Dickinson College
Graduate Story: Julia Filiberti Allen '12, Saab Inc.
Julia Filiberti Allen '12 balanced the varied roles of mathematics major, ROTC cadet, piano student and cancer researcher while also being a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Now as vice president and chief technology officer for Saab Inc., that discipline is instrumental in her research and development work that focuses on the introduction of artificial intelligence, machine learning and autonomous systems.
Tell us a little about your position.
As vice president and chief technology officer for Saab Inc. I'm responsible for research community engagement, the development of the overall Saab Inc. technical strategy and the prioritization and achievement of the company’s research and development objectives, specifically focused on the introduction of artificial intelligence, machine learning and autonomous systems across the portfolio. Saab Inc. is a U.S. subsidiary of Saab AB, a leading Swedish defense and security company, with an enduring mission to help keep people and society safe. I work every day alongside academia, government and industry partners to advance the state of the art in military and civil security products spanning radar systems, air traffic management and airport safety solutions, fighter jet trainers, training and simulation services, maritime autonomy and computer vision platforms (“everything except cars”).
What was your Dickinson experience like?
My experience at Dickinson was very hard—but worth it! As a cadet in the Army ROTC program, a mathematics major, piano student, cancer researcher and simultaneous member in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, my days were full. However, the time management and well-rounded skills developed during that time proved useful as I matriculated into full-time employment, military service and graduate education in parallel over the next eight years. Throughout the years, I realized that my Dickinson experiences with intimate class sizes and early exposure to research were truly special.
How did Dickinson help prepare you for where you are today?
Early exposure to research with full professors as an undergraduate was critical to my decision to pursue a Ph.D. and my career path to becoming a CTO. In particular, my participation in Dickinson’s math and biology joint departmental cancer research initiative with Associate Professor of Biology Mike Roberts and Associate Professor of Mathematics and Data Analytics Jeff Forrester sparked my passion for meaningful research at a time when many undergraduates would have been in large lecture halls interacting only with teaching assistants. Beyond career influences, the crossover education in biology inherent to the joint research program helped prepare me to be a better advocate and partner for my husband, who is a cancer survivor.
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Published May 1, 2024