Episodios

  • Stack Your Career Sandwich: Building Your Career Portfolio as a College Student- Part 2

    Stack Your Career Sandwich: Building Your Career Portfolio as a College Student- Part 2
    May 12 2026

    In this second episode of Stack Your Career Sandwich: Building Your Career Portfolio as a College Student, host Tyra Peirce continues the conversation with Lino Persi, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Java Customer Success at Oracle, focusing on how students can turn their experiences into real career opportunities. They explore how to stand out—even without traditional internships—by leveraging projects, volunteer work, and leadership roles, and discuss how experiences like study abroad and campus involvement translate into workplace value. Lino also shares practical advice on presenting your skills effectively on resumes and in interviews, the importance of mentorship and networking, and how to confidently position yourself for success in a competitive job market.
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    32 m
  • Stack Your Career Sandwich: Building Your Career Portfolio as a College Student: Part I

    Stack Your Career Sandwich: Building Your Career Portfolio as a College Student: Part I
    May 12 2026
    In this first episode of Stack Your Career Sandwich: Building Your Career Portfolio as a College Student, host Tyra Peirce sits down with Lino Persi, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Java Customer Success at Oracle, to explore how students can go beyond academics to build a strong, well-rounded career foundation. Together, they discuss the importance of intentionally "stacking" experiences—such as internships, projects, research, and campus involvement—to develop both technical and soft skills that employers value. Lino shares practical insights on how educators can better support students, why hands-on experience is critical in shaping career direction, and how mentorship and diverse opportunities help students discover their interests and stand out in a competitive job market.
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    18 m
  • IT Career Lessons

    IT Career Lessons
    Apr 7 2026
    In this episode, we talk with a veteran IT leader about the career path that shaped their success and what inspired them to enter tech. We cover how they've stayed relevant through constant change—career planning, lifelong learning, and building skills that last. They share lessons from setbacks, what they'd do differently, and advice for students starting out in today's fast-moving IT world. -------------------------------------------------- Episode Transcript: Unknown Welcome to the Oracle Academy Tech Chat. This podcast provides educators and students in-depth discussions with thought leaders around computer science, cloud technologies, and software design to help students on their journey to becoming industry ready technology leaders of the future. Let's get started. Ljiljana Welcome to Oracle Academy Tech Chat, where we discuss how to stay ahead of the game in this constantly changing industry. Oracle Academy helps prepare the next generation's workforce. I'm your host, Ljiljana Krkic, Oracle Academy program manager, and in this episode, Rob Lockard, recently retired Oracle ACE director, professional Oracle DBA, Designer, Developer, Product Manager, but also a pilot, sailor, photographer, and a very good friend of mine will share secrets from his more than 40 years long successful career in IT. He will speak about how AI is changing our jobs and how to befriend it, and let it help you move forward in your career as well as about three protocols that can help you have the power to make your career and life a success. Rob, my friend, welcome! Rob Hey! Thank you for having me! Ljiljana Thanks. You've had a long and distinguished career in IT. Can you briefly share your path and what inspired you to enter this industry? Rob We'll start with what inspired me. When I was a child, my father was in the Marine Corps, and he went to school on programing the IBM 360, and he would bring home his textbook and study it. And whenever I had a chance, I would pick it up and start reading it. Now, mind you, I was like 8 years old at the time, and I didn't really gather it because, you know, we're talking about mainframes and all. But it gave me an early interest in it. And then when I went into the military myself, I got into computer science and then got out and went to the community college and then one university and then another university and then another university. And I kept going till I got my master's degree. Largely, actually, my employers paid for my education. So when I was working for Cannon, the camera manufacturer, I would take night classes at the university and they would pay for my night classes. So, you know, I always leveraged somebody else paying. Ljiljana Yes. Oh. All right. Rob Kind of how I got into it. And then, from there, it's just, you know, one pivot after another pivot after another pivot, something would go wrong, something would go right, and I would just make little adjustments along the way. Ljiljana Yeah. Great. Technology evolves quickly. What approaches have helped you consistently stay ahead of industry changes and remain relevant throughout your career? Rob Okay. Well, number one, I have always read the professional journals. Way back when I was a C programmer, I would read the C journals. Then, as I got into databases, I would read the database journals. And now with the world of the internet, as you know, the internet became more and more popular because when I started this, everything was printed on paper. You know, we didn't have this information right at our fingertips. But what I would constantly do is reading what is currently happening in the industry. And then I would actually sit down a couple times a year and write out a story, what will the industry look like in five years, ten years, 20 years? Ljiljana All right. Rob And you use the information you have to try to figure out where things are going. All right? And you are going to be wrong. I was wrong more often than not, but it always gave me a direction to shoot for, and as I got more information, I would adjust where I would focus my energies. And that's the easy explanation for it. But I'm constantly, even to this day, following what's happening in the industry and trying to figure out what is the world going to look like five years from now on in our industry? What's world going to look like ten years from now? And, you know, it's like, where do I want to put my efforts so I stay relevant? Ljiljana Yes. Rob And now, with this world of AI, it's making it more interesting. Where do you want to study? Do you want to get into AI agents? Do you want to get into AGI? What purpose? How are you going to use this AI to solve a problem? I mean, at our business, what we do is we solve problems. Okay. That is the simplest way to explain it. And when you see a problem, how do you solve it? So we can use AI. We can use AI agents. I was just...
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    22 m
  • Learn about the latest Oracle Academy workshops on embedding generative AI in Apex applications and using AI to create SQL in Apex

