Big Data Analytics Symposium 2025

Sital Nayee

Systems Analyst, Addition Financial

Sital Nayee is an accomplished professional in the Financial Services sector, with a decade-long tenure in the Credit Union Financial Services Industry since 2010, where he has significantly contributed across multiple domains such as Branch Operations, Lending, Technology, and Data Analysis. His extensive hands-on experience with Financial Institutions is complemented by a profound passion for data science, a field in which he has not only earned his Bachelor of Science Degree but is also advancing towards a master’s degree. Sital’s academic pursuits in Data Science are driven by a keen interest in harnessing analytical tools and methodologies to solve complex financial problems, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and strategic decision-making within the banking sector. Beyond his professional and academic accomplishments, Sital’s enthusiasm for data science extends into personal projects and continuous learning endeavors. He actively engages in self-directed projects that explore innovative data modeling techniques, and frequently attends workshops and seminars to stay abreast of the latest trends and technologies in the field. His dedication to mastering the art and science of data analysis underscores a deep-seated belief in the transformative power of data to not only predict future trends but also to create actionable insights that drive progress and efficiency in the financial industry. Whenever Sital takes a break from analyzing data for strategic decision-making, he indulges in his passion for travel. Having explored 23 diverse countries, he has now decided to obtain his Private Pilot License and subsequently pursuing a twin-engine endorsement to personally fly his family to all smaller islands around Florida Coastline.

Ryan Sleeper

Founder, Playfair Data

Ryan Sleeper, UCF ’07 ’09 MBA, is the Founder of Playfair Data – an analytics consulting and training agency headquartered in Lake Nona. His team’s work in visual analytics has supported a range of meaningful projects including finding ways to lower greenhouse gas emissions at major manufacturers, evaluating diversity and inclusion in the National Football League, and trying to end the drug overdose epidemic with the American Medical Association. Most recently, Sleeper was recognized as an Honorable Knight earlier this month at the UCF Business School’s 25th anniversary hall of fame event.

Evan Arrizza

Head of Risk Analytics, Voloridge

Evan joined Voloridge in March 2016 as a Trading Analyst and has since held roles including Lead Analytics Engineer and Manager of the Research Technology Group (RTG). He has been instrumental in advancing trading capabilities, transitioning from spreadsheet-driven processes to database-driven systems, and integrating data science and machine learning for enhanced monitoring. As Lead Analytics Engineer, Evan spearheaded the development of an internal data warehouse and the standardization of operational analytics.

Evan’s commitment to continuous learning is demonstrated by his completion of the Financial Risk Manager certification and advanced studies in Data Science and Quant Finance. In his current role as Head of Risk Analytics, he applies his expertise to develop innovative risk management tools and processes, while overseeing the development of internal systems in close collaboration with executive stakeholders.

Jenna Leali

Data Analyst, Voloridge

Jenna first joined Voloridge in May 2024 as a Data Analyst Intern and transitioned into a full time Data Analyst role for Voloridge Health after graduating from Florida Atlantic University with a Master’s in Data Science and Analytics and a minor in Artificial Intelligence in December 2024. She also holds a certification in Big Data Analytics. Jenna played a key role in developing multiple vendor API integrations and has written robust codes to support our data scientists. Additionally, Jenna has led efforts to clean a large U.S. Electronic Health Record dataset for research and contributed to model validation.

Shengwei Xu

Research and Accountability Administrator, Seminole County Public Schools

Shengwei Xu has served as the Research and Accountability Administrator for Seminole County Public Schools since 2012. She plays a pivotal role in monitoring and evaluating the District’s Strategic Plan, providing insights to the Superintendent and the Cabinet members based on both cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of various data points.

Shengwei received her master’s degree in Statistics from UCF with a full-ride scholarship, and her academic journey was further enriched by the multi-disciplinary research collaborations across several departments, including the College of Science, College of Business, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and the College of Optics and Photonics.

In addition to her professional work, Shengwei is a strong advocate for girls in STEM, annually giving speeches to K-12 students to inspire them to pursue careers in mathematics and science. She and her husband, both proud UCF alumni, are committed to giving back and passionate about empowering students by supporting programs and initiatives that foster their academic and personal growth.

