Events

RSVP for the RealmOne Discussion

Thursday, December 4, 12-1pm
ITE 459

Join us for the final Fall 2025 Career Talk on Thursday, December 4 at 12 p.m. in ITE 459, co-hosted by the Fort Meade Alliance.

Ben Gould

Ben Gould is the Senior Director of Technology Strategy at RealmOne, where he leads innovation efforts across AI, cybersecurity, and semantic data systems.  With a career that started in hands-on software engineering and grew into technical leadership, he has spent more than a decade building systems that power real-world missions, from graph-based data platforms and AI-driven automation to cyber defense tools and advanced DevOps pipelines.

Ben now guides R&D programs, mentors emerging engineers, and helps teams apply cutting-edge technology to solve meaningful problems for government and commercial customers.  He’s passionate about making complex technology accessible, building strong engineering cultures, and showing new technologists how curiosity, persistence, and creativity can shape a career in tech.

Janelle Pasch

Janelle Pasch, PMP-certified, is the Senior Director of Technology Portfolio at RealmOne, where she leads the company’s R&D and innovation portfolio with a focus on strategic alignment, strong execution, and meaningful impact.  She guides a wide range of emerging-technology programs, making sure the right ideas move forward, teams stay coordinated, and projects deliver real value for national defense missions.

Known for leadership that brings clarity, energy, and momentum to complex programs, Janelle builds collaborative Centers of Excellence, connects cross-disciplinary teams, and creates the frameworks that help innovative ideas grow into scalable, real-world capabilities.  She’s also passionate about developing future talent, supporting internship programs, skills training, and early-career opportunities that help students and new graduates succeed in technical roles and ensuring RealmOne remains a place where creative thinkers, problem-solvers, and rising engineers can thrive and make an impact.

Megan Mercer

Megan Mercer is the Technical Director of R&D at RealmOne and a lead in the Semantic Data Center of Excellence, where she shapes the future of knowledge graph technology and data integration.  With over ten years of experience spanning full stack development, solution architecture, and semantic web technologies, she has built her career on transforming how organizations understand and leverage their data.  Megan specializes in designing large-scale ETL pipelines, architecting cloud-agnostic solutions, and serving as a resident expert in ontology development, from initial requirements gathering through management of complex data ecosystems.  She excels at taking R&D ideas from vague concepts to value-providing prototypes, leading to the capture of new work and expansion of existing contracts through innovative technical solutions.  As the founder of RealmOne’s Mobi Platform, Megan has pioneered collaborative knowledge graph development for 9+ years, securing enterprise clients across Manufacturing, Life Sciences, and Federal sectors.  Megan is passionate about leading cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions, and helping organizations unlock the power of their data to drive proactive decision-making and mission success.

Lunch provided for those who RSVP

Careers in Non-Profit IT: Insights from The Trevor Project – Wednesday, Sept 10
Join IT professionals Paul Pham, Will Young, Allie Kintner, and Ben Busath from The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people. Learn about career opportunities in the nonprofit sector, the role of technology in supporting life-saving services, and how IT skills can make a difference.
Watch a recording of the event. The link will open in Box.

Women in Tech: Career Journeys & Insights
In collaboration with UMBC’s Center for Women in Technology (CWIT), join Bri Bellavati (COO, SmartLogic), Anna Mykhailova (Director of Technology, Kalamuna), and Rachel Sax (Consultant, W4Sight) for a candid discussion on building successful careers in technology. This panel will cover career journeys, job-hunting strategies, and perspectives on today’s tech industry. The session will begin with guided questions and conclude with an open Q&A.
Watch a recording of the event. The link will open in Box.

Soft Skills: Knowing Your Audience
Join Rahul K. Razdan ’05, information systems (Principal IT Architect, Qualcomm), Patricia Grant (Chief Information Officer, Tenable), Shaneen Trotman (Director of People and Culture, Precise Software Solutions, Inc.), and Mohammed Sohail Chaudhry (Chief Information Officer, Precise Software Solutions, Inc.)for a conversation on the importance of soft skills in the workplace. Soft skills are personal traits and abilities not typically taught in the classroom and are essential for navigating job interviews, building professional relationships, and succeeding as a full-time employee. This session is designed for undergraduate and graduate students entering today’s competitive job market, offering practical advice on knowing your audience and standing out as a strong candidate.
Watch a recording of the event. The link will open in Box.