    Learn about the latest Oracle Academy workshops on embedding generative AI in Apex applications and using AI to create SQL in Apex
    Mar 17 2026

    Willie Mcrae, Oracle Academy Principal Instructor, joins us to discuss Oracle Academy AI resources for educators and their students, including two new workshops on embedding generative AI in Oracle APEX applications and using AI to create SQL in APEX.
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    22 m
  • From the Classroom to the Lobby: Hospitality Skills for the Real World

    From the Classroom to the Lobby: Hospitality Skills for the Real World
    Mar 3 2026
    Oracle Hospitality's Deanne Wofford joins host Tyra Peirce to discuss how Oracle Academy is helping educators and students unlock new opportunities in hospitality management. Discover the essential role of technology in today's hotels, the benefits of digital learning resources, and practical tips for building career-ready skills. Perfect for faculty, students, and anyone passionate about the future of hospitality! ---------------------------------------------------- Episode Transcript: 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:34:09 Unknown Welcome to the Oracle Academy Tech Chat. This podcast provides educators and students in-depth discussions with thought leaders around computer science, cloud technologies, and software design to help students on their journey to becoming industry ready technology leaders of the future. Let's get started. Welcome to Oracle Academy Tech Chat, where we discuss how Oracle Academy is preparing the next generation's workforce. 00:00:34:10 - 00:00:57:13 Unknown I'm your host, Tyra Peirce. In this episode, I speak with Diane Wofford from the Oracle Hospitality Management Team about the vital role hospitality management systems play and why it's important for students to study them. Welcome, Diane. So to start off, can you give me a bit about your background and your role at Oracle? Hi, Tera, thanks for having me. 00:00:57:16 - 00:01:29:07 Unknown I joined Oracle through the acquisition of micros and have dedicated 19 years to training and empowering or hospitality customers. My journey began as an implementation consultant where I was quickly entrusted with onboarding and training of new consultants. Over the years, I advanced through the organization, shaping our role, focusing on delivering innovative training and education to our customers, partners and employees. 00:01:29:09 - 00:02:02:03 Unknown Currently, as the director of the Global Learning Initiatives Team and the Oracle Hospitality Organization, I lead a talented, multifaceted global team committed to developing comprehensive learning content and opportunities that drive success through the hospitality industry. Our team is passionate about creating impactful and effective learning experiences, and ensuring everyone we support is equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to drive within our hospitality solutions. 00:02:02:05 - 00:02:32:14 Unknown Your experience is so fascinating to me and you really, truly are the right person to talk about hospitality and why it's important for students to learn. Because you've come from an education space and developing training materials for our partners and our customers, as well as our employees. So with that said, what are the core components of a hospitality management system like opera, and why are they critical to the success of hotels and resorts today? 00:02:32:16 - 00:02:59:19 Unknown Well, that's an absolutely great questions. At the core of hospitality management systems like Offer Cloud, there are several key components that are truly essential for a smooth and successful operation of hotels and resorts today. First, you have the property management system or PMS. I like to think of this as the nerve center of the hotel. It handles everything from guest relations and check ins to room assignments and billing. 00:02:59:21 - 00:03:27:12 Unknown Our focus is really on streamlining those day to day tasks, so the staff can spend more time focusing on delivering a great guest experience. Now that experience actually begins right at the time of booking. As we know, most guests today are booking online, so it's crucial to connect seamless nicely with multiple channels like OTAs urged access as well as direct booking engines up a club. 00:03:27:13 - 00:04:06:03 Unknown It's right in that landscape by connecting with a variety of channel management systems. Plus, with Opera Cloud distribution, we make it even easier for our customers to manage this process all in one place, enabling a smooth flow of reservations directly into the PMS. This ensures that front desk agents always have accurate guest information and also helps hotels yield maximum occupancy, seize revenue opportunities, and and I was doing so good. 00:04:06:05 - 00:04:19:14 Unknown Yeah. Go ahead and just repeat wherever you want to start. So if you want to start that guest experience or you can start with plus and then just kind of repeat where you want to say with that piece right there. 00:04:19:16 - 00:04:51:15 Unknown With OPERA cloud distribution, we make it even easier for our customers to manage this process from one place and enabling a smooth flow of reservations directly into the PMS. This ensures that front desk agents always have accurate guest information, and it also helps hotels maximize occupancy, seize revenue opportunities, and maintain consistent yield and rate management. 00:04:51:17 - 00:05:07:12 Unknown You know, front desk operations are another crucial piece with real time tools. Front office staff can...
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    16 m
  • Building a Career in Tech Marketing

