SDS welcomes Dr. Ilieva Ageenko as a new senior lecturer

Dr. Ilieva Ageenko joins the School of Data Science (SDS) as a senior lecturer this fall. She has over 30 years of professional experience as a strategic integrator and former global senior executive. This semester, she teaches graduate-level Visual Analytics and Storytelling and Data and Society, the first studio for our undergraduate data science students.

Before coming to UNC Charlotte, Dr. Ageenko held senior executive management roles at Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Truist and led the Model Risk Management Advisory Practice at Grant Thornton. In her previous role, she was the Managing Director and Head of Audit Innovation at Truist, where she spearheaded the extensive use of advanced analytics, machine learning, NLP, and visualization.

Dr. Ageenko came to UNC Charlotte because of the continual growth of programs and curriculum. “One important reason why I came to UNC Charlotte is because of the innovative curriculum and the ability of the institution to evolve and adapt to the growing needs of different industries,” Dr. Ageenko said. “Businesses are constantly evolving with new technologies and business models, and universities play a pivotal role in preparing the future workforce of innovative critical thinkers that have the technical skills and ability to understand society.”

However, her passion for teaching extends further than that. Her parents were university professors, and while working at banks, she taught evening classes for Master of Business Administration and Computer Science students at UNC Charlotte.

“When I did my Ph.D., I wanted to become a faculty member, but I moved to the United States, (from Ukraine, but I am originally from Cuba) and my career in banking was going great,” Dr. Ageenko said. “Inside of me, I think I always had a passion for teaching. It’s just that life sometimes takes you in different directions, and you follow that. But I’m glad I did because now I have a lot of real-world stories that I can share with students.”

As a senior lecturer, Dr. Ageenko not only wants to teach students but also be a mentor and guide young data scientists. She was a panelist at SDS’s 2021 Women in Data Science conference and is currently part of a global mentoring organization for women working for Uber in San Diego and San Francisco.

Dr. Ageenko’s biggest advice for students is to be open-minded and actively learn about fields other than their own.

“Whatever industry you choose to go to, you must be cross-functional. That’s important, but also to be curious, learn about different things, and be very adaptable and versatile. Things change all the time. For example, we can see that in banking,” Dr. Ageenko said. “With new technologies, they’re always changing, even today.”

The School of Data Science is excited to welcome Dr. Ageenko to the team!