Fall 2026 Info Session

June 12, 2026 at 9-9:45am EST

The Fall 2026 info session for applicants admitted to the MS in AI Systems program will take place via Zoom on Monday, June 8th, 2026 at 9-9:45am EST.

Fall 2026 In-person Orientation

August 19, 2026

We are holding the Fall 2026 Orientation to welcome our class of 2028! The orientation day is scheduled for Wednesday, August 19, 3:00pm – 6:30pm in Malachowsky Hall room 7200. Snacks, drinks and UF swag will be provided!

The agenda is as follows:

Registration

2:30 PM – 2:45 PM: Registration/Sign-in Sheet

• Refreshments and swag are available

Welcome & Program Overview

2:45 PM – 3:00 PM: Welcome to the Department and the Program

• Presented by: Idalis Villanueva, EEd Department Chair
• Welcome to the Engineering Education (EEd) Department by the Chair.
  • The MS in Applied Data Science degree program is housed in EEd.

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM: Program Overview

• Presented by: Catia Silva, Program Director
• Overview of the Program Goals and Objectives.
• Skills and Outcomes of program, career outcomes and resources.
• Curriculum: Core Courses, Electives, and Specializations.
• Overview of Academic Requirements, including Grading Policies.
• Research or Internship Opportunities.

3:30 PM – 3:50 PM: Academic Support Services, Policies and Procedures

• Presented by: Lisa Hibbs, Graduate Academic Advisor
• Overview of Academic Advising.
• Explanation of Registration Process.
• Transfer credits, petitions, internship registration, and other relevant information.

Building Your Future: Research, Innovation & Careers

3:50 PM – 4:10 PM: Research

• Presented by: Curtis Taylor, Associate Chair for Research in EEd
• What is graduate research?
• Best practices for working with faculty and your research peers.

4:10 PM – 4:30 PM: Student Innovation

• Presented by: Erik Sander, Director of Engineering Innovation Institute
• Hands-on programs like Spark Studio teach students to turn ideas into market-ready innovations.

4:30 PM – 4:50 PM: Career Connections Center (C3)

• Presented by: Crystal Burton, Assistant Director – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics
• Opportunities and resources available with the Career Connections Center.

Extracurriculars & Student Leadership: Student Clubs

4:50 PM – 5:30 PM: Student Clubs

• EEd Graduate Student Council (GSC)
  • Presented by: Maria Camila Herrera Palacio, President of EEd GSC
• Data Science and Informatics (DSI) Club
  • Presented by: Pranav Bhargava, Co-President of DSI
• GatorAI Club
  • Presented by: TBD
• AI² Center Student Club
  • Presented by: Aniruth Venkedesh, Co-President of AI² Center Student Club and Ethan Pecora, Co-President of AI² Center Student Club
• UF IEEE Signal Processing Society (SPS)
  • Presented by: Raul Valle, President of UF IEEE SPS
• UF IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society (EBMS)
  • Presented by: Gael Garcia, Computer Technical Lead of IEEE EMBS

5:30 PM – 5:40 PM: Q&A Panel

Current Student Panel: How Did I Land a Research and/or Internship position?

5:40 PM – 6:00 PM: Success Stories from current students

• Current students in the program speak about how they got offered a research or internship position.
• Open Q&A.

Wrap-Up

6:00 PM – 6:15 PM: Final Words from Program Director

• Presented by: Catia Silva, Program Director
• Answering any questions from students.
• Clarification on program structure, policies, or resources.
• Reminder of upcoming dates and deadlines.