    Building a Career in Tech Marketing
    Feb 10 2026
    In this episode of Oracle Academy Tech Chat, we welcome Janet Kamau, Marketing & Field Engagement Director for Oracle Africa to discuss her career journey and expertise in tech marketing. Janet shares her personal career path, outlining what led her into the dynamic world of tech marketing, and provides listeners with firsthand perspectives on the ever-evolving opportunities for tech professionals in the marketing industry. ----------------------------------------------------- 00;00;09;02 - 00;00;28;21 Speaker 1 Welcome to the Oracle Academy Tech Chat. This podcast provides educators and students in-depth discussions with thought leaders around computer science, cloud technologies, and software design to help students on their journey to becoming industry ready technology leaders of the future. Let's get started. 00;00;28;24 - 00;01;02;04 Speaker 2 Hello everyone! Welcome to Oracle Academy Tech Chat, where we discuss how often Academy prepares innext generation's world class. I'm your host for today may carry on my summer. In this episode we will be discussing building a tech career in marketing. Our guest is an Marketing and Field Engagement Director for Oracle Africa to discuss her journey and expertise at the intersection of technology and marketing. 00;01;02;06 - 00;01;50;11 Speaker 2 Janet is an accomplished marketing and business development executive with over two decades of leadership across Africa, specializing in technology research and digital transformation. Jeanette. Career includes senior roles at Ogilvy, Airtel, Hewlett-Packard, and Oracle, where she has driven innovation on high performance marketing in complex and diverse markets, and Oracle. She was instrumental in launching and expanding Oracle offices across Africa, have focused on customer centric innovation and digital transformation, has led to Oracle's accelerated market share growth and heightened brand relevance across the continent. 00;01;50;13 - 00;02;23;08 Speaker 2 How impact has been recognized through multiple channels, including Oracle's Best of Best Regional Winner, the Oracle Global Marketing Leadership Excellence Award, and HP Emir's High Achievers Club. She is known for drafting data driven, scalable marketing strategies that closely align with corporate transformation goals and long term business value. She is a passionate advocate for social impact and youth development. 00;02;23;10 - 00;03;08;11 Speaker 2 She leads as a Gems Global Mentor, co-leads the Oracle Women Leadership in Kenya, and oversees the Oracle Volunteer Program in Kenya. She is the founder of the Marketing Young Professionals Program and the Parent Cycle Circle, which supports personal growth, leadership development, and engagement. In 2022, Jeanette was named one of the top 25 Most Influential Women in Marketing in East Africa, and in 2024, she was honored as the Marketing Trailblazer of the year and the East Africa Women of Excellence Awards, hosted by UN women and Hope media. 00;03;08;14 - 00;03;41;17 Speaker 2 She holds a BSc in International Business Administration from US, IU Africa and is a certified Professional Coach. Jeanette is the Board Chair of Junior Achievement Africa, where she supports youth entrepreneurship and future ready skill development across the continent. Jeanette brings to the board a blend of strategic marketing, vision and digital transformation expertise with a deep passion for social impact, youth empowerment and inclusive leadership. 00;03;41;19 - 00;04;13;12 Speaker 2 One of her favorite quotes is no one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to bleed by hits. You look what comes in it, and that's such a rich profile you've got there. Thank you for being a guest on the Oracle Academic Tech Chat. How you tell us a bit about your journey into tech marketing and what inspired you to pursue this career path? 00;04;13;14 - 00;04;42;21 Speaker 3 Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for the opportunity to feature in this podcast, and thank you for all the work and the wonderful work that you do to inspire, you know, the students and educators across the continents, you know, basically preparing them for today and for the future. We we appreciate all the work that you do now, in regards to my journey in tech marketing and what has inspired me and what inspired me to take this career path. 00;04;42;23 - 00;05;08;03 Speaker 3 That question, you know, took me back to when I just finished my university. I still remember asking my dad if he could help me find a job, and he smiled at me and said that he. Then, inspired by making sure that, you know, I had gotten a good education and from there it was up to me. So honestly, at that time I felt a little bit down and there wasn't. 00;05;08;05 - 00;05;33;01 Speaker 3 It wasn't ...
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    27 m
  • Empowering Connections: Exploring the New Oracle Academy Community

