OMSCS Speaker Series
Welcome to the OMSCS Speaker Series! In this series, we invite prominent people from across the OMSCS community, as well as the field of computer science more broadly, to present on their careers, research, success, challenges, lessons learned, and more! This series is presented virtually and is open to the public for free.
Past Speakers
Check out past OMSCS Speaker Series presenters here.
Questions?
If you have questions about the OMSCS Speaker Series, contact Ana Rusch at arusch3@gatech.edu.
Alumni Speaker Series
Looking for the Alumni Speaker Series that took place in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 as part of OMSCS's 10th anniversary celebrations? You can find it here.
Upcoming Speakers
Lauren Saxton
People Over Pipelines: Lessons from a Career of Professional Experiments
Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 7–8 p.m. ET
**Women in Tech**
Zoom link
Meeting ID: 939 7021 0073
Description: If you feel like youʼre supposed to have your entire 10-year career plan mapped out by the time you finish your OMSCS degree, Iʼm here to tell you to breathe. My journey to becoming a successful AI Engineering leader started with an Electrical Engineering degree I didnʼt love and a series of "what if' pivots—from consulting in NYC to navigating an IPO with NerdWallet and eventually specializing in leading greenfield AI projects. In this talk, Iʼm sharing the real-world version of a career in tech: one built on serendipity, hard work, and the courage to treat your professional life like a beta test. Weʼll talk about how to fearlessly seize opportunities when they appear, why I believe "Human-First" leadership is the only way to build a team that lasts, and why trying a role—whether it's as a tech founder or a technical product manager—is never a waste of time, even if it doesn't work out. Come for the career advice, stay for the honest look at what happens when you stop worrying about "permanent" moves and start following your interests.
Bio: Lauren Saxton is an AI Engineering Manager with a career defined by technical versatility and a "human-first" leadership philosophy. An alum of the Georgia Tech OMSCS program, Laurenʼs journey began as a student in Electrical Engineering before she discovered her passion for computer science and software development. Her career spans the full tech stack and various leadership tiers—from consulting at Avanade and front-end development at Match.com to leading greenfield AI initiatives at Veeam. Lauren has navigated the high-growth environment of an IPO with NerdWallet, explored the startup world as a founder and individual contributor at various companies, and sharpened her strategic lens as a Technical Product Manager. Today, she focuses on building high-performing, human-centric AI teams that prioritize the individual as much as the code. Lauren is a firm believer that the best engineering cultures are built on empathy, transparency, and a healthy dose of experimental spirit.