Lauren Boland '03, is a seasoned software engineer in the financial services space that also spent a good part of her career doing Systems Engineering work for government contractors.  She and her wife have been married for 15 years, have 2 children, and reside in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.  She has a passion for all things personal finance, financial independence and retiring early (FIRE), and of course, writing code.  Lauren was part of the first graduating class of Penn State's IST program in 2003 and holds a Masters of Sciences in Systems Engineering from George Washington University.  She is also a transgender woman and a lesbian but likes to think those are a small part of the many interesting things about her.

About the IST Identity Talks

Join IST alumni as they share their diverse experiences and perspectives gained through their educational and professional journeys. Learn from the challenges and opportunities faced by these individuals from underrepresented backgrounds as they navigated the college experience and work to advance their careers and grow their professional networks. This event aims to inspire an open dialogue for students and alumni, and provide unique viewpoints to help all attendees be better prepared to thrive in diverse professional and personal communities.