Planning and Digital Transformation
Introducing the Technology Experience Program
Team ELITE
The Technology Experience Program is a place where students get hands-on learning experience within IT. Leveraging the success of DXI Hub to provide Fresno State students Learn-by-doing internship program, Team ELITE empowers student success to thrive by developing career-based technical expertise with solid leadership, communication and relational skills.
Technology, Innovation and Student Success
Although a majority of U.S. households have access to the internet, a digital divide remains. First generation college students are more likely to report that they lack access to the technology and technical skills necessary for online learning. In addition, feedback from Valley employers has shown that Fresno State graduates may require more digital literacy skills, basic software coding, digital ethics, artificial intelligence and digital security and privacy skills to be career-ready.
The Division of Technology Services has succeeded in breaking down the digital divide in a number of impactful ways, including through the Fresno State DISCOVERe program, which works to support students by increasing access to digital tools, helping them become more digitallycapable and lowering the cost of course materials. The Fresno State Hub of Digital Transformation and Innovation (DXI Hub) was established to move beyond the success of the DISCOVERe program by building and fostering a culture of innovation in the San Joaquin Valley. The program strives to inspire students to apply their education toward developing innovative solutions to real-world problems, using the best and latest technologies to prepare the next generation of leaders for a technology-driven world while ensuring that Fresno State and community partners throughout the San Joaquin Valley can perform at the highest level. Students are encouraged to explore, innovate and create with emerging technologies to enhance their learning experience, develop valuable digital literacy skills and receive opportunities to work sideby-side with community partners and technology companies in the region and beyond.
How it Works
The DXI Hub offers year-long internships that provide students with opportunities to work on technology-empowered projects in an interdisciplinary group setting while utilizing cutting-edge technology to solve real-life issues. Currently, the DXI Hub supports approximately 20 student interns over a single academic year. Throughout their internship, students receive one-on-one mentorship opportunities from Technology Services staff members who help them focus on the creation of sustainable and innovative solutions to real challenges in the community and across campus, such as existing needs presented by administrative and academic areas at Fresno State or by technology companies and community partners such as local school districts. With the guidance of a professional mentor, students assess problems and help discover ways to implement practical solutions for real clients. One of the most recent projects meant to serve Fresno State’s nearly 25,000 students is the Bulldog Genie — an artificialintelligence-powered and personalized digital assistant designed to guide students through campus life.
With this project, DXI Hub interns successfully combined the process of automation with artificial intelligence, natural language understanding and robotics to implement intelligent process automation (IPA) technology that streamlined campus support services. Available as an online resource, this service provides students with timely and comprehensive information related to a range of issues, including how to locate a building on campus or how to apply for financial aid.
From our DXI Hub Intern
“Working on the Bulldog Genie has helped me expand my own ideas and open up to other possible ideas in the future. The technology that we are using is not technology that I would be able to experience in the classroom and actually being able to see how it works with real people has helped me expand my own view of things in the classroom.”
– Genesis Chinchilla, DXI Hub Intern
Making an Impact
Fresno State graduates over 6,000 students each year. With more than 80% of graduates choosing to stay within the Central Valley, deeper investments in students lead to more empowerment of the community’s next generation of leaders. Approximately 66% of Fresno State students are first in their families to graduate with a college degree, and nearly 60% of students are pellgrant eligible. The success of these students, who will lead the future of our region, state and beyond, is of utmost importance. The DXI Hub supports student success by offering internships that: • instill students with the digital literacy skills needed in a technology-infused world. • spark relationships with mentors who foster critical hands-on learning, innovative problem-solving and professional networking. • emphasize group-based projects and research that strengthen the Fresno State campus and broader community. • provide opportunities for students to showcase their projects and technological advancements at regional, state and national conferences.
Partner With Us
Your partnership will help shape the future of today’s and tomorrow’s students through technology and innovation while also impacting the entire campus and community at large. With your investment, we will be able to increase the number of interns we support while providing them with additional equipment and a dedicated work space. Expanding our internship program will also allow us to further meet the University’s and community’s technology needs. With more interns, the DXI Hub will be able to cultivate new community partnerships and execute more projects per year. Together, we will expand Fresno State’s expertise in offering unique, real-world experiences, fostering creative collaboration spaces and advancing cutting-edge technology. Your investment will transform our student learners into tomorrow’s global leaders and enrich technological innovation, research and development within the University and beyond. Your support can be made with a one-time cash gift, pledged over several years, via your estate plan or a combination of these. Gifts can also be made with securities, real estate, or other giving vehicles depending on your personal circumstances and financial goals. Your generous gift ensures a vibrant and sustainable future for students and the broader San Joaquin Valley. We invite you to innovate with us.
To Support the Technology Experience Program Please Contact
Bao Johri, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
baohohri@mail.fresnostate.edu
Max Tsai, Director of Digital Transformation in Technology Services
janq@mail.fresnostate.edu
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