Ryan Liu ’07 
Company: Google 
Major: Electrical engineering and engineering management 
Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii 
Extracurriculars: Bassoonist in the Conservatory of Music Concert Band, Xi Chi Sigma Asian interest social fraternity 

When Ryan Liu ’07 started his engineering journey, he didn’t see a single path; he saw possibility. 

Now a technical program manager at YouTube, Liu leads projects that shape how hundreds of millions of users experience gaming content on the platform. But long before he was developing cutting-edge features like interactive “gaming recaps” and “playables”—mini-games you can play directly in the YouTube app—he was a student at University of the Pacific, double majoring in electrical engineering and engineering management. 

“Pacific allowed me to become a well-rounded engineering professional,” Liu says, “It’s because of that foundation of liberal arts, coupled with the technical aspects, that I was able to go into the workforce and continue to improve myself.” 

What Liu does at YouTube 

Liu started working at YouTube in 2020 and now oversees a team focused on GTX—gaming, teens and extended reality. He collaborates with engineers, designers, product managers, researchers and data scientists. 

One of his team’s newest projects is “playables,” a feature that lets users jump into casual games without ever leaving the YouTube app. It’s part of YouTube’s effort to create a more interactive experience and a new kind of entertainment. 

“It’s the notion that you can, instead of watching a video on YouTube, play a game natively in the YouTube app,” Liu says.  

Gaining a broad-based perspective at Pacific 

Liu’s path to Big Tech wasn’t linear. His Pacific experience helped him explore both the technical and business sides of engineering. Through the School of Engineering and Computer Science’s CO-OP program, he worked at Calpine Energy as a plant engineer and completed a second internship in Japan at Daiwabo Polytec, a manufacturing company, where he helped develop advanced synthetic fibers. 

“Figuring out how to navigate that environment by living, working and adapting in another country was an important part of being able to shape my skills for the better,” Liu says 

He credits much of his growth to the close mentorship he received at Pacific—especially from his adviser, Professor Abel Fernandez, who taught project management. 

“I credit him for basically getting my first job out of Pacific because of his support and coaching.” 

Liu even recalls cracking open the project management textbook from Fernandez’s class long after graduating from Pacific. 

Building a career in tech 

After graduation, Liu spent 12 years working in consulting, mostly at the business management firm Accenture, helping clients manage large-scale engineering and business projects. But after welcoming his first daughter, he wanted to shift away from constant travel. That’s when he made the leap to Google. 

Google was an environment which, according to Liu, required the ability to learn and thrive in ambiguity by being adaptable, much like the experience he gained from his CO-OPs and multifaceted education.  

At Google, Liu says the most rewarding part is the scale. 

“As soon as you hit that launch button for what would appear as a minute feature change on an app, it’s something that impacts billions of users. To me that is not only exciting, but there are few places that offer that in the world.” 

Why a liberal arts foundation matters in tech 

In a fast-moving industry, Liu believes one thing is crucial: a solid foundation with coursework in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. He says the liberal arts education he received at Pacific, which taught him to think critically, communicate effectively and approach problems from multiple angles, has made the biggest difference in his career.  

“We’re in a world now where the pressure to specialize is so high,” Liu says.  

He compares it to San Francisco’s Millennium Tower, which has tilted over time due to foundational issues. 

“Students who jump into investing so much time and money to specialize in one thing without building that crucial liberal arts foundation are like the sinking tower,” Liu explained. “The short-term benefits are there, but the shortcuts will catch up to you.” 

That solid foundation is especially important now, as artificial intelligence transforms how engineers and creators work. 

Liu’s advice for students fearing AI 

Rather than fearing replacement by AI, Liu urges students to focus on deeply understanding their core engineering principles and viewing AI as a tool to enhance their work. 

“Know your tradecraft. You need to command an understanding of it,” Liu says. 

He says students with a broader educational background will have an edge when working with AI tools. He urges students to develop a deep understanding of fundamental concepts, such as comprehending code rather than just generating it. 

“The more knowledge you have, especially from a liberal arts standpoint, the better prompts you should be able to write,” Liu says. “The ability to interpret and find what’s useful for human use will help you because it’s a human element that AI won’t be able to replicate.” 

For students considering a future in tech, Liu’s advice is simple: Be curious. Embrace change. And don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and adapt.   

“Seek out opportunities to learn and grow, even if they take you outside your comfort zone,” Liu says. “And never underestimate the value of a well-rounded education.” 

We live in a world flush with electrical systems and electronics. Every day you use consumer goods like cell phones or microwaves, and every day you rely on hidden systems like GPS satellites and power grids. 

Our lives are so dependent on these goods and systems that it can be easy to take them for granted, but they don’t appear out of thin air. Electrical engineers are responsible for shaping the world around us. They worked on your car, the stoplight on the road, the systems bringing power to that stoplight and the facilities producing that electricity. 

Electrical engineers have a role in just about every industry you can imagine: telecommunications, computing, automotive, energy sector, signal processing and so on. Given that widespread need, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that jobs for electrical and electronics engineers will grow around 9% over the next decade.  

If you have strong math skills and want to be part of this network of innovators, an electrical engineering degree might be for you.  

