Dee Piziak’s career in IT is an illustrious one. Her CV includes roles at IBM, Northwestern Mutual, Johnson Controls, Oracle, and Google. She’s currently a Director of Data and Artificial Intelligence at Microsoft, where she leads pre-sales technical specialists on her team and works with organizations in the eastern half of the US to help them identify practical use cases and applications for AI.
In addition to her job at Microsoft, Dee shares her decades of industry experience with students as an adjunct instructor in UW-Milwaukee’s online Bachelor of Science in Information Science and Technology (IST) offered through UW Flexible Option.
Originally from Gainesville, Florida, Dee earned her BS in Computer and Information Science from the University of Florida and received her MS in Computer Science from UW-Milwaukee. Her connection to Milwaukee goes beyond her graduate degree: it’s also where she got her first IT job at IBM and started a family with her late husband. As someone who has spent her entire career as an IT professional, Dee is grateful for the opportunities working in tech has provided.
“Due to family circumstances, I raised two children on my own for a very long time, unexpectedly. I picked it up without missing a beat. If I didn’t have this career and all the opportunities and the breadth, what would have happened to us? I think about that every day. It’s very personal for me what this field has done for me, and how it’s enabled us to have a really good life.”
Dee has taught at UW-Milwaukee for over 28 years, and has played a role in the online UW Flexible Option IST program since its inception. She was teaching courses on campus when she learned about the school’s efforts to branch out into online learning and competency-based education.
She worked closely with Chad Zahrt, the assistant dean for UW-Milwaukee’s School of Information Studies (SOIS), to help build out the IST program and begin teaching online. Some of her courses today include INFOST 250X: Introduction to Network and Systems Administration, INFOST 350X: Introduction to Application Development, and the program’s Capstone course. For Dee, it’s a true joy being able to teach students from her alma mater and support other women who are working toward STEM degrees and careers.
“I have an emotional attachment to UW-Milwaukee that has stayed with me for decades,” she said. “I feel very strongly about what that school did for me. And it really drives and motivates my desire to be part of that community, as I have been for the last 28 years, and to give back.”
In the following Q&A, we spoke with Dee to learn about her approach to teaching, her career advice for working in the tech field, and how she helps inspire women to pursue STEM roles.
What can students expect from you as an instructor in an online degree program?
I know what the work environment is like, and because I know what employers are looking for and how teamwork works and how collaboration works, I really try to bring that into how I write the classes and how I interact with the students.
“Everybody deserves to be in a field that has a timelessness to it, that has sustainability to it, that earns them a good living, that gives them job security.”
For example, my telephone number: I hand it out. It’s on the syllabus. They call me nights, weekends, evenings. Oftentimes, they’re like, “Wow, thank you. I’m sorry to bother you.” And you know what? You’re not bothering me.
In our business, things move so fast and we always have deadlines, that you [have] to be able to pick up the phone and call somebody and get a proper answer. I feel like I’m bringing that part of the culture, the can-do, always available, let me help you get to the next step, call me [kind] of a thing to the classroom, because I want to show students that as an example of how we work out here.
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What’s your favorite part about teaching in the IST program?
I’ve been teaching for a very long time, and I’m also in sales in my day job, so I have been interacting with people for a very long time. I consider myself to be a pretty good judge of people. What gives me the greatest joy is when I am working and speaking with the students and helping them. When I have that moment, that flash where I’m like, “Yeah, this person is going to be OK and they’re going to do great,” it’s almost as though they were my own kid.
I can see their path to completion. They’ve got the motivation. They’re doing well in the program. If I were an interviewer, I would love them because they would interview really well. They’re going to be competitive for a good job. They’re set. I think that those are the most satisfying and gratifying moments for me, when I can tell, boom, they’re off.
I have a very interesting story. I was visiting FedEx in Memphis, one of my clients, when I was at Oracle. I walked out of one of the buildings, and walking in was one of my students. He’d gotten hired by FedEx in Memphis, Tennessee. I almost fell over with shock. He gave me a big hug. So you never know where they’re going to end up and how they’re going to do. You just wish them well wherever they are.
As a sponsor for women pursuing tech degrees and careers, why is it important for more women to be represented in the STEM field?