Gaming for Good: Career Paths and Community Impact
Are you interested in a career in gaming? Join us for a special event cohosted with the UMBC Game Developers Club, where industry leaders will share their insights and experiences. You’ll hear from Marc Almanzor, who uses gaming to drive nonprofit fundraising; Tronster Hartley, a senior developer at Firaxis Games known for his work on Civilization and XCOM; Tony Li, founder of Pixel Crushers and creator of narrative AI tools; and Ryan Griffin, an artist at Bit Reactor and president of the Baltimore IGDA. This panel will give you a behind-the-scenes look at different career paths in gaming, from development and art to AI and community impact. Don’t miss this chance to explore where your passion for games could take you.
Watch a recording of the event. The link will open in Box.

Careers at the Intersection of Technology and Social Good
Join Chad Capellman – Director of Business Development, Anna Mykailova – Director of Technology, Jeff Hebert (he/him) – Senior WordPress Lead, and Sean Lehane (he/him) – Associate Director of Projects for an engaging session on careers at mission-driven tech companies. Kalamuna partners with socially impactful organizations to tackle pressing challenges, blending digital expertise with purpose-driven work. Learn how technology, strategy, and design can come together to create meaningful solutions, and hear advice for students who want to leverage their skills to make a positive impact in the world. This session is perfect for students passionate about using technology to drive social good.
Watch a recording of the event. The link will open in Box.

Sharing the Stack: What 20 Years in Development Can Teach You
Join us for a special discussion with Scott Stroz, MySQL Developer Advocate at Oracle, who brings over 20 years of experience as a developer across multiple languages. Throughout his career, MySQL has been the one constant in his toolkit, and he’s passionate about sharing his knowledge to help the next generation of technologists learn from his journey. This is a great opportunity for UMBC Information Systems students to gain insights from an industry expert and deepen their understanding of one of the most widely used database systems in the world.
Watch a recording of the event. The link will open in Box.

Careers in Public Sector Technology with Precise Solutions
Join Roman Zhelenko (Senior Director, Business Development & Capture), Arun Sanna (Solutions/Enterprise Architect), John Nguyen (Senior Business Analyst), and Harinder Singh (Senior Cloud Engineer) from Precise Solutions for an engaging session on technology careers that make an impact. For over a decade, Precise Solutions has delivered performance excellence, agility, and innovation to advance public sector missions. As a trusted advisor to government technology leaders, the company drives modernization, safeguards systems, and enables effective mission delivery through strategic consulting, digital transformation, cloud implementation, and data analytics.

Learn about career paths in public sector technology and get insider advice on how to launch your career right out of college. Precise Solutions was founded by Dr. Zhensen Huang, M.S. ’00, Ph.D. ’04, Information Systems.
Watch a recording of the event. The link will open in Box.

Connecting Innovation and Impact: Career Pathways at AT&T
In collaboration with the Fort Meade Alliance and ISSA, join us for our next Fall 2025 Career Talk featuring technology professionals from AT&T’s government sector on Tuesday, November 18 at 12 p.m. in ITE 459!

Hear from Rachael Cangelosi, Rob Collins, Candace Reigel, and April Martinez, with Joe Samek moderating the discussion, as they share their experiences working at the intersection of engineering, program management, and national security.

This panel will dive into how to build a rewarding career in STEM—from finding mentors and navigating challenges to applying your classroom knowledge in the real world. Students will gain insight into how engineers and program managers at AT&T use their technical expertise to solve complex problems that matter.

Whether you’re just starting out or preparing for your next career step, this is a great chance to learn directly from industry professionals who have been where you are now.
Watch a recording of the event. The link will open in Box.