The ‘Origin’ of a Career in Cloud Computing

Not many people go directly from graduate school into a pivotal role at one of Earth’s—and perhaps the galaxy’s—most ambitious and imaginative companies.

“I pinch myself every day,” says Reed Denny (BA 2013, MS 2022), who went from the Foster School of Business Master of Science in Information Systems to a role as a site reliability engineer at Blue Origin, the aerospace company at the forefront of space exploration and intergalactic tourism.

In Foster’s Master of Science in Information System classes, Denny studied a broad spectrum of computer science concepts. The intensive one-year program provides comprehensive training in all aspects of information technology, from cybersecurity to cloud computing.

“Being a jack of all trades is an asset, especially in the operations landscape,” he says. “As a cloud engineer, you are learning hundreds of tools. So that breadth of knowledge across many subjects was helpful, as opposed to solely focusing on data engineering.”

Upon graduating from the program, Denny sought a role at a company pushing the bounds of technological innovation. He had the advantage of being in Seattle, one of the world’s leading hubs of aerospace technology development. He only applied to two companies. A week after one organization passed on his resume, he received an offer from Blue Origin.

An Information Systems professor inspired Denny to reach for the clouds

“I want to thank Professor Ming Fan, who inspired me to focus on cloud computing,” Denny says. “He offers a certificate to students who earn a 4.0 in his class. I thought that was a fun challenge. And once I earned the certificate, I was hooked.”

The skills Denny developed at Foster are essential to his role at Blue Origin. His primary responsibility is ensuring the safety and reliability of the applications that power the company. He balances the engineers’ needs for flexibility, access, and ease of use with the security and integrity of Blue Origin’s cloud computing infrastructure.

That responsibility is especially crucial given Blue Origin’s ambitions. Denny is quick to point out that he is not a rocket scientist. Nonetheless, he is responsible for maintaining the security of the applications that offer civilians the chance to be astronauts, at least for a day. Blue Origin has a fleet of reusable rockets on which passengers take a 10-minute flight to suborbital space, during which they experience weightlessness and enjoy a view of the Earth few have ever seen.

While space tourism is a significant component of Blue Origin’s mission, it is also a major government contractor. This dual focus adds layers of complexity to Denny’s work.

“Cybersecurity is so important, especially within the aerospace industry,” Denny says. “When it comes to government contracts, there are additional sets of certain rules and practices that we need to demonstrate are in place.”

After less than two years at the company, he was promoted to Cloud II engineer, which comes with greater responsibility and the opportunity to work on higher-level projects.

Bringing his skills to the family business

Looking back, Denny says he feels nostalgic about his days at the University of Washington. He says he had a great experience as an undergraduate and made lifelong friends. Denny’s parents own the well-respected LT Jewelry Store in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. Denny put his undergraduate degree to work in the family business, building the store’s website and managing its IT needs for four years.

“I loved working there,” he says. However, to keep growing in his career, he needed to expand beyond the jewelry business, which motivated him to return to school. A proud Husky, he wanted to continue his education at the University of Washington. He took advantage of an accelerated admissions process available for University of Washington undergraduates into the Master of Science in Information Systems program at Foster. Within a year, he earned three cloud certifications.

Now, with a job at Blue Origin that he finds rewarding and challenging, he says “I guess you could say my career is skyrocketing!”

Learn more about the Master of Science in Information Systems program.