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5 Minutes with Bev Seay

5 Minutes with Bev Seay

UCF’s new chair for the Board of Trustees opens up about personal passions and professional practices. 

Fall 2019 | By Laura J. Cole

believes聽we 麻豆精品 S檇 all be better off if we knew more聽about computing and data analytics.聽That 麻豆精品 S檚 not to say everyone should be聽computer scientists or data analysts,聽but we should have an appreciation of聽how both impact our work.

麻豆精品 S淚 would like to see all UCF聽students have the opportunity to gain聽a level of understanding of computing聽and data analytics in their chosen聽fields, 麻豆精品 S Seay says. 麻豆精品 S淭he shortage in聽both areas is pervasive, so if we can聽prepare our students to become聽subject matter experts in their field聽plus provide those skills, they 麻豆精品 S檒l have聽far more career possibilities. 麻豆精品 S

It 麻豆精品 S檚 not surprising considering both聽play a role in everything from the聽shows we stream, the games we play聽and the news we consume to how we聽communicate, create and operate.聽Seay admits she may be biased. After聽all, everything from her career to her聽volunteer work to the legacy she 麻豆精品 S檚聽passing on to her daughters聽and granddaughters revolves聽around computing.

So it 麻豆精品 S檚 natural that Seay brings that聽perspective and passion to her new聽role as chair of the .

麻豆精品 S淐omputing is what I know, 麻豆精品 S Seay聽says. 麻豆精品 S淏ut I also know business, and聽I want to make sure we 麻豆精品 S檙e preparing聽our students for as many career聽opportunities as possible. 麻豆精品 S

On preparing students for jobs
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 very interested in the question聽of whether higher ed is doing its job聽to prepare students for careers and聽the future. We can teach them the聽mechanics of their education, but it 麻豆精品 S檚聽just as important to offer experiential聽learning, such as internships, so they聽understand how what they 麻豆精品 S檙e learning聽is applied in the real world. 麻豆精品 S

On why she 麻豆精品 S檚 committed to UCF
麻豆精品 S淭his is my community, and what聽goes on here is very important to聽me. When I moved to Orlando, many聽people in the community helped me,聽and I want to give back. In a sense, I聽feel like we 麻豆精品 S檝e grown together. 麻豆精品 S

On shifting from industry聽to higher education
麻豆精品 S淲hen I was in industry, I saw the聽value of being close to the university,聽whether we were funding research,聽hiring graduates, working with the聽faculty or doing community projects聽together. It was natural for me to聽become involved. 麻豆精品 S

On what she 麻豆精品 S檚 most proud聽of from her career
麻豆精品 S淎t SAIC, we worked closely with聽UCF, the community, the customers聽and our industry partners to make聽Central Florida a global center of聽modeling and simulation. I 麻豆精品 S檓 very聽proud that we were able to achieve聽that as a community. 麻豆精品 S

On UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 future
麻豆精品 S淥ur strategic plans ought to be聽closely tied to the strategic plans聽of Central Florida and the broader聽Florida community. Being here for聽our citizens at every stage of their聽lives is really what we 麻豆精品 S檙e about and聽why we 麻豆精品 S檙e here. 麻豆精品 S

Read more about Seay, preparing students for jobs, the importance of women in STEM and the future of UCF.