1986 BSE

Originally from Keokuk, Iowa, Yun-Ho Sikora (nee Chung) graduated from the University of Iowa with a BS in electrical and computer engineering in 1986. Yun-Ho began her career at McDonnell Douglas/Boeing and recently retired after 39 years of service. Her career spanned the country — from Long Beach, California, to St. Louis, Missouri, to Arlington, Virginia — and also included fully remote work. She started as a flight test data recorder engineer and ended her career as a chief software data architect. Along the way, she found her passion for helping others find their way to STEM careers.

Her pillars of success have been family, career, and community. A defining moment came while being honored at the Women of Color in Technology conference, where she recognized the power of early encouragement, often from teachers, in shaping technical careers. In 2014, she joined the founding volunteer corps at Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls in St. Louis, supporting its mission to develop leadership and STEM skills in diverse, underserved students. She taught the school’s first computer science class through a partnership with Microsoft TEALS. She mentored and volunteered at Boeing on numerous committees and external technical affiliations.

She has served on the University of Iowa Electrical and Computer Engineering Advisory Board since 2024. She resides in West Lafayette, Indiana, with her husband, Richard (86BSIE). They have two daughters, Elizabeth (Paul) in New York City and Danielle (Gordon) in Chicago.