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Alumni Speaker Series

We are excited to announce the new OMSCS Alumni Speaker Series as part of the program's 10th anniversary celebrations! This series highlights some of our amazing alumni as they share their expertise and experiences. Speakers will present on a variety of subjects from their careers, research, successes, challenges, and lessons learned. All events in the Alumni Speaker Series will be virtual and will run from Fall 2023 through Spring 2024. See below for all upcoming and past speakers.

Upcoming Speakers

Kathleen Malone

Exploring Opportunities: Teaching in Higher Education with a Master's Degree

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

12:00-1:00 pm ET

Have you ever thought about teaching at the collegiate level? Contrary to what you might think, numerous institutions, spanning from community colleges to esteemed R1 universities, seek full-time non-tenure track instructors and lecturers with master's degrees. Kathleen Malone, an instructor at Villanova University's Department of Computing Sciences since 2019, and a seasoned adjunct instructor across diverse collegiate landscapes since 2016, will bring firsthand insights into this career path. She will share her journey, shedding light on the challenges and rewards of teaching in higher education, both part-time and full-time. Whether you're contemplating a career shift or seeking to enrich your educational journey through part-time adjunct work, Kathleen will offer guidance on what it takes to break into and excel in higher education teaching.

Kathleen Malone is an instructor in the department of Computing Sciences at Villanova University. Kathleen started teaching part-time seven years ago, and prior to working at Villanova, she was an adjunct at all types of schools, from Delaware County Community College to Penn State University to the University of Pennsylvania. In 2019, Villanova hired Kathleen as a full-time instructor where she teaches Analysis of Algorithms and Platform Computing and Applied Machine Learning. She is also the coach of the Villanova programming team and helps prepare students for programming competitions such as the annual ICPC competition.

Carlos Rafael Catalan

Maximizing the OMSCS Program for Your Professional Career

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

10:00-11:00 am ET

This presentation aims to show students how to get the most out of the OMSCS program for their professional growth. Topics covered will be as follows:

  • Choosing courses and specializations for your career growth or career shift
  • Building your network and friendships with other students remotely
  • Extracurricular activities in OMSCS
  • OMSCS after you graduate

Carlos is a software engineer and researcher with more than 7 years of experience in full stack development. Currently, he works at Samsung Research developing internal tools that are used by multiple teams across the globe and developing patents relating to 5G and mixed reality.

Russ Klvacek

Distance Learning: Lessons from the Remote Confines of a Simulated NASA Spacecraft

Monday, March 25, 2024

9:00-10:00 pm ET

Lessons learned from participation in a NASA simulated Mars mission can inform how we interact with our professional colleagues, fellow students, and navigate interpersonal issues in everyday life.

Russ Klvacek, from Salt Lake City, Utah, works as a machine learning engineer at the SAIC AI Innovation Factory. Previously, he was a data scientist for an aerospace composites manufacturer, for which he developed various models to describe material strength, predict and preempt machine failure, and forecast business processes. Russ is a 2020 OMSCS graduate and current TA for ISYE 6501. In his free time, Russ enjoys hiking and frequenting coffee shops, playing board games, and finding new ways to approximate being an astronaut.

Upcoming Speakers

Tuesday, March 5, 2024, 12-1 pm ET
Kathleen Malone
Exploring Opportunities: Teaching in Higher Education with a Master's Degree

Tuesday, March 19, 2024, 10-11 am ET
Carlos Rafael Catalan
Maximizing the OMSCS Program for Your Professional Career

Monday, March 25, 2024, 9-10 pm ET
Russ Klvacek
Distance Learning: Lessons from the Remote Confines of a Simulated NASA Spacecraft

Sign Up to Speak!

Interested in being a speaker in the Alumni Speaker Series? Fill out the sign-up form below!

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Past Speakers

Check out past Alumni Speaker Series presentations here.

Questions?

If you have questions about the Alumni Speaker Series, contact Ana Rusch at arusch3@gatech.edu.