University Lecture

Sponsored by the Office of the President, the University Lecture Series provides a forum for speakers of national and international importance to enhance scholarly and scientific learning and to stimulate the intellectual climate of the university and surrounding communities.

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Big Data

PATRICIA G. S. FLORISSI

EMC Sales’ chief technology officer Patricia Florissi believes we are at a very exciting tipping point in history from a sociological and scientific perspective. In her presentation, Florissi will discuss how technology—and the availability of scientific and social data—are the result of a convergence of forces that will usher in a new era of scientific enlightenment and social revolution. And how Big Data is enabling and accelerating discoveries in science, and transforming the way we do business, work, and live.

Similar to the changes that occurred during the Industrial Revolution, many industries will cease to exist, new ones will be created, and others will reinvent themselves. Florissi believes that those at the forefront of technology will want to be more than passive observers in this transformation; they will want to be thought leaders and actively show the way toward innovation.

Florissi holds a PhD in Computer Science from Columbia University and is an EMC Distinguished Engineer. She graduated valedictorian with an MBA from New York University’s Stern Business School. She earned an MS and BS in computer science from the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco in Brazil. She holds multiple patents and has been published in periodicals such as Computer Networks and IEEE Proceedings.