MTECH Connect 2025 View Other Sessions

This presentation showcases how Michigan Engineering developed specialized AI chatbots to address critical challenges in research administration and security, and built the following complementary systems serving different stakeholder needs:

• Research Administration Assistant (LAURA) supporting sponsored research staff, 
• Research Security Engine (CORSE) providing general research security guidance, and 
• Security Assistant for Regulated Research (SCARR) addressing specialized compliance requirements.

This panel will share technical implementation approaches, lessons learned about responsible AI deployment in compliance-heavy environments, and practical frameworks for identifying similar opportunities across university operations.

Attendees will gain practical insights into developing AI solutions that address real workforce challenges in research administration and university IT operations:

• Understand AI Implementation Strategies
• Evaluate Organizational Readiness
• Navigate Technical Challenges
• Build Internal Support
• Deploy Responsibly
• Foster Cross-Unit Collaboration

John Walsh (Health Information Technology & Services - HITS), Candice Wilson and Shanelle Boluyt (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research - ICPSR) have been empowering team culture at UM for almost 40 combined years of service.

Attendees will learn how three scrappy IT veterans and a fearless manager built a cloud-native service portfolio and an adaptive team. They will also learn how this leader group's focus on each other and the culture helped their team weather the inevitable high-stakes failures and successes navigating the IT unknown, and propel their careers forward.

A panel of IT subject matter experts and management professionals will convene for a "fireside chat" exploring how embracing growth, leading with and without authority, and uplifting colleagues within our tech community has impacted their respective careers. 

Panelists will share insights on learning from setbacks, cultivating curiosity, leveraging technology, and supporting career development in a rapidly changing professional landscape. This panel seeks to inspire and equip everyone to learn, lead, and lift others—painting a vision for a more collaborative, empowered, and inclusive Michigan Technology Community.

This collaborative workshop is aimed at fostering professional growth and community engagement through effective mentorship and networking, and will provide participants with actionable strategies to cultivate meaningful professional relationships at every career stage. 

The goal is to create a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange, skill development, and cross-campus collaboration, ultimately strengthening the collective professional community.

• Early-Career Professionals: Focus will be on finding and connecting with mentors, integrating into the broader tech community, and the benefits of peer mentoring.
• Mid-Career Professionals: This section will explore the transition to becoming a mentor, developing essential leadership skills, and the importance of making cross-campus connections to broaden influence.
• Late-Career Professionals: The final segment will address leading large-scale mentoring programs, ensuring effective knowledge transfer to the next generation, and building a lasting professional legacy.

Attendees will learn to:

• Strengthen Professional Networks
• Acquire Mentorship Tools
• Foster a Supportive Environment
• Enhance the Professional Ecosystem