    Empowering Connections: Exploring the New Oracle Academy Community
    Feb 3 2026
    In this episode Lorilyn Owens, director of Innovation Programs and Member Services, talks about the new Oracle Academy Community, a dedicated online space for Oracle Academy members and ambassadors. This vibrant community will empower participants to connect, share best practices, and access resources tailored to their academic and professional journeys. Tune in as we provide a comprehensive overview of the community's features, opportunities for engagement, and how you can make the most of this collaborative environment designed to support your success within the Oracle Academy network. ------------------------------------------------------------ Episode Transcript: 00;00;09;02 - 00;00;28;18 Speaker 1 Welcome to the Oracle Academy Tech Chat. This podcast provides educators and students in-depth discussions with thought leaders around computer science, cloud technologies, and software design to help students on their journey to becoming industry ready technology leaders of the future. Let's get started. 00;00;28;21 - 00;00;57;26 Speaker 2 Welcome to Oracle Academy Textured, where we discuss how Oracle Academy prepares this next generation's workforce. I'm your host. Sajeel Shahzad In this episode, I'm joined by Lorilyn Owens, director, innovation Programs and Member Services. We speak about the new Oracle Academy community platform, what it is, and how Oracle Academy members, faculty and ambassadors can use it. 00;00;57;28 - 00;01;00;13 Speaker 2 Welcome, Lorilyn. 00;01;00;16 - 00;01;02;05 Speaker 3 It's nice to see you. 00;01;02;07 - 00;01;15;00 Speaker 2 It's fantastic to have you here as we kick off this exciting chapter of Oracle Academy. Can you give me a bit about your background and your role at Oracle? 00;01;15;02 - 00;01;45;23 Speaker 3 Sure. Thank you for having me, Sajeel. So in my role as director of Oracle Academy Innovation Programs and Member Services, I oversee many of the programs and services that help our faculty members innovate in their teaching and get the most out of their membership. Our team is responsible for curating Oracle Academy program benefits, promoting member success, deepening member engagement, and supporting members throughout their membership lifecycle. 00;01;45;25 - 00;02;18;10 Speaker 3 One of the favorite things that we get to do is to share our member success stories. I'm passionate about empowering educators and students to thrive in this ever evolving tech landscape. I love seeing how innovative teaching and collaboration can truly transform learning experiences and help students gain real world skills. Gosh, I spent over the last 25 years working at the intersection of technology and education. 00;02;18;12 - 00;02;54;08 Speaker 3 Whether that's developing and rolling out new learning initiatives or supporting faculty communities globally. But before joining Oracle Academy, I worked in human resources. I've worked in Oracle Consulting and also in Oracle support. All of that taught me the value of collaboration, connection, community building and helping the next generation of learners be ready. One of my treasured memories is from a few years ago, when we published a video celebrating the 25th anniversary of Oracle Academy. 00;02;54;10 - 00;03;31;09 Speaker 3 We've been around for almost 30 years now, but when we celebrated the 25th, I just loved seeing faculty members from different countries share their Oracle Academy stories in their own words. That was special. It really brought home the global impact we could have when we work together. I am just constantly inspired by the dedication and creativity I see in our Oracle Academy members, and I'm always eager to learn from their experiences and support their work in any way that I can. 00;03;31;11 - 00;03;41;25 Speaker 2 Starting to start? What is the Oracle Academy community and what makes it distinct from other forms of communications? 00;03;41;27 - 00;04;13;04 Speaker 3 The Oracle Academy community is really special because it's not just another online forum or email list. It's a dedicated space where Oracle Academy faculty and ambassadors can connect, collaborate, and share ideas. It's tailored specifically for those who teach with Oracle Technologies. So the conversations are relevant and everyone understands the unique challenges and opportunities our educators face in the classroom. 00;04;13;07 - 00;04;42;27 Speaker 3 So, unlike more general platforms, everything here is focused on helping educators grow and support each other with resources and advice they can use. It's a curated, secure environment where participants can discuss best practices, get support, and collaborate on projects with peers who share a passion for helping to advance student technology, education and skills. 00;04;43;00 - 00;04;56;09 Speaker 2 Interesting up. Could you describe the unique ...
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    14 m
  • Part II Transforming Database Operations: MCP Server + OCI Generative AI in Action

