From bioengineering to research and development to his current job at the Writers Guild of America, Ian Darke ’95 has worked in almost every industry his engineering and philosophy degrees would allow.

While a Mudder, Darke interned with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), who later offered him his first job out of graduate school as well.

During his internship, he says, “I was able to work with the Web as an emerging technology. It was a ride overall, and I was able to connect it to my education.”

Following Mudd, Darke attended grad school at the University of Utah to study a long-time interest of bioengineering. A year into the M.D. / Ph.D. program, however, he decided to pursue his master’s degree instead.   

After his post-graduate stint at SAIC, Darke launched into a wide spectrum of jobs in the dot-com industry and soon found that he was interested in entertainment and marketing.

One of his most unique jobs was working as chief technology officer for MXG Media.

“MXG has a very special place in my heart, the energy and environment,” Darke shares. “We were pushing boundaries on technology and the business model. There was so much excitement with such a young company. I think a lot of Mudders will end up in environments like this. It’s exciting when you build something and it works successfully. It’s a very different feel from working at a large corporation.”

Today, Darke works for the Writers Guild of America as director of information technology. There, the pace is slower and the stress is less, but the projects are still interesting.

“When you are young you work a lot, to almost prove yourself,” says Darke. “But eventually you need to slow down and you need balance. It’s all about where you are in your life and where you are in your personal goals. That’s what you should be looking for.”