As a recent graduate from Michigan State University, Tia Fowlkes entered the tech industry to explore her passion for customer satisfaction and fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion. She currently works at Google as a program manager, describing her new full-time role while being virtual as well as her internship experience during her undergraduate studies. From the IT Systems Leadership Council, officer Praneetha Pratapa talks about her ITS journey at UTD and advice for those on the same path.

Anshul Pardhi, a current graduate student in computer science, has a vast professional work history, including LinkedIn, Morgan Stanley, and Oracle. Not only does he describe his time and experiences as an intern at those companies, but also how he is assisting other students at UTD with their job search. Moreover, Cady Baltz, Vice President of Internal Affairs at Society of Women Engineers (SWE), shares how she was able to obtain two internships with Apple and Facebook as a sophomore.

Spardha Gupta dives into the current uses of automation and artificial intelligence and predicts how they will impact the future. She also offers pointers regarding beneficial methods to prepare undergrad students seeking positions in the IT field. Additionally, Rushi Surampudi, a director from the UT Dallas Artificial Intelligence Society (AIS), talks about how their team bridges the gap between people's awareness and the world of AI.

Founder of FAANGPath Nikita Gupta shares her journey starting with computer science in India, moving to Singapore, and fast-forwarding to now, working in Texas, as she shifted her career to become an entrepreneur. Her experiences give a very insightful look into methods for effectively utilizing LinkedIn, building on a resume, and the importance of professional business networking. Board member Bianca Chandwani also shares her experiences with internships in the IT field as well as tips and general advice for those actively seeking one.

To start off the new year, we are back with the second season of WeTalk! Our new hosts, Anusha and Aayushi, are joined by WITB's own President Shloka to discuss how the structure of the podcast is changing, what upcoming and exciting events are being planned, and overall, how they are continuing to navigate being virtual again this semester.

We're at the finish line! To officially wrap up WeTalk, our lovely podcast team decided to come together on this episode. Arunima, Anusha, and Shloka reflect on everything from the start, progression, and future direction of the podcast. Towards the end, we hear Ginger (Shloka's energetic dog) become excited in the background. Happy listening!

Sparsula Simmons, an Information Security Manager at State Farm, talks about her career progression from being an object oriented Java developer to a leader in information security. She also discusses navigating a traditionally male-dominated field and her advice to other female-identifying students who may pursue a similar path. In the second segment, Shloka and Gayatri discuss having male allies to break the glass ceiling and their thoughts on WeTalk coming to a close for the fall semester. 

For the first time this season, WeTalk is proud to feature two guest speakers! In this episode, we hear from Palo Alto Networks systems engineers Johanna Soto and Luiza Klaus as they discuss remote work’s impact on cybersecurity and tips on keeping information safe. During the second segment, Manvy and Nikki share their commentary on our guests' insight from their perspective as soon to be graduating seniors. 

Cheenu Chari is vice president of the Austin UXPA chapter and a content contributor for ProjectUX. He shares his process behind user experience research, how his university activities translated into his current career, and his role as a conversational AI strategist. In the second segment, Arunima and Francisca talk about their prior exposure to UX research and its value to organizations.

During this episode, we hear from Debbie Saviano, founder of Women's Leadership LIVE and well known social media design strategist. Debbie elaborates on her journey from the education field to entrepreneurship, the development of Women's Leadership LIVE, and the purpose behind her work. In the second segment, Gayatri and Akshita talk about how their experience as women leaders has impacted their personal growth.