UHV News

UHV News

UHV Katy to host panel to discuss data science & business analytics career paths

A panel of experts are coming to the University of Houston-Victoria at Katy at the end of April to offer their perspectives to those exploring career prospects and the educational pathways in their fields.

Insights & Expertise Series at UHV Katy: Data Science & Business Analytics will be held on April 30 from 6-7:30 p.m. at UHV Katy, 22400 Grand Circle Blvd. in Room 106. The event will be a hybrid event with in-person and virtual attendees welcomed.

Robert Hernandez
Robert Hernandez

“We want to take the insights from our academia and then match it with the great experience that industry has and build a series of different sessions that highlights not only what is going on in academia, but how it relates to that industry,” said Robert Hernandez, UHV Katy enrollment and external relations manager.

The event will be the first session to zero-in on data science and business analytics in the Insights & Expertise Series at UHV Katy. In the past, the series has touched on cybersecurity along with numerous other topics, Hernandez said. The event will have a panel consisting of UHV faculty members with guest speakers to speak to the audience on data science and business analytics.

Alexandre Aidov, a UHV associate professor of finance, will be one of the panelists along with Victoria Okotie, founder and chief executive officer of Kevin Mitch Group, a technology consultant company. Okotie is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Top 50 Women Leaders in Houston and Nigeria’s 100 Leading Women. She is also a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. Okotie also teaches business analytics to graduate students at UHV.

UHV alumnus Ben Gonzalez will also serve as one of the four panelists. Gonzalez has more than 15 years of experience in market analysis, data analytics and energy economics. Over the span of his career, he has keyed in on petroleum refining and petrochemicals and is now serving as the head of data analytics at Poten and Partners in Houston.

The fourth panelist will be Bo Hu, a specialist in communications, signal processing and information theory. She will talk about how artificial intelligence and machine learning can be utilized to revolutionize the oil and gas sector.

“The advantage of having a panel is great because it draws in a lot of different audiences,” Hernandez said. “It’s a way to give back and share what they’re doing and to give insight on what is emerging in those fields.”

The event is open to faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community and would be a great opportunity for those looking to extend their networks, Hernandez said. Those planning to go will need to register at https://connect.uhv.edu/register/?id=61688cf3-7d39-454b-82dc-0df2e39745e5

“This is a great opportunity to gain valuable insights and expertise from those in the community,” Hernandez said. “If somebody is looking to gain insight from industry members and their career path and the educational background required, this is the place to be.”

The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.