UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) welcomed students, alumni and a TV star to its annual Be You in Tech Summit to celebrate diversity in the technology industry. The event, supported by a grant from the RSM US Foundation, was held on Jan. 30 at the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub in State College.
This year’s theme, "Superpower by Design: How Your Unique Self is Your Greatest Asset," centered on the extraordinary power of authenticity in tech. More than 100 students gathered to learn about the strength and opportunities of diversity in the Information Age.
“The Be You in Tech Summit is all about empowerment and embracing your true self,” said Jocelyn Bennett Garraway, assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion in the College of IST. “This important event helps students understand and embrace their identity as a technologist and appreciate their individuality and uniqueness in the field.”
Construction expert Ati Williams, host of the Netflix series “Hack my Home,” was the keynote speaker. Williams is an entrepreneur, an educator and the founder of Honeycomb Design and Build, a female-owned design and construction company. She talked to the students about leveraging their true and unique selves to become leaders in the tech field.
“Your unique set of skills is your superpower, your strength,” Williams said. “Be confident in who you are.”
Summit attendees participated in a hands-on activity about understanding that everyone has their own intersectionality and uniqueness, and experiences that shape who they are. Dennis A. Nicholson III, culture of inclusion senior associate at RSM facilitated the activity.
“I attended the summit hoping to get more clarity on which path I want to take in cybersecurity, and it definitely helped,” said Amber-Chelsea Kibera, a second-year student in the College of IST. “There were guest speakers from all kinds of backgrounds — from consulting to big tech — and I had the chance to talk one-on-one with some of them. Those conversations gave me a better idea of what their day-to-day work looks like and what paths I might want to explore. Additionally hearing about the challenges, they faced in their careers was really inspiring and a great reminder to keep pushing forward no matter what.”
Williams also led a panel of IST alumni for a fireside chat about bringing one’s authentic self to careers in the field of information technology. Panelists included:
- Corey Lee, security chief technology officer for U.S. education at Microsoft, earned a bachelor’s degree in security and risk analysis from the College of IST in 2012.
- Julio Ortiz earned a doctoral degree from the College of IST in 2008 and now serves as chief of staff to the president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA.
- Bree Ryback, growth marketing lead for Accenture Federal Services, earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of IST in 2007.
- Jane Schneider, an associate consultant in RSM’s Security and Privacy Risk Consulting practice, graduated from the College of IST in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in applied data sciences and a minor in security and risk analysis.
“Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the RSM Grant Foundation, we have spent the past four years bringing together students, alumni and industry leaders to engage in meaningful conversations, networking and activities," said Madhavi Kari, assistant director of diversity, equity and inclusion for the college. "This summit continues to inspire, instill confidence and empower our students to embrace their authentic selves while understanding what it truly means to Be You in Tech.”
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.