In partnership with:
Women in Data Science
WiDS Orlando is an independent event that is organized by the University of Central Florida as part of the annual WiDS Worldwide conference organized by Stanford University and an estimated 200+ regional events, which feature outstanding women doing outstanding work in the field of data science. All genders are invited to attend WiDS Worldwide conference events.
Calling All Data Enthusiasts!
The UCF Statistics and Data Science Department is pleased to present the
Big Data Analytics Symposium 2023.
This day-long series of speakers and networking opportunities connects students to industry professionals to explore the practical applications of big data and data analytics in the modern marketplace. This event reached its 10th year in 2023 and has become an integral resource for connecting UCF students with employers from companies at the top of their industry.
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
UCF Main Campus, Pegasus Ballroom
REGISTER TO ATTEND
2023 AGENDA
- 9:00 AM – Early Morning Employer Networking
Coffee & beverages will be served - 10:00 AM – Event Kickoff
Ben Snively ’08, Senior Principal Solutions Architect in Data Science, Amazon Web Services - 11:00 AM – Angelo Muscat ’07
Head of Trade Execution, Voloridge Investment Management - 11:30 AM – Speed-Round Table Breakout Sessions
Chat in a small group with company representatives about internships and career paths, meet UCF alumni in the field, and find out about graduate programs in Big Data during three 10-minute speed rounds. - 12:00 PM – Addition Financial Data Analytics Competition Results
$3,000 is on the line for 1st place in the 2023 Competition! Learn from this year’s competition winner about the strategy they used to solve the real-world business data problem.
A complimentary fajita lunch will be served to all registered attendees. - 01:00 PM – Julia Ignacek ’86
Deputy Director, Strategic Integration Directorate, Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) - 01:30 PM – Dr. Karen Kafadar
Commonwealth Professor, University of Virginia
“The Impact of Statistics for Data Science in Society” - 02:00 PM – Women in Data Science Panel Discussion
Hear from industry experts & UCF alumni about their data analysis focus, and how this field is shaping both business & society
Hosted by UCF Master of Science in Data Analytics Moderated by Dr. Niloofar Yousefi
Panelists:
Bailey LaRea – Sports Data Analyst, Orlando City Soccer
Thao Thai – Sr. Marketing Insights Analyst, The Walt Disney Company
Dr. Ramya Akula – FinTech Instructor, UCF College of Business - 03:00 PM – Women in Data Science Speaker + Live Discussion
“Killing Diseases with Really Big Computers: Building Analysis Tools to Solve Disease”
Marisa Torres, Bioinformatics Lead, Lawrence Livermore Natural Laboratory - 03:30 PM – Employer Networking Reception
Refreshments and desserts will be served as we close the day with opportunities to network with industry partners, employers, and guests.
Sponsored by the College of Business
Who attends?
The Symposium serves as a platform for exploring the application of concepts that UCF students are actively learning in their degree programs and how that knowledge translates to real-world applications. All interested students, alumni and greater UCF community members are invited to attend.
Why attend?
Register to attend throughout the day and hear from local executives, alumni in the field, and student peers presenting on topics including data analytics, machine learning, and blockchain. Learn from local big data experts how topics learned in class translate into the work being done in businesses.
Get your questions answered during live Q&A sessions. How do you find results in the data? What functions in a company does as a data scientist do? How can you best relay those results to clients?
Connect in breakouts and listen to panels with alumni and employers in the field. What skills are employers looking for in the field? Should I get my Masters and Ph.D. in Data Science or Data Analytics?
Cost: Free; RSVP Required
Open-House Format: Attendees are encouraged to come and go throughout the day as their schedule allows.
Employer Tables: Local & international employers will be present to answer questions, discuss internships, and share information about full-time roles in this exciting and ever-growing. The Symposium concludes with a designated “meet-and-greet” networking session for students to connect with company representatives, to learn about specific career paths within each company.
Speakers
Ben Snively ’08
Senior Principal Solutions Architect in Data Science, Amazon Web Services
Ben specializes in building systems and solutions leveraging Big Data, Analytics, Machine Learning and Deep Learning. Ben has over 20 years working in the analytics and machine learning space and helps bridge the gap between technology and business initiatives driving innovation solutions across various industries. Ben holds both a Masters of Science in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Masters in Science in Computer Engineering from University of Central Florida.
Angelo Muscat ’07
Head of Trade Execution, Voloridge Investment Management
Angelo has worked in accounting, finance, and trading-related fields for the past 15 years. He has spent the last decade working at Voloridge, a quantitative investment management firm in Jupiter, Florida, where he previously managed trading operations and now oversees trade cost analysis and algorithmic execution. Angelo received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Central Florida and his CPA (inactive) license from the State of Florida.
Julia Ignacek ’86
Deputy Director, Strategic Integration Directorate, Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC)
Julia S. Ignacek is detailed as Director, Strategic Integration Directorate, Air Force Technical Applications Center, Patrick Space Force Base, Fla. AFTAC operates and maintains the United States Atomic Energy Detection System to monitor foreign compliance with various treaties limiting nuclear testing. In her role as Director, Ms. Ignacek provides strategic planning and leadership for the organization’s innovative and applied research programs, novel concept development, and strategic partnership development supporting the verification of nuclear weapon-related treaties and emerging warfighter requirements. As an executive and authority in R&D, Ms. Ignacek advises key leadership on R&D strategies, allocating greater than $50M annually in internal R&D funding and influencing greater than $200M annually in partner agency R&D funding.
Ms. Ignacek has served in a variety of leadership and technical positions in industry, research, and government. She graduated from University of Central Florida with her Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology and Molecular Biology, and from George Washington University with her Master of Science degree in Research Administration.
Dr. Karen Kafadar
Commonwealth Professor, University of Virginia
Dr. Kafadar is a commonwealth Professor & Past Chair of Statistics at the University of Virginia. She received her BS & MS from Stanford and her PhD from Princeton, and is a Fellow of the ASA, AAAS, and ISI for her research on statistical methods & data analysis in the physical, chemical, biological, and engineering sciences, and for service on scientific panels. She is past Editor of JASA Reviews, Technometrics and most recently Editor-in-Chief of The Annals of Applied Statistics, and was 2019 ASA President. Her most recent work concerns statistical methodology for problems in forensic science, eyewitness identification and for randomized cancer screening trials.
Special Thanks To Our 2023 Sponsors:
Pegasus Sponsors
Gold Sponsor
Black Sponsor
Networking Table Sponsors
Contact Kathryn Feehrer to learn more about sponsorship and scholarship opportunities for the 2023 Big Data Analytics Symposium.