Cathy Jo Thompson Linn

Linn graduated with a BE in systems and information science (SIS). Notably, the SIS graduating class of May 1974, the origin of the Computer Science Department, consisted of only seven individuals, four of whom were women. She continued her Vanderbilt education with a master’s degree and a doctorate in computer science.

After teaching stints at SMU and the University of Southwestern Louisiana, the Linns moved to Washington, D.C. to work for The Institute of Defense Analysis. There, she supported the Department of Defense in the evaluation and funding of military projects involving computer science. In 1990, the couple moved to Redmond, Washington, to work at Microsoft.

The Linns split their time between Sammamish, Washington, and Kihei, Hawaii. She and her husband, a guitarist and vocalist, currently play in bands in both Sammamish and Maui. They have two children and three grandchildren.