Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing field that has the potential to revolutionize the way we live and work in every way. As a college student, learning about AI can be an exciting and rewarding experience that can open new career opportunities and help you stay ahead of the curve. That鈥檚 why we were excited to learn that Microsoft had chosen USF to co-host a kick-off event for their annual AI Classroom Hackathon competition, which focuses on students competing to build intelligent applications that reimagine education in the era of AI.
For the event, USF Information Technology and the Judy Genshaft Honors College partnered with Microsoft to bring students together to learn more about AI and to sign up for the Hackathon, participate in some fun and interactive AI events, and to speak with USF faculty and Microsoft professionals with expertise in the field of these emerging technologies. The event, which was hosted at the Judy Genshaft Honors College, saw hundreds of attendees gathered around to learn more about AI and talk to panelists,
鈥淏ecause this is Microsoft, who I really want to work with in the future, this is a really cool opportunity,鈥� says James Ocampo, a student at USF. 鈥淢y friend and I have just barely broken into the AI industry, and we want to get used to all of these tools.鈥�
Students had the opportunity to speak directly to panelists to get their insights and professional advice, and they were also able to share their ideas for new concepts and get real-time feedback and guidance.
Expert speakers on the panel for the event included:
- Timur Kalandarov, Rising Senior in USF鈥檚 Computer Science Program
- Dr. Tim Henkel, Assistant Vice Provost for Teaching & Learning and Director of the Center for Innoative Teaching & Learning at USF
- Dr. Triparna de Vreede, Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the School of Information Systems & Management
- Buck Woody, Principal Applied Data Scientist for Microsoft Azure Data Services
- Gary Hope, Principal Program Manager for Microsoft Data & Cloud
鈥淪ome of the best products in the world have come out of Hackathons,鈥� says Francesca Bassa, Microsoft Product Marketing Manager. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping that anybody who participates in this Hackathon will design something in the future that is used by people all over the world. The future of education should be designed by the students who are experiencing it now.鈥�
The Hackathon will run virtually through December 5 and is open to all actively enrolled undergraduate and graduate students. Students will compete for $11,000 in prizes and winning teams will also earn the opportunity for mentorship within Microsoft, as well as shoutouts on Microsoft鈥檚 social and community blog channels.
Click to learn more about the Hackathon and how to register.