With her trusty chocolate lab Dandy always by her side, you can catch the very fashionable and tech-savvy Sondra Ashmore working on Emmy award-winning technology at IBM. Just don't ever challenge her to an 80s music dance-off or bubblegum bubble blowing contest. Sondra is the focus of this month's 25 Things:

1. The very last field I ever expected to enter was medicine with engineering coming in at a close second. A wise professor changed my perspective.

2. One of the reasons I moved back to Des Moines was for Happy Joe's taco pizza and they closed within a year of my return. I drive across Iowa to satisfy my taco pizza cravings.

3. I have a reputation at work for being the fashion police. I am proud to say that I have inspired many co-workers to add a "pop of color" to their wardrobe.

4. I met my husband in a TCP/IP fundamentals class. It doesn't get much more romantic than that for IT professionals.

5. My office mate is a chocolate lab named Dandy. She was recently featured on IBM's Smarter Computing blog.

6. I am a huge fan of IBM's Watson computer. Several of the lead researchers went to my alma mater, RPI.

7. Part of my college degree was funded by my "restroom sanitation specialist" job at a football stadium. It helped keep me motivated to finish my degree.

8. I confess, my first web site had flashing .gifs.

9. I still do 100% of the coding of my web site in Notepad. I've tried using tools and I just keep defaulting to Notepad.

10. I was really hoping fellow ISU Business College alum, Fred Hoiberg, would attend my dissertation defense. He didn't, but at least I still passed.

11. My first taste of success was getting second place in the Iowa State Fair bubblegum bubble blowing contest. This loosely translates to being the second best at being full of hot air.

12. I got my first book contract this year. I am writing a book on agile software development with Kristin Runyan who won the Women of Innovation award for business leadership and innovation the year before I won. I have met some amazing women at that event.

13. I used to autocross with my little sports car. I gave it up when I had kids, but I refuse to sell the car.

14. I am really excited about the STEM initiatives that are rolling out in Iowa. I hope they continue to expand and gain traction.

15. The great thing about working for a global company is that I get to have mentors and serve as a mentor to people around the world. I am currently mentoring a colleague in Cork, Ireland and each time I speak with her I am more inspired to travel to Ireland.

16. I make a big point of encouraging my children to shop local. They love supporting their local community and they appreciate the personalized service.

17. I was on the track team at the University of Washington.

18. My son could beat me at Super Mario Brothers when he was five. I don't think I've ever beat anyone in a video game.

19. I love planting flowers, especially bulbs.

20. If you want to see me dance, throw on some '80s music - "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" is a personal favorite.

21. I was once told I could load a PEZ dispenser like a rock star. I need to add that to my resume.

22. I can ski on water, but not on snow.

23. I am considering riding a day of RAGBRAI on my new beach cruiser bike.

24. I became a Drake Relays champion/record holder when I was 15. It inspired me to name my oldest son Drake and coincidentally my youngest son was born during the 2006 Drake Relays.

25. I enjoy meeting new people and catching up with friends over coffee. Speaking of coffee, I wonder if there is a coffee shop that delivers?

1. What's new, for you, at Big Blue?

Sondra: (Resisting the urge to include something that rhymes with new, you, and Blue.) I am working on a solution strategy team that is focused on bringing together software, hardware and services to create global offerings around key technologies such as cloud computing, big data, mobile, security and data life-cycle management. As an IT professional, it is exciting to work on cutting-edge technology. 

2. Few people can say that they won an Emmy. How did you win yours?

Sondra: It was the IBM product that won the Emmy, not me personally. IBM won it jointly with Fox Entertainment and it resides at IBM's corporate office. The product, Linear Tape File System (LTFS), was part of portfolio of products I managed. LTFS has won many other awards from the Media and Entertainment industry as well because it allows for easier portability and archive of high definition videos, but the Emmy seems to generate the most interest. I guess most people do not associate Emmys with engineering.

3. You were the recipient of a Women of Innovation Award last year. What advice would you have for a female student considering a career in IT?

Sondra: The best advice I can give is to get involved with IT/Engineering women's networks. There are many options such as The Society for Women in Engineering and WITI. I was connected with my first leadership position at IBM by someone I met in the IBM Women's Network. The Technology Association of Iowa's Women of Innovation event is fantastic for networking and to get advice from some of the top IT leaders. I have found women (and men) in IT to be extremely supportive of one another so I think everyone benefits from getting involved.

4. What are your top three favorite local shops (for those of us who are new in town)?

Sondra: There are four major spots that my family goes to on a regular basis: East Village, Beaverdale, The Shops at Roosevelt, and Valley Junction. They all have wonderful shopping options, but I'd like to highlight three in Beaverdale:

1. Cup O'Kryptonite - The staff is amazing and the environment is welcoming. They special order comics and they even let my son sell some of his hand-drawn comics there (he was absolutely thrilled). To top it off, they serve free coffee. I love a shop that is driven by passion and kindness.
2. Beaverdale Books - My son and I are both big fans of hardback books. He went in to Beaverdale Books and asked if they had the latest Wimpy Kid book in hardback copy. They told him it would be in the following week and that they could get a signed and personalized copy for him (at no additional charge). What more could you want in a book store?
3. Jersey Guys Pizza - When I went to graduate school in New York I always went to the local pizza shop for a "$1.50 pizza slice + soda" deal because it was one of the few options that worked with my budget.  Jersey Guys pizza offers a similar deal with "2 pizza slices + soda for $4.50". The pizza is great and the owners are actually from Jersey so you get a very authentic east coast experience.