Let’s take a broader look at the discipline and what opportunities it offers.  

Areas of focus within electrical engineering

Electric engineering includes a wide variety of subfields. Here are some major topics you can pursue within the discipline. 

• Power engineering 
  This is what most people imagine when they think of electrical engineering. Power engineers plan, design and maintain electrical power systems across residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Beyond the basics, they’re the ones who troubleshoot issues, make sure systems are in compliance with state and federal regulation and may also develop plans to increase energy efficiency.  

• Signal processing
  At its most basic, signal processing focuses on creating, transforming and analyzing information transmitted via electronic signals. The most obvious examples of this are radio and television, but signal processing technology is also essential for health care equipment, smartphones and many other consumer products. 

• Communication systems 
  This subfield focuses on the design and performance of communication systems and data networks of all kinds, which are essential for radio, TV, landline telephones and cellular phones.  

• Controls systems 
  Also known as control engineering, this subfield focuses on designing devices that manage or direct the behavior of other technologies and systems. These systems underlie basically all technologies we use every day: think of your car’s cruise control, your air conditioning or your washer and dryer.  

• Computer engineering 
  When we think of careers in computing, the most obvious option is computer science. But as important as software is, coding can’t work without an electronic device to run it. Computer engineers understand, work with and design computer hardware, architecture and network systems. 

• Microelectronics 
  The smart phone in your pocket is more powerful than the computer onboard Apollo 11’s spacecraft when it landed on the moon in 1969. Year after year, our electronics get smaller and more powerful. This is the realm of microelectronics, where engineers use special techniques to design smaller and cheaper transistors, integrated circuits and microchips.  
  
  These days, some components of those devices can measure only a few nanometers. For comparison, a strand of human DNA is just 2.5 nanometers in diameter.  

• Robotics 
  Robotics engineering sits at the nexus of electrical and mechanical engineering, and it calls upon several of the fields we’ve already discussed. Computer engineering, control systems and signal processing are just a few specializations needed in robotics. The need for robotics engineers is increasing as more industries, from car companies to hospitals, are finding uses for them. 

Electrical engineering vs. computer science 

There is considerable overlap between electrical engineering and computer science, so it can be hard to choose a path if you know you want to work with computers.  

Here’s a quick way to differentiate between the two: Electrical engineers who learn about computers mostly focus on the hardware and how those systems interact with each other and with the internet. Computer science, on the other hand, deals primarily with software, building programs or improving digital user interaction.  

For some jobs, there is a clear delineation between these skill sets. If you want to design computer hardware, for example, you will want to study electrical engineering (or consider computer engineering). On the other hand, you should probably study computer science if you’re fascinated by the possibilities of large language models or generative artificial intelligence. 

Jobs for graduates with electrical engineering degrees

Our world is dependent on electrical systems and electronics. Every sphere, from the home to the commercial space to telecommunications infrastructure, relies on some form of electrical engineering. Earning a degree will open doors for you across a wide array of industries. 

Broadcast engineer

Broadcast engineers are the people who keep TV and radio transmitting on the airwaves, bringing entertainment, sports, music or news to your devices. They’re responsible for managing, updating and troubleshooting the technologies that these stations depend on every day.  

A broadcast engineer in TV news, for example, will handle the hardware that receives media from the field — maybe a journalist’s report or live feed, footage from a helicopter or video from another news agency — and that also broadcasts the actual newscasts. 

It’s critical that broadcast engineers have a solid understanding of the equipment they work with. They’re the ones keeping an eye on cutting edge technologies and implementing them in their own workplaces. They’re also the ones who diagnose and solve problems when something technical goes wrong.  That means they need to handle pressure well, have a solid diagnostic ability and work efficiently.  

Circuit design engineer

Circuit boards are an essential component of electronic devices, found in everything from a simple calculator to a relatively complex smart TV. These boards contain wiring that connect and route electricity through components like microchips, transistors and diodes.  

Circuit design engineers work as part of a team to develop this fundamental hardware. Once they’re brought into the mix, they’ll use advanced tools to design a circuit board, taking into consideration the production budget, end goal and technical specifications. They’ll then test and refine their prototype until it meets the specifications set at the outset of the project.

Controls engineer

Unlike the others in this section, controls engineer doesn’t refer to a particular job. Instead, it encompasses a whole category of positions found across nearly every technological industry.  

A controls engineer may design, implement, optimize or maintain a control system, which is the technology that regulates how other devices or systems behave. A control system you might use quite often is your air conditioning. Using a number you input, air conditioners automatically measure the indoor temperature and then “communicate” with other devices that release cool or hot air.  

These systems can get incredibly complex, especially when you move from air conditioning into controls systems for production lines, automotive and aerospace technologies, harnessing clean energy or manufacturing pharmaceuticals. Whatever your interests are, there’s plenty of room to develop as a controls engineer.  

Other jobs electrical engineering can prepare you for 

• Electrical engineer (may require a master’s degree) 
• Electrical technician 
• Nano-electronics engineer 
• Sound engineer 
• Test engineer 
• Industrial technician 

Studying electrical engineering at Pacific

Whatever field you’re interested in, Pacific’s electrical engineering degree offers you a personalized education with a plethora of hands-on learning opportunities. 

