova, where she applied her analog design background to an entirely different domain — developing PCBA-level circuits for implantable neurostimulators used in Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) therapy, to treat neurological conditions like drug-resistant epilepsy and treatment resistant depression. Over time, she made a further deliberate transition into software engineering — taking on full-stack feature ownership for an Android-based physician programming application for Class III implantable devices, navigating FDA regulatory submissions, and building test infrastructure for safety-critical systems.

Motivated to formalize her software expertise, Somreeta pursued a Master of Science in Computer Science with a specialization in Machine Learning from Georgia Tech, completing the degree online while working full-time. She holds a Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University and a B.Tech in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from NIT Durgapur, India.

Tonight, she shares her firsthand experience of bridging two engineering disciplines — and what it really takes to make that kind of career pivot from the inside of a highly regulated industry.