Dawn Frye

Manager of Meter Data Operations for Electric and Water Distribution Operations, Orlando Utilities Commission

Dawn Frye is the Manager of Meter Data Operations for Electric and Water Distribution Operations at Orlando Utilities Commission. She has a Masters Degree from Florida Institute of Technology with a concentration of Information Systems. At OUC she leads a team working on day to day operations including the monitoring of 450,000 meters, developing back office automation tools to ensure elite customer service and accurate, on time billing. They have pioneered a vision for OUC to embark on cloud based data analytics platform. They leverage a sophisticated cloud-based architecture to read every meter every day, ensure the meters are operating correctly, and stream-line business processes saving the company hundreds of thousands of dollars a year minimizing unnecessary field work. Dawn also sits on the Florida Snowflake User Group Leadership Committee and is highly engaged in Utility Analytics Institute.

Krishnaveni Katta

Database Systems Programmer, Florida Department of State

Krishnaveni Katta is an accomplished professional in the field of Data Science, with years of experience in Data Engineering, Data Analysis, Machine Learning, and Business Intelligence. Since embarking on her career, Krishnaveni has contributed significantly to diverse industries, working with cutting-edge technologies to develop innovative data solutions that drive informed decision-making.

Krishnaveni holds a Master’s in Data Science from the University of Houston. Her passion for data science is complemented by her role as an IEEE Peer Reviewer, where she engages with cutting-edge research in machine learning and data science, further solidifying her expertise in the field. Beyond her professional work, Krishnaveni is deeply committed to continuous learning, actively working on personal projects that involve advanced machine learning techniques and staying current with industry trends through workshops and seminars. She believes in the transformative potential of data science to solve complex real-world problems and optimize business operations.

Jillian McIntosh

Senior Associate, Consumer Insights, KPMG

Jillian McIntosh is a data-driven problem solver with a passion for uncovering innovative solutions through analytics and experience-backed insights. Since 2021, she has been at KPMG and has been a Senior Associate in Consumer Insights since 2022, where she helps the firm harness data to optimize consumer insights, streamline decision-making, and uncover strategic growth opportunities. Jillian’s academic background blends business and analytics, equipping her with a strong foundation in both strategy and data science. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Dayton in 2020 and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Data Analytics at the University of Central Florida, set to graduate in a few weeks. With expertise in data visualization, predictive modeling, and consumer behavior analysis, Jillian is dedicated to transforming complex data into actionable insights that fuel innovation. She thrives on tackling challenges with a fresh perspective, ensuring that data is not just collected, but effectively leveraged to drive meaningful impact.

Rama Sivarajan

Analytics Engineer, Health Catalyst

Rama Sivarajan has more than two decades of experience in developing and architecting business applications and has worked with leading technology companies, including Symantec and IBM. She currently works as an Analytics Engineer at Health Catalyst, focusing on driving impactful, data-informed solutions for healthcare improvement. With a passion for innovation and continuous learning, she is committed to using data science to connect traditional software development with modern analytics. Sivarajan received her Master of Science in Data Analytics from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Science in Computer Science from S R College.

Michael Tseng, Ph.D. (moderator)

Assistant Professor of Economics 

Dr. Michael Tseng is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Central Florida. He completed a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Pennsylvania State University, and a second Ph.D. in Economics from Simon Fraser University in Canada. He also was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Swiss Finance Institute, E´ cole Polytechnique Fe´de´rale de Lausanne, Switzerland. Dr. Tseng’s areas of research are financial economics and econometrics. In addition to research, his teaching interests include financial mathematics and mathematical economics.

Joshua Eubanks

Associate Chair and Instructor, Economics

Joshua Eubanks is an instructor at the University of Central Florida. He completed an M.S. in Economics from the University of Central Florida which focused on business analytics.

From 2018 to 2022, he was a Data Analyst at Siemens Gamesa, where his main responsibilities were data visualization, risk assessment, and predictive maintenance using R, Python, SQL, Tableau and Power BI.

