TAMUC College of Business Alum Receives Technical.ly Chief Technology Officer of the Year Award

Texas A&M University-Commerce proudly celebrates the success of Viveca Pavon-Harr, an esteemed alumna of the A&M-Commerce College of Business, who has recently won the prestigious Technical.ly award for Chief Technology Officer of the Year.

This recognition highlights Viveca's remarkable contributions to the field of data science, showcasing the impact of the College of Business on shaping the careers of its graduates.

Embarking on her academic journey at A&M-Commerce in the Fall of 2005, Viveca chose the College of Business due to scholarships offered through Phi Theta Kappa. With a passion for economics and a desire to understand the cause-and-effect dynamics in the world, she majored in Economics, finding resonance in its profound concepts.

“In a way, I like to think of it as the push and pull in the world,” Pavon-Harr said. “The concept just resonated with me, and that’s why I chose it.”

In 2007, she graduated with her undergraduate degree in economics with minors in both international relations and finance. Initially aspiring to be an academic, she went on to pursue an M.B.A. and later obtained a Ph.D. in public policy and political economy and even a postdoc from other higher education institutions.

Although hoping to pursue a career in academics, Viveca realized that academia was not her calling and made a pivotal decision to enter the consulting world. Currently, she serves as the chief data scientist of Accenture Federal Services (AFS), the govtech arm of Accenture. On the day-to-day, she oversees about 800 data scientists and analytics workers while managing 75 individuals directly at the firm's Applied Intelligence Discovery Lab.

Last year, Pavon-Harr was nominated and won Technical.ly award's 2023 CTO of the Year for her current role. Reflecting on her win, she expressed her gratitude, stating, “It was an unreal experience, and I felt honored because I just feel like I’m doing a job that I love and I’m working with amazing people.”

Attributing much of her success to her time at the College of Business, Pavon-Harr highlighted the essential education and training she gained during her undergraduate studies.

“It’s where I received my initial training and the foundational knowledge for my education,” Pavon-Harr said. “The College of Business set me on a path with exceptional professors who challenged me throughout.”

Pavon-Harr’s success is a true reflection of the College of Business' commitment to providing leading quality education that truly transforms people’s lives by offering a strong foundation, challenging coursework and opportunities for real-world application that prepares students for dynamic and evolving professional landscapes. Imparting valuable advice for prospective students considering the College of Business, she says, “College can be challenging as it involves learning and discovering your interests. The College of Business offers practical and life-relevant courses, which can be complemented with other degrees.”