James Tarsi:
CLASS OF 1978
Liberty High SchoolClass of 1978
Bethlehem, PA
Lehigh UniversityClass of 1984
Bethlehem, PA
Pennsylvania State UniversityClass of 1982
State college, PA
Northeast Middle SchoolClass of 1975
Bethlehem, PA
Spring Garden Elementary SchoolClass of 1972
Bethlehem, PA
James's Story
Life
I've hopped around the country a bit. Moved to Austin, TX in 1988, and just loved the place. I then went to Orlando, FL for work in the summer of 1991 (my wife and I call it a 1 1/2 year vacation). In September of 1992, I wrote to a friend in Austin, and commented that I'd like to come back in about 5-6 years. He wrote back and told me he had a position for me and if I was interested I should send my resume before the company changes its mind. By December 1992 we had loaded all our belongings and drove back to Austin. We've been here ever since.
My wife, Cindy, and I have been married for 20 years! (We married in 1990, so you can figure out when I wrote this, in case I forget to update it.) We have a teenage boy named A.J., who is a delight to have around.
School
I will probably be best remembered at Liberty for being a bagpiper and for graduating with highest honors. I also played volleyball and chess. Oh, and I was on "Scholastic Scrimmage" for two years (we won both times!)
College
After Liberty High School I went to Penn State for a degree in Chemical Engineering. I then decided to go to Lehigh for a Master's in Chem E (a great decision, since the job market was pretty sad when I graduated). In 2008 I earned a Master's in Software Engineering, so I can get a better-paying, more challenging job.
Workpla...Expand for more
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After getting my Master's in 1984, I started working for AT&T Microelectronics. (Remember them? Bell Labs?) I was in Allentown for 4 years, then I put in for a transfer to Sematech in Austin, TX.
Sematech was a research group for studying semiconductor manufacturing and making American chip manufacturing great again. (!) The position was a temporary assignment. I was there for 3 years, then was transferred to Orlando, still with AT&T.
After being there a year and a half, I had the opportunity to apply for a position with Advanced Micro Devices back in Austin, and I jumped on it. I started working for them in December of 1992. It was a great job, and I was moving into a techincal management track. Everything was super until 1000 of my co-workers and I were laid off in 2002.
I had a couple short-term jobs, and struggled for a few years, until I got a job with Unisys as a service desk (read help desk) agent. The pay is a fraction of what I had made, but it was full time, so I got medical benefits, which was a huge burden lifted.
That interim job lasted nearly five years, until I was laid off in 2009. I had a few short-term jobs, helped plan A.J.'s Bar Mitzvah, and finally found a job with IE Discovery in June. IIt's one of the most enjoyable jobs I've had in a long time; I'm looking forward to being here a while.
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