2019 Tomayko Scholarship Winners

Yinuo (Inno) Zhang and Timothy Mon, both MBA/MSE dual degree candidates in their final semester, are the recipients of the 2018-2019 James E. Tomayko Graduate Scholarship in Software Engineering. The award, established in 2006, supports students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, strong communication skills, and exceptional personal initiative. Including these two most recent awardees, to date a total of 17 Master of Software Engineering Professional Programs students have been recipients of this scholarship.

Prospective awardees are identified by the Program Director and Senior Academic Program Manager after the completion of the first semester of study. A committee of faculty members and project mentors evaluate the pool of prospective awardees and select one or more winners.

"Inno and Tim have both raised the standard of excellence within our program. Among several examples, Inno led the MSE students in an important program evaluation, and Tim helped us refine and advance our program’s value proposition. This award recognizes their program citizenship and specific contributions to our program." — Travis Breaux

It is our sincere pleasure to congratulate Inno and Tim and thank them both for their effort and dedication to the MSE program!

Yinuo Zhang | MBA/MSE ‘19

Originally from China, Inno completed undergraduate degrees in Actuarial Sciences and Finance from the University of Connecticut. She also completed a conversion degree in Accounting with City University in Hong Kong when she was working in Hong Kong. 

As a student in the MBA/MSE dual degree program, Inno distinguished herself by her dedication to the MSE and greater CMU communities. Serving on the Master of Software Engineering Leadership Initiative, Inno helped to organize and carry out social and professional development programs for the Software Engineering student body. In addition, she volunteers with TechNights, a program in the School of Computer Science dedicated to encouraging girls in middle school to explore and engage in creative technologies.  

Upon her graduation in December, Inno will move to the Seattle area for a product marketing manager position with Microsoft in their Cloud+Enterprise division.

Timothy Mon | MBA/MSE ‘19

A native of Boston, Tim completed his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering at Boston University. After graduating, he worked as a Technology Consultant at Accenture based out of San Francisco. 

Tim distinguished himself by assisting with the redesign of and identified key improvements for the MSE programs’ website, was involved in strategizing and shaping the new Industry Field Trips, and pushed for additional alumni outreach and the establishment of the Alumni Board. Furthermore, Tim represented Masters students in communication with the ISR Department Head Search Committee and is currently serving as the student representative for the MSE Assistant Teaching Professor Hiring Committee. In addition to exceptional academic performance, Tim also served as a teaching assistant for Managing Software Development.

Upon his graduation in December, Tim will join The Walt Disney Company’s Technology Management Rotation Program in Los Angeles, California. “The most exciting part about this leadership development program is that it creates the opportunity to manage impactful work across all of Disney’s businesses through rotations in various roles.”