From Technical Expert to Strategic Leader: Sabrina Gunderson’s ETM Story

Sabrina Gunderson built her career in quality assurance and regulatory affairs at medical device startups. Her work centered on compliance and quality control.

Today she is a strategic partner in her organization. The Engineering and Technology Management (ETM) program at Washington State University is part of how she got there.

Watch the full interview with Sabrina on YouTube.

Why ETM, and why 2020

In March 2020, the pandemic eliminated Sabrina’s daily commute. She decided to put that time toward a master’s degree in engineering management and started comparing online programs.

WSU’s ETM program stood out for two reasons: its established record of teaching online and its reputation for supporting students. Sabrina had also earned her undergraduate degree at WSU, so she already trusted the university’s commitment to student success.

From technical specialist to strategic partner

Before ETM, Sabrina held leadership roles in quality assurance and regulatory affairs at several medical device startups. The work was technical, and so was her perspective.

The program widened it. She learned to communicate across disciplines, adjusting her language and approach for software engineers, mechanical engineers, and clinicians.

That skill changed how her function was seen. By connecting those perspectives, she could show that quality and regulatory work is integral to reaching business goals, not separate from them. It positioned her as a strategic partner in her organization.

“I thought ETM would help my career. What I didn’t expect was this – it changed how I lead, communicate, and make sense out of business strategy.”

Leading by asking better questions

Sabrina believes effective leadership means empowering people at every level of a team. ETM reinforced that view through the way it teaches: the program emphasized critical thinking and problem-solving over handing students the answer.

She leads the same way. Instead of supplying solutions, she asks questions that push her team to think critically and take ownership. The result is a culture of teamwork and support where new ideas can surface.

“I went from technical quality and regulatory work to having a bigger seat at the table—not by talking more, but by learning how to help people across engineering, leadership, and operations understand the same message.”

The tools she still uses

One of the courses with the most impact was trade-off analytics. It taught Sabrina to weigh quantitative data alongside qualitative insight. She applies it in her current role, where sound decisions depend on hard numbers and on factors that are harder to measure.

Risk management is the other. What she learned in the program guides how she leads her organization through complex challenges.

What Sabrina’s path shows

• Technical depth earns credibility. Communicating across disciplines turns it into strategic influence.
• Leaders who ask good questions build teams that own their work.
• Frameworks for trade-offs and risk keep paying off in real decisions.

If you are a technical professional ready to lead, ETM is designed for that step. WSU’s online master’s in Engineering and Technology Management meets in live evening classes, and no GRE is required. The Spring 2027 priority deadline is November 15, 2026.

Want to hear it in her own words? Watch the full interview with Sabrina.