UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Expect to hear a story of resilience from Samantha Wheeler, director of AI Alliances at VAST Data, when she shares her unconventional journey to a career in technology with the Penn State community on March 29.  

Her AI Distinguished Speaker Series talk, “How I Blended Life Experiences with Audacity and Curiosity to Launch My Career in AI,” will explore the many challenges Wheeler has faced and offer advice for aspiring technology and cross-domain professionals. The event will take place in 102 Marriott Foundation Building (Oak Building) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and is open to students and faculty. Register here.

“I hope whoever hears it comes away with a sense of personal resilience that they didn’t know was there before,” Wheeler said. “I hope they walk away knowing that no matter what faces them in the future, that they can find their way forward. Not because I did it, but because they are creative human beings, and that is what we are built to do.” 

Wheeler’s “inspiring story is a must-see” for students of all backgrounds, said Andy Gatto, director of strategic partnerships for event co-sponsor Nittany AI Alliance, a Penn State Outreach program.

“Her personal and professional experiences offer valuable insights and advice for anyone looking to pursue a career in technology,” Gatto said. “I am thrilled to have her share her journey with our students, as her talk promises to inspire and empower the next generation of leaders and innovators."

Wheeler’s path to the tech industry began during her first semester at Drew University where she was a standout student who played on the lacrosse and rugby teams and wrote for the school newspaper. A career in technology and artificial intelligence was not on her radar.  

“If you told 18-year-old me that I would be here, I would have laughed in your face,” Wheeler said. “I wanted to be a magazine editor. I was a writer; I was an artist.” 

Those dreams came crashing down after she suffered a traumatic brain injury during lacrosse practice that changed the course of her life. The injury occurred before the current medical awareness surrounding concussions. It turns out that the head injury was not Wheeler’s first.  

“I came to realize that I had seven concussions in two-and-a-half years. You know, I am lucky because some people could have died,” Wheeler said.

Still, the impacts were significant — including severe migraines, hallucinations, double vision and panic disorder — forcing her to leave school and focus on a long recovery. Wheeler said it took her seven years to feel what she would call “normal” again.

“Every part of how I defined myself, I had lost in the blink of an eye, and I had absolutely no clue how to move forward,” Wheeler said. “The only thing I knew was that I had to get up and take the next step, and the next day take the next step, and the next day and the next day.” 

Those steps led her to Cape Code Community College — where she earned an associate degree in psychology — and to a successful seven-year career in the restaurant industry. 

It was there that she made a connection with customers who owned a high-performance computing system integration company. Just as she was looking to a new career path, they asked her if she knew any college graduates who wanted a job. 

“‘Yes, me. Get me out of here,’” Wheeler said looking back, laughing. “I took a massive pay cut and took an administration job. It was a steppingstone for me.” 

 The “audacity and curiosity” that guided her recovery propelled her forward in her new career at a time when AI technology was blossoming.  

“When you go through a brain injury, you have to start at the basics. So, everything is a unique experience. It allows you to look at complex problems in a very simplistic manner. That makes things more approachable. I looked at computers and computer systems just like I looked at the brain and brain systems,” Wheeler said. 

In her current role, Wheeler works to expand market awareness of the VAST Data Platform within the AI industry through strategic technology alliances. She relishes the opportunity use AI to help “enhance human existence.” 

“There are a lot of a ways that technology delivers on that promise to make people’s lives better, and that is what matters for me. I am not a bits and bytes kind of nerd. Everything for me revolves around human experience,” Wheeler said. “If it doesn’t enhance the human experience, it is just not worth it to me.”  

During her talk, Wheeler will share her experience of seeking to understand during recovery, finding self-worth in every situation, creating unique networks, and having the audacity to navigate new paths to demonstrate that the only important step is the next step. 

The latter part of the talk will focus on Wheeler’s experience within the technology industry itself both as a woman in a technical role and as a business development leader navigating a hyper growth market. The talk also will cover the outlook on how anyone can get involved with the many facets of AI’s projected impact on the local and global ecosystems. 

The Penn State Distinguished AI Speaker Series is a joint effort among Penn State’s growing artificial intelligence-focused research centers and units to foster AI and machine learning innovation and discussions around ethics, fairness, and the future of using AI technologies. The series is a collaboration of the Center for Socially Responsible AI, the Center for AI Foundations and Scientific Applications, the Center for AI Foundations and Engineered Systems, the Center for AI and Machine Learning Applications to Industry, the Center for Immersive Experiences, and the Nittany AI Alliance, and it is coordinated by the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences.