A Message from the New SENG Program Director

My name is Norha Villegas and I am very happy to introduce myself as the new Director of our Software Engineering program. It is both an honour and a privilege to join this wonderful community, and I am truly excited to work with all of you as we continue strengthening one of Canada's leading Software Engineering programs. I originally come from Cali, Colombia, where I spent more than 20 years as a software engineer, professor, researcher, and academic leader.

I have always believed that software engineering is one of the professions with the greatest potential to improve people's lives. Every day, software engineers help solve problems that affect millions of people around the world. We build technologies that improve healthcare, education, transportation, sustainability, science, business, and so much more.

Today, Generative AI is transforming the way software is built. While software can be created faster than ever before and is becoming part of virtually every aspect of society, engineering software systems is becoming more challenging. The world needs software engineers who can create systems that are trustworthy, secure, scalable, maintainable, ethical, and resilient. Employers are increasingly looking for graduates who are ready to create value from their very first day on the job. Together with our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and industry partners, we will continue strengthening our program so that you graduate with the knowledge, engineering mindset, professional skills, and real-world experience needed to lead the next generation of software innovation and address the evolving needs of industry and society.

I am incredibly proud to be a software engineer, and I feel equally privileged to help educate the next generation of software engineers. Before joining UVic, I served for nine years as Director of the Software Systems Engineering program at Universidad Icesi in Colombia, where I worked with an outstanding team to lead transformations that made the program one of the top choices for national and international employers recruiting software engineers in Colombia. I look forward to bringing that experience to UVic as we continue strengthening our own program together. Our hope is that, by the time you graduate, you will not only be outstanding engineers but also curious lifelong learners, leaders, creative problem-solvers, collaborative teammates, and responsible professionals who build technology to make a positive difference in the world.

As your Program Director, my commitment is to listen, collaborate, and work alongside our faculty, staff, student organizations, alumni, and industry partners to ensure that your experience at UVic, and as a future graduate, continues to be rewarding, challenging, and inspiring. My door will always be open. Please stop by to introduce yourself, share your ideas, tell me about your experience, or simply say hello. We are also planning a casual “meet and greet” event on July 28. More details will be sent next week. I hope you can join us.

I look forward to meeting many of you over the coming weeks. Have a wonderful rest of the summer, and see you soon!

Warm regards,
Norha Villegas, PhD