    Part II Transforming Database Operations: MCP Server + OCI Generative AI in Action
    Jan 27 2026
    In Part II of this episode we explore how Oracle's latest AI-driven database tools are revolutionizing teaching and learning in higher education. Tailored for global faculty and students, the episode demonstrates how artificial intelligence makes database operations more accessible, intuitive, and relevant to real-world applications. Faculty will discover strategies to integrate AI-powered tools into their curriculum, using features like natural language processing database queries, schema analysis, and automated health checks—all in simple language, not complex SQL. Students will see live demonstrations where database tasks are executed through everyday commands, bridging the gap between AI and hands-on expertise needed for today's tech landscape. Key highlights include an introduction to the MCP server, insights into OCI Generative AI integration with databases, and step-by-step interactive demos ideal for classroom and research settings. This podcast is a must-listen for educators seeking innovative approaches, students aiming to build in-demand skills, and academic leaders looking to advance curriculum and research with the latest in AI technology. ------------------------------------------------------------ Episode Transcript: 00;00;09;02 - 00;00;28;19 Welcome to the Oracle Academy Tech Chat. This podcast provides educators and students in-depth discussions with thought leaders around computer science, cloud technologies, and software design to help students on their journey to becoming industry ready technology leaders of the future. Let's get started. 00;00;28;22 - 00;00;46;13 Welcome back to Oracle Academy Tech Chat, where we discuss how Oracle Academy is helping prepare the next generation's workforce. This episode is part two of Transforming Database Operations MCP server and OCI generative AI in action. 00;00;46;16 - 00;01;02;05 So here is the code which we have built it. And I'll start my server. Okay. So first thing is like we can just do list all the databases. 00;01;02;07 - 00;01;28;22 So you can see like how many databases we have. So here are all the databases which we help you see. Database 123. Okay. And we can see what are the prompts. So let's say the first prompt I am using. Connect me to the database and list user tables. Okay. So I'll just go ahead. 00;01;28;25 - 00;01;42;24 Connect me to the I will connect to the first database and list all the user tables. 00;01;42;26 - 00;02;03;17 And meanwhile it does it operation. I'll also show like how you can build your own resources. So you see here I am using this open AI. If I wanted to use I can use this okay. Okay. So these are the things and these are the databases connections which I have used. So basically consist of the resources grants and the tools. 00;02;03;18 - 00;02;26;27 So this is some thing you can think like a resource. This will just turn to you okay. These are the resources which I am using it. And then I was also talking like a you can build your own provider. So I have been like OCI provider. This is my OCI provider. Similarly I have built open a provider. Here is my opening a provider. 00;02;26;29 - 00;02;50;28 And when you build your own provider you can also build like as I said MCP server consists of the prompt state prompt also tool and resources resources. I already shown these are the prompts. If you see here you are an expert Oracle DB which has this access for database operation. Perform these operations. So these are the prompt which you have to provide okay. 00;02;51;00 - 00;03;11;18 And there are certain means. There are the tools which we have already discussed. I will show us in the code. And that tool you can invoke. So yeah. So here you can see I have like within the prompt only I have added these tools stuff. Use this for SQL query to use this for this connection for list like that. 00;03;11;21 - 00;03;35;21 So if you see here I give the prompt connect me to the PUC database and list all the users tables. What it basically does it it basically with the first option it does it it basically connects me to the database automatically. Then it runs this again. It gets the response. It sees that response, and then it runs the query. 00;03;35;24 - 00;04;06;05 And you can see for the user table. So first it does the connection. Second it does the user query to get the response. So if you can see there are two operations which it performs after getting the response it performs another one operation. So total two task has been performed. Successful two okay. So yeah. So here you can see now I will just go to the next prompt list user table. 00;04;06;05 - 00;04;32;24 We already shown you. Now I just run this one list user table list transition event skills in separate tables. So if anyone has to build their own MCP server by using our good, I'll be sharing this code. This is available in the GitHub ...
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    27 m