Presented by the College of Information Sciences and Technology in partnership with RSM US LLP, the 2023 Be You in Tech Summit brings together Penn State students and corporate partners in an environment where they can connect, learn, share, and support each other while celebrating and recognizing the strength of diversity in the technology field.
The registration deadline has passed. If you did not register but are interested in attending, please email Madhavi Kari at mxk157@psu.edu.
The event aims to empower participants in knowing and embracing their personal story and using it to drive professional success and personal fulfillment. Students will benefit from engaging in conversations on career and professional development, finding and building community, and how diversity and inclusion impact technology.
This event is free and open to all members of the Penn State community but is specifically designed for undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in technology careers.
2:30 – 3:00 p.m. | Check in (Second Floor, Hyatt Place State College)
3:00 – 3:25 p.m. | Conference Open and Networking
3:25 – 3:30 p.m. | Welcome and Introduction
- Dr. Jocelyn Bennett Garraway, Associate Dean for Inclusion and Diversity Engagement, Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology
3:30 – 4:20 p.m. | Keynote Presentation
- Presented by Tracey Walker, Principal and Chief Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, RSM US LLP
- "I-Lead: How Inclusion Drives Engaged Empowered Leaders of Now"
We know that everyone can lead. We also know that, regardless of the industry, leaders play a big role in how an organization or team develops. Interpersonal agility and being able to adjust for the needs of teams, business mission, varied clients, markets, and employees have pushed inclusive leadership forward as a top requirement. But what is inclusive leadership and just how important is it on a personal level? Let's take a look at key skillset areas that allow us to engage and be empowered for all that our business future holds. We will explore concepts such as:- What I-Leaders Know: Inclusion as an asset (you have to shift your mindset)
- What I-Leaders Are: Architects of culture
- What I-Leaders Use: Perspective power
- What I-Leaders Do: Growth and Engagement Differentiators
4:20 – 4:30 p.m. | Break
4:30 – 5:15 p.m. | Activity: "Developing Emotional Resilience"
- Presented by Tatum Bair, senior associate software engineer, and Sanjida Alika, software engineer, at Capital One
- Join Capital One for an engaging workshop on the topic of emotional resilience. The job and internship process is rigorous and balancing it with a heavy school load can be a huge challenge. Emotional resilience focuses on a person's ability to adapt to stressful situations and is a skill that can be strengthened with some strategies and mindset changes. This workshop is designed to give practical next steps as you develop this important skill set.
5:15 – 6:15 p.m. | Moderated Panel: "New Hire Conversations with Young Professionals"
- Ritika Bafna, Associate Consultant, IQVIA
- Jogesh Chabria, Security & Privacy Risk Consultant, RSM US LLP
- Eric Hite, Information Security Analyst, UPMC
- Mary Ward, Product Manager, iRobot
- Moderator: Chris Gamrat, Assistant Teaching Professor, College of IST
6:15 – 7:00 p.m. | Dinner and Networking
7:00 – 7:10 p.m. | Closing Remarks
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Sanjida AlikaSanjida Alika is an associate software engineer at Capital One, currently working as an IOS engineer for Capital One’s mobile banking app. Sanjida holds a bachelor's degree in computer information systems with a concentration in interactive design along with a minor in computer information systems from James Madison University. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in management information systems and resides in the Washington, D.C. Metro area. In her free time, she enjoys painting and hiking and is currently working on an app called University Carpools to provide college students with safe, reliable, and affordable transportation options. |
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Ritika BanfaRitika Bafna is an associate consultant at IQVIA, currently providing on-site consulting services to pharmaceutical and health care companies. She holds multiple degrees from Penn State, including a bachelor's degree in security and risk analysis with an emphasis in information and cybersecurity and a master's degree in management and organizational leadership. Ritika currently lives in San Francisco and enjoys hiking, going to the farmers market, and supporting Ferrari in Formula 1 Racing. |
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Tatum BairTatum Bair is a second-year technology development program senior associate at Capital One. She works on a data storage team using Scala, Java, and Python. While at Penn State, she studied finance, information systems management, and statistics. She is now pursuing her master's degree in analytics at Georgia Tech. In her free time, she likes to bake, watch football, box, and spend time with her 1-year-old puppy, Schweetz. |
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Jocelyn Bennett GarrawayDr. Jocelyn Bennett Garraway is the assistant dean for inclusion and diversity engagement at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology. She leads strategic initiatives to create a welcoming environment that promotes and values diversity, equity, and inclusion for the College of IST community. A Licensed Professional Counselor, she previously served as an associate professor and the director of the School Counseling Program at the University of Detroit Mercy. |
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Jogesh ChabriaJogesh Chabria works on information technology audit projects within RSM’s Security, Privacy, and Risk Consulting practice. He currently focuses on IT risk assessments and IT general controls reviews primarily for financial institutions. He also focuses on Federal Financial Institutions Examination council audits. Jogesh received his bachelor's degree in security and risk analysis with a concentration in information and cybersecurity from Penn State in 2019. |