When I went to graduate school, there were 57 students in my Master’s class, [and] of that 57, only 2 women. So just some quick math, that’s 4 percent. It’s grown slowly over the years, but it really hasn’t gotten anywhere near [a] 50/50 kind of thing.
“You have to show people the art of the possible and build their confidence and their potential.”
In many ways, I try to be gender-blind. I just think it’s a great field for everybody, really. If a gentleman came to me and asked for some help or coaching or mentoring, I would never say no. My door is open to talk to anybody.
That being said, I think that it happens in the early years, that women get deterred from STEM fields. My own two daughters are STEM graduates. I feel like I don’t have to worry about them. As a parent, there’s such a relief knowing that they’re established and they’re in a good place, and I think their educational backgrounds are a huge part of that.
I want that for everybody, but especially for women, who have such demanding obligations in this day and age—family, children, job, daycare, …etc. I just think everybody deserves to be in a field that has a timelessness to it, that has sustainability to it, that earns them a good living, that gives them job security. Everyone needs that, but especially women.
What are some ways we can support women who are pursuing STEM careers?
That starts early. It starts by keeping STEM in their mind and on their radar. And then when they do enter an academic program that is STEM, giving them the support and making sure that they know where to go to get help. You have to mentor and coach people at the tactical level, but you also have to continue to give them that big picture strategic motivation.
“Have patience and know that our business is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. You don’t have to become CIO in three years. You’ve got a whole lifetime.”
And you heard my own personal story that, where would I have been if I didn’t have the career that I have? That’s why I feel very strongly that this is a good path for women, and I do whatever I can in my own small way to encourage and sustain that every day. I do that at Microsoft, as well. When I hire, I try to look for female candidates that are highly qualified. They’re out there.
That’s the other thing, too, is that we do have women in the field, but they aren’t always getting elevated. Their potential isn’t always seen. And you have to cultivate potential, right? People don’t know what they don’t know. They don’t know how good they can be, and sometimes their confidence is not where it should be.
You have to find that diamond and bring that out in people, and then allow them to flourish. Otherwise, they’re going to think they’re going to be a Python programmer their whole lives. When, no actually, you have the talents to be a Chief Technology Officer (CTO), for example.
You have to show people the art of the possible and build their confidence and their potential. I truly believe everything I just said. I’ve gotten so much help from people in my career—it’s just paying back.
How does someone get their start in the tech field and advance their career?
To get your foot in the door, be open to all different roles. Unless you’re a really good programmer and have demonstrated that skill, usually the entry-level openings are like support or help desk. Get with a good company, the best [and] biggest company that you can, because then you can stay there for the longest [time] as possible and do different things.
Once you get your foot in the door, do a really, really good job, no matter how boring you might think it is. And then learn. Look to the left, look to the right. Learn what other people are doing. If you have to pick up those skills, pick up those skills. Keep up with your reading. See what the mainstream high-value areas [are] to be in IT, and then just sort of raise your hand, volunteer. Let your manager know what you aspire to do.
Be open to different opportunities and see what comes. You can always say no. But I like to say, the best compliment is if you get up to bat, right? When you swing, you don’t always have to hit the ball. But to be invited up to bat and asked if you’re interested in something is a huge compliment.
Also have patience and know that our business is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. You don’t have to become Chief Information Officer (CIO) in three years. You’ve got a whole lifetime, right? And our business is also not just about moving up—our business is like a lattice. Sometimes you move over, then you move up. You might come down a little bit, move over. So again, be open.
Why should prospective students consider the IST program?
So it is a competency-based program. You have to demonstrate, through assessments, that you have competencies in this area. If you’re already working in the field or have some experience, look through the curriculum. Look at the classes you have to take. If you feel that you could demonstrate competency through the assessments, then try it. You can mix and match [courses] at some level.
But do try it, because it is faster than a traditional degree program. The speed, the economics, and the flexibility of it—that perfect storm has really worked out well for a lot of students.
Are you ready to earn your Information Science and Technology degree on your own schedule? Call an enrollment adviser at 608-800-6762 or email at flex@uwex.wisconsin.edu to get more information.