Vicky Larmour, 1992

Vicky read Computer Science at Clare. She is now Head of Engineering in the Wireless and Digital Services division at Cambridge Consultants.

Who was your greatest Clare influence and why?

My greatest Clare influence is Larry Paulson, my Director of Studies. From the interview where he asked me about sorting algorithms (a topic I could enthusiastically discuss!) to this day when he remains a personal friend, he has been a great inspiration. And the hedgehog jumper can't go unmentioned...

Vicky's Story

My time at Clare was formative in every regard. From a personal perspective, I met my future husband at interview (he came out of Larry Paulson’s room as I was waiting to go in – I immediately wanted to know "What are they asking??" to which his response was "Know your algorithms...", which has of course become a catchphrase in our relationship). We met each other properly on the first day of Freshers’ Week and quickly discovered that we were both living on V staircase in Thirkill Court as well as having been assigned as supervision partners.

We started going out together before the end of the first term, got engaged in the Sunken Garden section of the Fellows’ Garden on Graduation Day, and then got married in Clare Chapel a couple of years later. Who could ask for a more beautiful backdrop to every important moment in our relationship?! We still live just outside Cambridge and visit Clare as often as we can with our children, friends and family.

 From a degree perspective, the small size of Clare (only 5 CompScis in our year) was perfect, meaning that we all knew each other well and helped each other a lot. My initial fears – that as a woman with no background in Computer Science before I embarked on this incredibly male-dominated Tripos, I would be vastly outclassed and even ostracised – could not have been more misplaced and I felt completely at home and accepted at Clare. Larry Paulson as Director of Studies built on my love of Functional Programming, and the mathematical / theoretical nature of the Tripos suited me perfectly. 30 years on I’ve spent my entire career working in software, most recently in embedded software for wireless communication (everything from cardiac monitors to satellites), and I’ve recently taken on a role as Head of Engineering in the Wireless and Digital Services division at Cambridge Consultants, which is broadening my perspective to cover other disciplines such as RF engineering, digital electronics, and user experience design.

The world of tech, and especially my niche corner of it, continues to be very heavily male-dominated; the advice I would give to my younger self, or indeed to any women considering a Computer Science degree or a career in STEM, is not to let those self-doubts or perceived barriers stand in your way – you are just as capable as any of your male peers.