Curtis Schlak has worked in the computer science industry for nearly 30 years. Now, the University of Houston-Victoria graduate student is looking forward to taking a new step and training future generations in the industry.

Curtis Schlak

“The last eight years of my career were spent in educational technology, and I enjoyed supporting students as they learned,” Schlak said. “I love sharing my knowledge, and I believe in the power and importance of mentorship. That’s the kind of work I want to do in the future.”

Schlak of Richmond was named the Outstanding Graduate Student for the UHV College of Natural & Applied Science. He will receive a Master of Science in computer science in May. Arthur Nguyen of Baytown was named the Outstanding Undergraduate Student. He will earn a Bachelor of Science in computer science and a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice in December.

Each semester, professors from UHV’s four colleges select outstanding students to be honored during commencement. The university will host three fall commencement ceremonies on Dec. 14 at the Victoria Fine Arts Center, 1002 Sam Houston Drive. The first ceremony begins at 9 a.m. to celebrate graduates from the College of Education & Health Professions. The second ceremony will begin at noon to celebrate the graduates from the College of Business, and the third will begin at 3 p.m. for graduates of the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences and the College of Natural & Applied Science. A live stream of the ceremonies will be available at www.uhv.edu/commencement/commencement-ceremony.

Dmitri Sobolev

“I am pleased to see Curtis and Arthur receive recognition for their hard work and dedication,” said Dmitri Sobolev, interim dean of the college. “They are driven students who have put an amazing amount of effort into achieving their goals. I wish them well as they move into the next step in their lives.”

Schlak chose to attend UHV because the university offered online courses that allowed him to study and complete his coursework while still employed full time, he said. In addition, the academic advisor was encouraging and welcoming when Schlak shared his interest in earning a master’s degree.

Now, as he approaches graduation, Schlak has already earned some teaching experience by teaching three undergraduate computer science courses for the university as an adjunct instructor.

“My current goal is to move into a teaching position at a community college – somewhere that will allow me to work with underserved areas of the education system,” he said. “Community colleges and small universities like UHV are great options for students to get started in their careers and offer a less expensive option for students in all stages of life.”

Schlak taught himself programming when he was in the U.S. Army using a Windows 95 operating system for data entry and reporting as the Operations Non-Commissioned Officer for his Infantry company.

“I realized that the computer’s job was to do repeatable tasks, and there might be a way to make it more efficient,” he said. “I ended up learning programming to improve the process and free up more time for myself.”

Looking back on his time at UHV, Schlak is grateful for the support from faculty members, including Qi Zhu, professor of computer science, and Yun Wan, chair of the computer and information sciences department and a professor of computer information systems. As he prepares for graduation, he’s looking forward to exploring new things as well as using the skills he learned at UHV.

“I’ve learned some really cool stuff that made me a better computer scientist,” Schlak said. “I’m looking forward to finding a teaching position as well as continuing my research and writing a novel. The past few years have been a great experience. Now I’m ready to explore something new.”