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Chris GamratDr. Chris Gamrat is an assistant teaching professor in Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology. A three-time graduate of Penn State, his areas of interest are innovative teaching and learning, digital badges, and inclusive teaching. |
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Eric HiteEric Hite is an information security analyst for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Health System based in Pittsburgh. He focuses mainly on medical device/IoT security and assessing third-party risk, as well as working with clinical staff and clinical application teams to better improve their security while maintaining an almost zero-downtime environment. Working for the largest non-governmental employer in Pennsylvania, he sees firsthand how the intersection of technology and innovation is being used to create life-changing medicine for UPMC’s patients and insurance plan members. He received his bachelor's degree in security and risk analysis with a minor in information sciences and technology in 2018. |
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Sudhir K. KondisettySudhir K. Kondisetty is the national leader for technology risk consulting, setting the strategy and focus for the firm’s technology risk services. He oversees projects over a wide range of services, including internal audit/Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), IT risk, financial regulatory compliance, security, enterprise risk management, among others. Additionally, Sudhir serves as the office leader of the Philadelphia office and he serves as an elected member of RSM’s board of directors. Prior to leading the technology risk consulting team, Sudhir was involved in leading IT risk consulting projects, including IT risk assessments, IT general controls reviews, network infrastructure security testing, SOX IT reviews, Payment Card Industry (PCI) audits, System and Organization Controls (SOC) attestation engagements and IT project management. |
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Tracey WalkerTracey Walker is Chief Culture Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) Officer and principal within the $3B RSM enterprise. She designs RSM's national diversity, equity and inclusion programming and strategy, creating a culture of inclusion for the workforce of 15,000 across 90 offices in the US and Canada. She defines enterprise CDI principles of action with focus on inclusion in organizational behavior, operations, productivity, learning and professional development. Tracey leads a talented team, focused on equity for all, and the charitable CDI Impact Fund supporting scholarship, community and professional organizations. Tracey is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) subject-matter expert leading DEIB advisory for clients, business schools, and trade organizations worldwide. She is certified in diversity and inclusion as an Advanced Practitioner from the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR), and her graduate work in organizational behavior cultivated an innovative connection between inclusion, difference, and dexterity as an approach to better business at the Harvard Business School. Tracey has numerous awards and honors including the AICPA “50 Most Powerful Women in Accounting,” and the “100 Most Influential Women in Diversity and Inclusion,” by Diversity MBA, and the 2022 “Women Leaders in Consulting” award from Consulting Magazine. |
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Mary WardMary Ward currently serves as a senior product manager at iRobot, where she specializes in machine learning and data personalization. Mary began her journey as a Division 1 softball player at Penn State, where she earned her bachelor's degree from the College of IST in 2016 and master's degree in 2019. Previously, Mary spent five years as an associate product manager at the Boeing Company, where she earned a lead product manager role for Boeing's largest and most profitable business unit, started her own coaching business, grew the Charleston Women in Tech nonprofit by more than 3,500 participants, and helped grow the Penn State Alumni Association Charleston Chapter. In her free time, she mentors young women in the tech/capital venture community in the D.C./Virginia area and sits on the board of the Penn State D.C Metro Alumni chapter. Mary's passions are technology and helping all members of the community understand and work technology into their everyday lives. |
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RSM US LLP is the U.S. member of RSM International, a global network of independent firms that provides audit, tax and consulting services to the middle market. With over 11,000 employees across the U.S. and Canada and a global presence in 123 countries, our purpose is to deliver the power of being understood to our clients, colleagues and communities. As first-choice advisors, we are focused on developing leading professionals and innovative services to meet our clients’ evolving needs in today’s ever-changing business environment.
Through a supportive, caring culture, our people are empowered to be their authentic selves and share their unique perspectives. Our culture of diversity and inclusion enhances the insights we provide while transforming innovation, collaboration and business results through fostering an inclusive environment, working hard to engage a talented workforce and reflect our diverse community, and developing relationships that serve others in business and the broader community. Together, our people’s individual talents and diverse perspectives strengthen our teams and enhances the unique insights that we provide to our clients.
For more information, visit rsmus.com.
Be You in Tech is a series of events and programs hosted by Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology that aim to inform, inspire, and empower. Every initiative in the series is designed to help participants understand the role of diversity and inclusion in their personal and professional lives through knowledge-sharing, reflection, and community building. By sharing lived experiences and challenging established standards, Be You in Tech creates unique learning environments where everyone can explore how to be their authentic selves and create inclusive spaces for others.
For more information, visit ist.psu.edu/be-you.