Harper College will be closed Monday, September 1, in observance of Labor Day.
Steven Mastandrea
Vice President, Engineering – Connect
Vibes
Over his career, Steven Mastandrea intertwined his passions for computer engineering and software development along with work as an emergency medical technician (EMT). He studied both fields at Harper College when he attended in 1992–93.
Today, Mastandrea is vice president of engineering at Vibes, a leader in mobile marketing software. He manages the Vibes Connect product line and leads multiple engineering teams around the globe. He began his tenure at Vibes as a software developer in 2007.
When Mastandrea chose to attend Harper, he had the opportunity to earn a beneficial 2+1 engineering scholarship. He transferred to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to complete a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering in three and a half years.
“After graduation I focused on software development,” he said, “and knowing how hardware was built, optimized and operated was very beneficial in my software development projects throughout my career.”
Mastandrea has created state-of-the-art software, developed innovative engineering processes, recruited and managed engineering teams, and mentored countless junior engineers. “Looking back, I think I’ve always been proud of the teams that I have been a part of and the collaboration I’ve helped build,” he said.
When Mastandrea was a student at Harper, he stayed involved with the Buffalo Grove Fire Department Explorer program. “I really enjoyed my EMT class,” he said, “because it set a strong foundation and gave me opportunities in emergency services.”
Mastandrea later served in the Mundelein Fire Department from 1998 to 2011. He was an EMT and firefighter, member of the Lake County Underwater Rescue Team and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructor with the American Heart Association.
He continues to volunteer with Hour of Code and Code for Fun to introduce computer science to children through fun activities. One teacher in the Chicago Public Schools loved the coding lessons so much she incorporated them into her curriculum and shared it with other schools.
Mastandrea has also stayed connected with Harper College by guest lecturing in the Introduction to Engineering course, talking to students about how to start their careers.
“When I hear from someone who remembers something that influenced a decision, or I helped them through a tough time, that’s the best feeling in the world for me,” he said.