The first thing to know is that you’ll mostly be in smaller classes. The university has a 14-to-1 ratio of students to faculty and an average class size of just 24 people. That means you’ll be getting a lot of one-on-one time with your professors to discuss classes, pitch ideas and get support for academic projects.  

The personal atmosphere was one of the draws for Rachel Wood ’13, a Pacific alumna who now works as an engineer at Honeywell Process Solutions.  

“I enjoyed the small classes, taught by professors rather than graduate students,” Wood said. “And I liked my adviser. She worked with me patiently and practically to make a curriculum plan that fit the goals of my study.” 

Students at Pacific also have plenty of opportunities to put their education to use. That means, after you graduate, you don’t need to sweat an entry-level job asking for previous experience. As a student, you’ll be able to use the university’s state-of-the-art labs where you can work with circuits, test equipment and further class projects.  

You’ll also be required to undertake a paid electrical engineering internship as part of the Cooperative Education program, also known as a CO-OP. It’s a chance to build your professional resume and network as you work in a full-time, paid internship for six to eight months.  

To prepare for the CO-OP, you’ll take a class where you’ll learn how to build a solid resume and improve your ability to interview. From there you’ll apply to positions posted on a job board exclusively for CO-OP students.  

In your senior year, you’ll also complete a senior project. As part of a team, you’ll come up with an idea, then develop, implement and refine it over the course of two semesters. This project and the CO-OP can help you show potential employers both your technical and your professional skills.  

Finally, there’s Pacific’s Master of Science in Engineering dual-degree program. Juniors and seniors who meet certain qualifications can apply to enter this program, which allows them to start graduate-level coursework while still an undergraduate.  

These features set Pacific’s electrical engineering degree apart, giving you the chance to find your passions and make your degree truly your own.  

As an engineer at Honeywell, Wood works primarily with battery energy storage systems, her engineering passion. She notes the field is growing, especially when paired with renewable energy or improving business resilience during power outages.  

“If you’re fascinated by electricity and you want to use your problem-solving skills to transition to cleaner, safer and more efficient electrical systems, then electrical engineering might be for you,” Wood said. “It has the power to make life better in the future — pun intended.” 

Next steps

Electrical engineers play an essential role in today’s world. Not only are they responsible for maintaining the systems vital to our everyday lives, but they’re also at the forefront of designing new and more efficient technology to adapt to our changing world. 

If you see yourself as part of that effort, Pacific’s electrical engineering program can help you learn the skills and build the experience needed to join its ranks.

Many students cite the Cooperative Education Program (CO-OP) as the reason they decided to attend Pacific’s School of Engineering and Computer Science. CO-OP gives students the opportunity to gain real-world experience in their field for six to nine months, while also earning units toward their degree. 

We reached out to SOECS students who recently completed their CO-OPs to learn more about the benefits of the program and what they got out of the experience. Here’s what they said.  

Gain job hunting and interview skills 

Davis Young ’22 

Major: Computer engineering 

CO-OP: Micron Technology

“To prepare for CO-OP, you take a class that teaches you the professional development aspects, like resume building, LinkedIn page building, how to apply for a job and interview etiquette. The school helps facilitate the internship application process, and if one of the companies accepts you, you can get hands-on industry experiece during a whole semester and summer.” 

Learn more about Davis 

Earn a paycheck and gain work experience

Monica Castillo ’21 

Major: Electrical engineering 

CO-OP: Abbott Laboratories 

“Once you get your internship, you work with your company for six to nine months as a paid intern. At the same time, you’re taking classes that guide you through what you learn. It’s very important to do this program because you get work experience and you build your soft skills, like communicating, presenting or writing.” 

Learn how to collaborate with a team

Jordan Scharkey ’22  

Major: Computer science  

CO-OP: NVIDIA  

“My biggest takeaway from the experience is probably working as part of a large team. In a lot of programming settings, it’s really easy to get really dialed into what you are doing, just yourself. Whereas, from this experience, I became really mindful of what other members of my team were doing and how I could reach out to them for help—and when they would reach out to me for help, how I could assist them with what I knew.”  

Learn more about Jordan 

Connect classroom knowledge to industry practice  

Jenny Vo ’23 

Major: Bioengineering  

CO-OP: Abbott Laboratories 

“At Abbott, I worked in the heart failure unit. They taught me how medical devices are made, like what the FDA is and what they are looking for when approving products. It was totally different from a day in my life as a college student. They took me seriously as an engineer and gave me a lot of tasks. I was basically solving problems day-to-day, which I really liked, so it gave me the sense that what I’m doing is right for my interests.” 

Learn more about Jenny 

Build a professional network 

Takori Rooks ’23 

Major: Computer science 

CO-OP: Boeing 

“To work at Boeing allows me to learn and work with engineers who are passionate about the same things as I am. My advice to students just starting a CO-OP is to network, network, network. Make as many meaningful relationships as you can. If you don’t know something, ask. In my experience, people are inclined to help because they know that you are an intern.” 

Learn more about Takori