Penn State students, faculty and staff are invited to compete for $100,000 in funding during the Nittany AI Challenge. The challenge, sponsored by the Penn State EdTech Network, will give participating teams the opportunity to explore artificial intelligence in higher education to improve the student experience at Penn State, solve real-world problems at the University, and generate startup ideas. Brad Zdenek, innovation strategist for the Penn State EdTech Network, said the Nittany AI Challenge gives participants a chance to drive digital innovation and transform education at Penn State. "For faculty and staff, this means addressing everyday challenges -- while trying to provide the best possible experience for our students," Zdenek said. "For both graduate and undergraduate students, the challenge provides opportunities to apply knowledge in practical ways -- while receiving mentorship from individuals in leading edtech and AI companies. The ultimate goals are to test ways to improve the student experience at Penn State, instigate new research, spawn new business ideas, and open doors to jobs and internships for students."

The Penn State EdTech Network will host Penn State faculty and researchers alongside IBM, Google, IPSoft and 14 other industry partners during EdTech Engage, Oct. 5-6, at several locations on the Penn State University Park campus. The symposium will create an environment where participants can examine how artificial intelligence and machine learning can improve the student experience and address operational challenges in a university setting. Larry Ragan, principal community aggregator for the Penn State EdTech Network, said people look at AI with skepticism and wonder. "EdTech Engage will provide attendees with a range of experiences to learn and explore existing AI technologies, a glimpse into future direction, and discussions built around the positive and negative ramifications of AI and machine learning in higher education," Ragan said. Catherine Solazzo, vice president of developer engagement for IBM Digital Business Group and keynote speaker at EdTech Engage, said artificial intelligence platforms like IBM Watson could transform the learning experience for both students and administrators.

The Penn State EdTech Network is excited to announce that the top 10 proposals have received $5,000 each in seed money for development of their ideas for the Nittany Watson Challenge. The challenge encourages teams of Penn State students, faculty, and staff to leverage IBM Watson to improve the student experience and the selected proposals did not disappoint. "We received 39 incredibly strong proposals in the initial phase of the Nittany Watson Challenge, and what emerged were 10 proposals that exemplify the best of the creative and innovative energy across our University," said Brad Zdenek, Innovation Strategist for the Penn State EdTech Network. "The roughly 50 team members in these projects are spread throughout our colleges and campuses, representing undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff. What they have in common is that each is focused on leveraging the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence to create a better experience for both current and prospective students at Penn State."