In Laurie’s role as a systems analyst and validation engineer in the information technology area supporting pharmaceutical manufacturing at Eli Lilly and Company, she is responsible for ensuring that quality assurance practices are followed with regard to computer systems validation. Within the computing industry, she has a diverse background in business analysis, technical writing, editing, training, software testing, database administration, website development, project management, and corporate communications. Her experience includes five years at an entrepreneurial company in Silicon Valley. As a project manager and editor in a publishing house, she worked with world-class authors to develop best-selling computer book publications. She also served as a director of corporate communications for a local professional services firm. From a variety of perspectives, and in all of her experiences throughout her career, her focus has always been on the interplay of people, technology, and quality. Laurie serves as director of communications for the Indianapolis Quality Assurance Association, and she is a Certified Software Quality Analyst. She may be contacted at laurie.smith@iqaa.org.