UTSA School of Data Science

UTSA’s student-led cybersecurity conference, RowdyCon, returned in 2024 after a three-year hiatus, offering an engaging mix of speakers, hands-on workshops, and skill-based competitions to a diverse audience of in-person and virtual participants.?The conference emphasized accessibility, skill-building, and community connection. Rowdycon hopes to continue its growth and future impact. Read more: https://bit.ly/3Z7sRWT #utsa #datascience #cybersecurity

Get the chance to work alongside faculty on real-world and impactful research in our Undergraduate Research Fellowship! Today is the last day to apply! Learn more: https://bit.ly/3CEvc45 #utsa #datascience #research

We're sending a Texas-sized thank you to our partners at USAA for gifting us $2 million to support students pursuing degrees in our new college focused on artificial intelligence, cyber, computing and data science. The gift will establish a student success center and data repository in the new college while providing scholarships for students. “UTSA is a vital institution to our community, providing employers like USAA a talent pipeline that meets the needs of our workforce and acts as an essential component to our region’s economic success. USAA continues to be the largest employer of UTSA graduates and provider of internships for UTSA students. We’re thrilled to provide additional ways to support students and their success with this gift that will support the Student Success Center and complement the support we have for STEM scholarships for those attending the new college and on-the-job training.” ~Tom Troy, USAA Chief Transformation Officer. Read more: https://bit.ly/4fKWB2q #UTSA #AI #Cyber #Data

We're deeply grateful to USAA for their continued partnership and generous gift, which will propel The University of Texas at San Antonio to the forefront of innovative programs and strengthen the workforce of our region and state! #StudentSuccess #BeBold #WeAreTheFuture #AI #Cyber #WorkforceDevelopment UTSA School of Data Science Heather Shipley, Ph.D.

RowdyCon 2024 was the first RowdyCon in over 4 years and it did not disappoint. With 392 people registered, this was the biggest RowdyCon to date and we only hope to make it bigger next year! I'm extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to lead the competitions team! I would like to give a huge thank you to all the organizers that helped make this possible: Laura Barnes - Director Me - Competitions Director Aditya Dindi - Finance Director, CTF Developer Margaret H. - Marketing Director Thomas Carroll - Outreach Director Nathan Broyles - CTF Developer Aidan Kollar - CTF Developer Xander Newlun - KoTH Developer Eric Esquivel - KoTH Developer Jacob Rahimi - KoTH Developer Samantha Vivanco - Organizer Andrew Creedon - Finance Team Valentina Vasiliu - Graphic Designer Zakharias Joseph - Organizer Braden Bonner - Organizer Alex Bryant - Organizer Our speakers: Rita Mitra Corey Hartman, Ph.D. Dan Karam HD Moore Christian Christovich Joe Aguilar Jr Aditya Dindi Nathan Reyes Professor Mila Paul Jon Reyes Our sponsors: ISACA San Antonio Chapter UTSA Honors College UTSA School of Data Science CompTIA Student Chapter ISSA Alamo Chapter Delta Quadrant Solutions Are you a UTSA student interested in being an organizer for next RowdyCon? Fill out our interest form! Interest form (UTSA students only): https://lnkd.in/g92xFzYw Thank you all again and we'll see you next year! ??

Today, I had the privilege of attending RowdyCon at the UTSA School of Data Science , accompanied by my professors from the UTSA Carlos Alvarez College of Business. The event provided an excellent opportunity to broaden my understanding of cybersecurity. The day commenced with a pleasant atmosphere and a delightful breakfast featuring traditional breakfast tacos. The agenda included several informative sessions, beginning with "Rev Up Your Resume" led by Professor Rita Mitra. This session offered valuable insights on enhancing resumes by incorporating relevant keywords and skills. Following this, Corey Hartman, Ph.D. conducted a workshop on "Intro to Ghidra and Reverse Engineering," where attendees gained hands-on experience utilizing Kali Linux with the Ghidra tool, developed in collaboration with the National Security Agency (NSA) and Compiler Explorer. Participants learned about interpreting the assembly output of programming code, analyzing functions, constructing graph maps, and modifying characters, all of which are pivotal to cybersecurity efforts. Attendees were then treated to delicious pizza from Costco Wholesale, providing an opportunity to network and relax. Another engaging session titled "Hacker Numerology" was led by HD Moore, where I acquired knowledge regarding concepts such as Number Wang, the German tank problem, IPv4 and IPv6 networks and their ranges, as well as tools and frameworks related to Windows security, including MimiKatz and the Command and Control Framework Havoc. To promote mental relaxation, we participated in a session about physical security presented by Fuller's Alamo Safe and Lock. This was followed by an inspiring presentation from pen tester Joe Aguilar Jr, who encouraged attendees to practice attacks in home labs, experiment with hardware and networks, and prepare for certifications essential in the cybersecurity field. The day concluded with an engaging introduction to "King of the Hill" (KoTH) presented by Xander Newlun. This session covered topics such as first-viewer, hypervisor, and spice-agent, while also guiding participants in using Kali Linux and Windows environments for networking and Capture the Flag activities in preparation for cyber competition teams. Overall, I gained significant knowledge and am already looking forward to next year's RowdyCon. #utsa #rowdycon2024 #cybersecurity

I love partnering with colleagues to conduct workshops, especially for amazing and engaged groups of public service professionals like the Urban Management Association of South Texas (UMAST) at their 2024 Leadership Conference! Huge shoutout to Yen Le, MBA, CPH and Joel Jenks for sharing their "Resume Writing 101" knowledge while I discussed tips for "Next Level Interviewing." ?? ?? Special thanks to UMAST President-Elect Stephanie Flores Rice for introducing me to the group and facilitating the conversation ??, UMAST Secretary Brittni Williams, MPA for keeping us organized ??, and to the UTSA School of Data Science for their beautiful facility and full-service tech support ?? #UMAST #professionaldevelopment #teamwork #birdsup

Hey ! That’s me ! I would HIGHLY recommend the Community Innovation Scholars Program. It definitely sparked my interest in Data science and benefited the city I group up in. #BirdsUp

The UTSA School of Data Science, with support from H-E-B, has launched a paid Undergraduate Research Fellowship, offering students a $3,000 stipend, mentorship, and professional development to work on real-world research.?Faculty, who will also be receiving stipends for their proposals and mentorship, will help students foster skills to enhance their workforce readiness. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3AO7j9m #utsa #datascience #fellowship

Applications are NOW OPEN for the Data Science & AI Community Innovation Scholars Program!? Sponsored by H-E-B and in partnership with United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, this 10-week paid summer internship offers hands-on experience with local nonprofits, a $4,000 stipend, and the opportunity to enhance your professional and data science skills. Deadline: December 20th, 2024 Apply here: https://bit.ly/4hNrzbO #utsa #datascience #ai