Starting Spring 2019, Joshua started teaching evening classes as an adjunct instructor. He taught junior-level microeconomics, business statistics in the MBA program, and business analytics for the M.S. in Accounting program. In Fall 2022, he accepted the opportunity to teach full-time where he currently teaches courses in microeconomics, business analytics, and labor economics.

Berkin Uluutku

Berkin Uluutku is a first-year Ph.D. student in Big Data Analytics at the University of Central Florida. With a background in mechanical and aerospace engineering, his research focuses on improving medical imaging through advanced mathematical and statistical modeling and 3D reconstruction techniques. He is currently developing a method to enhance PET scan quality, helping doctors better diagnose conditions like cancer and Alzheimer’s. Berkin is passionate about combining data science and physical sciences to make a real-world impact.

Maggy Tomova

Dean of the College of Sciences and Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives

Maggy Tomova serves a dual role as the Dean of the UCF College of Sciences and Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives within Academic Affairs, where she serves as a chief adviser to Provost Michael D. Johnson Ph.D., overseeing academic planning and the implementation of strategic priorities across the university. Under her tenure as Dean of the College of Sciences, the university’s largest college by student enrollment and number of faculty, the College of Sciences has raised its four-year graduation rate by 6 percent and increased research funding to more than $30 million, among other notable accomplishments in support of student success, faculty research, and staff development.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Biochemistry at California Lutheran University, and her Ph.D. in Mathematics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She first joined the faculty of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Iowa as a Visiting Assistant Professor in 2005. Her primary research interest is in low dimensional topology and knot theory, as well as in the applications of topological results to the life sciences. She has published prolifically and is in demand nationally as a presenter at universities and conferences. Her research has been supported largely by National Science Foundation grants, including a CAREER grant in 2011. CLAS named her Dean’s Scholar in 2012.

Winston Schoenfeld, Ph.D.

Vice President for Research and Innovation, and Professor of Optics

Dr. Winston V. Schoenfeld is currently Vice President for Research and Innovation, and Professor of Optics, MSE, and ECE at the University of Central Florida. He received his Ph.D. degree in Materials Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in 2000, and holds M.S. and B.S. degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida.

Prior to joining UCF in 2004, Dr. Schoenfeld served as Device Manager at Uniroyal Optoelectronics, working in the area of high brightness light emitting diodes (LEDs), and later in 2003 founded Medical Lighting Solutions, Inc., a supplier of specialty LED lighting solutions for the medical and biomedical industries. From 2011-2017 he served at UCF as Director of the c-Si Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (PVMC), establishing the first industry-led U.S. c-Si PV consortium and overseeing more than $10 million in collaborative research projects between consortium members.

At UCF, he has secured more than $24 million is research funding and authored/co-authored more than 140 refereed journal publications in the areas of photovoltaics, the epitaxial growth and properties of oxide semiconductors, oxide and nitride-semiconductor light-emitting diodes, self-assembled quantum dots, e-beam nano-lithography, quantum information/networks, comprehensive modeling of nanowire devices, and solid-state nuclear material detection. Dr. Schoenfeld is a Fellow of SPIE and a life member of OSA.

Shunpu Zhang, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair of the Department of Statistics and Data Science

Shunpu Zhang, Ph.D. is professor and chair of the Department of Statistics and Data Science at the University of Central Florida (UCF), and has been instrumental in expanding academic programs in data science and analytics. Dr. Zhang earned his Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Alberta, Canada, and before joining UCF in 2015, he served as an assistant and associate professor of statistics at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and as an associate and full professor of statistics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

During his time at Nebraska, Dr. Zhang worked as a mathematical statistician at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), where he developed the CI*Rank website under the NCI portal (https://surveillance.cancer.gov/cirank/). This tool provides ranked, age-adjusted cancer incidence and mortality rates by U.S. state, county, and special regions, serving as an essential resource for researchers, policymakers, and the public in understanding community health and evaluating healthcare policies. Dr. Zhang’s research spans general statistical methodology, Bayesian and empirical Bayesian methods, bioinformatics, large-scale multiple hypothesis testing, financial portfolio optimization, sampling techniques, statistical methods related to influenza virus genotyping, and big data analytics.