From Brazil to NYC, Touro NYSCAS Alum Builds a Career in AI and Automation

As an Automation Specialist, this Touro alum is using coding and artificial intelligence to streamline business operations and ensure processes are efficient and scalable, while continuing to collaborate on virtual reality (VR) research with Touro faculty. And if that weren’t enough, he’s also pursuing a master’s degree in AI engineering and multi-agent systems to continue his educational journey.

What inspired you to relocate from Brazil to pursue your bachelor’s degree at NYSCAS, and what drew you to Business Management & Administration?

I originally studied computer engineering in Brazil. While living there, I was also an intern on the automation and finance team at Goldman Sachs. Working on that team made me realize I was more interested in the finance and automation side of operations than in engineering alone, as I wanted to better understand how the different parts of a company worked cohesively, rather than just focus on writing code.

Since my sister was already living in New York and was a Touro University student studying psychology, I began exploring the offerings at Touro. I discovered the business management and administration program with a concentration in information systems and immediately knew that this major was the perfect combination of everything I wanted to pursue. Although I was initially nervous about transferring internationally and having my credits transferred, Touro made the process simple and helped me every step of the way.

What was your experience like as an international student? Were there any challenges or memorable moments that helped shape your college experience?

Honestly, I don't think I could have had a better experience overall! The Touro NYSCAS environment was very welcoming. I felt like I belonged here from the very beginning.

One of my most memorable experiences was getting involved in research. I had done academic research in Brazil and wanted to continue doing research at Touro. I discovered that one of my professors, Dr. Sabra Brock, was an academic researcher. I reached out to her, and we’re now collaborators working on several research projects, most of which focus on the barriers and facilitators faculty often encounter when integrating VR into their courses.

What skills did you develop in the classroom that you now use in your role as an Automation Specialist at Licensed Behavior Analyst Professional Services?

My role involves automating processes across different departments, including human resources, payroll, and marketing. Essentially, I take tasks that people do manually and use coding and AI to do them digitally. This increases efficiency and reduces costs.

One course that was very valuable was Data Structures II. The professor focused on the skills that employers look for in this ever-changing industry. Today, I focus on building application programming interfaces (APIs), which are essential to business processes, allowing information to move between different systems. Professor Brock’s Principles of Management course taught me how to look at a company as a whole and think like a manager. As an Automation Specialist, I need to identify bottlenecks and eliminate them to ensure operations run smoothly.

Public speaking helped me to become more confident as well. English isn't my first language, and I was initially shy about speaking in front of my peers. However, this course helped to build my confidence when explaining technical concepts in a way that non-technical people can understand.

What is your dream career, and why? How do you hope your Touro education will help you achieve that goal?

My dream career is to continue building automation and AI systems for companies, particularly in regulated industries. Previously, I've worked in the healthcare and finance fields, and eventually I'd like to become part of a senior leadership team. What I've learned is that the technical part is only one-third of the job. The rest involves data quality and people skills. My business degree gave me the vocabulary and perspective to understand the business side and see the whole picture instead of just multiple moving parts working in silos throughout a company.

I credit my education at Touro for enabling me to understand different departments and identify what's missing or what could be improved in daily processes. Even though I work in technology, I need to understand what every department does and what it needs to be successful. Touro NYSCAS helped me develop that perspective.

What has been the most rewarding part of your journey from moving across the world to earn your degree and now beginning your career in New York City?

My research has been very rewarding but so has advancing my automation career. It feels empowering to have the trust of my employer and its leadership behind me. I work directly with the CEO, and she trusts me to integrate the company's systems, explore new technologies, and try out-of-the-box strategies. Having that level of trust so soon after graduating has been very meaningful to me.

Additionally, graduating Summa Cum Laude was another very rewarding accomplishment. I overcame many challenges along the way to graduate with a 4.0 GPA!

What advice would you give to other international students who are considering studying at Touro?

Touro offers so many opportunities. You just have to find them.

For example, I didn't know Touro had research opportunities across so many different fields until I started looking. I would also encourage students to take advantage of the Career Services department. Kayla Elberg, the NYSCAS Assistant Director of Career Services, helped me bolster my resume and prepare for companies' recruiting systems. Career Services also offers mock interviews and career fairs, which help you gain practice interviewing and meet potential employers.