October 16, 2025
Jamie Allen (IS ’93), a member of the SCI Board of Visitors (BOV), now gets the chance to see his daughter Sophie Allen, a first-year student at SCI, following in his footsteps.
“It’s funny seeing my daughter in the same classrooms I was in. You kind of have to live it to get it – it’s weird but relatable. When she talks about things, I can picture it: ‘Oh yeah, that’s classroom 401.’ It’s the coolest thing,” reflected Jamie.
When Jamie began his career in computing and information technologies at Pitt, SCI was still under its previous name: The School of Library and Information Sciences. Since then, he’s had a very successful career working in consulting, software development at companies like Facebook/Meta and EPAM Systems, and was the executive leader at Starbucks responsible for the Starbucks Rewards and Mobile Order/Pay systems.
Jamie's main advice for students persuing a career in computing is that its important to learn the fundamentals, but the technical skills neccesary will always change with time. The technical skills you need today may look different tomorrow, but transferable skills like problem-solving, adaptability, and collaboration will carry you through any role in the industry.
Through all of these experiences, Jamie says the most important lesson he’s learned is empathy. Beyond the hard coding skills, he believes connecting with people is what makes leadership truly effective. He credits that mindset to lessons learned at Pitt: His “shining star” example was Professor Ida Flynn, a longtime faculty member and creator of the information sciences bachelor’s degree. Flynn left a lasting impression on countless alumni through her human-centered approaches to teaching and her strong belief in centering empathy.
His daughter, Sophie Allen, is a first-year student at SCI who hopes to follow a similar career path to her father while also contributing her skills in a new, unique way: “My major is computational biology. I’m using SCI resources to figure out what comes after my bachelor’s. Ideally, I’d love to apply tech skills to cancer research. My family has a long history with cancer, and I want my work to make an impact,” she said.
In her time at SCI, Sophie has been getting involved in any way she can. She first participated in the SCI UBelong program, where incoming students spend a week on campus before the fall semester to take part in professional development activities and get to know other SCI students and faculty.
“I don’t think I would have been able to go into the career fair with confidence as a freshman if I hadn’t had that time at UBelong building my résumé and getting used to feeling comfortable in this new environment,” she shared.
Despite being far from her hometown of Seattle, Sophie says the resources and community at SCI make her feel like she’s moving in the right direction. Having her dad still connected to the school, she adds, makes campus feel like “a home away from home.”
Thank you to Jamie and Sophie Allen for sharing their experiences and for being part of the SCI family!