Penn State University Park - Nittany AI Challenge Ideation

Join us for an engaging ideation session, giving individuals and teams the opportunity to think of innovative ways artificial intelligence can be used to solve real problems and/or improve the student experience at Penn State. The ideas generated from this ideation session will serve as a first step in the Nittany AI Challenge, offering a total of $50,000 of funding to bring these ideas to life. 

Experience with development and artificial intelligence is not required, only the willingness to think creatively coupled with the ambition to solve problems. The Challenge is open to Penn State students, faculty, and staff and culminates in September 2019, with the aim of accelerating adoption of AI technologies, and sparking creative, innovative ideas. Idea submissions for the Challenge are due January 29, 2019. 

This is one of two Ideation Workshops being offered. Please note that registration is required for this event at https://challenge.nittanyai.psu.edu/events/ideation-session/. 

Lee Erickson

Happy Valley LaunchBox

Director and Chief Amplifier

State College, PA
Websitelaunchbox.psu.edu
Lee’s role at LaunchBox is to help startup teams de-risk and grow their businesses, and then to amplify their successes. Lee runs the 10-week accelerators, connects startup founders to outside resources, and provides guidance on a variety of startup challenges—customer discovery, testing assumptions, building minimum viable products (MVPS), and crafting messaging that resonates with potential customers.

Prior to joining LaunchBox, Lee was a Lecturer and Undergraduate Studies Entrepreneurship Academic Program Coordinator for the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at Penn State where she taught entrepreneurship classes and mentored early-stage student teams. Prior to receiving her Ph.D. in 2013 from IST, Lee founded and ran multiple businesses including Erickson Barnett, a full-service marketing agency specializing in B2B technology marketing, and Erickson & Associates, an independent consulting firm that developed computer-based instruction and online help systems for large corporations. Her clients have included AT&T, GE Information Services, the FDIC, the FAA, the Kauffman Foundation, New Enterprise Associates, Columbia Capital, Oak Investment Partners, and VeriSign.

Brad Zdenek

Nittany AI Alliance

Innovation Strategist
Brad Zdenek is the Innovation Strategist for the Nittany AI Alliance, bringing to the team over 20 years of experience in supporting, developing, and leveraging disruptive technologies to improve the student experience across the K–20 spectrum. Prior to joining Penn State, Brad solidified his love of education while teaching middle school social studies in North Carolina. After choosing to pursue his graduate studies, Brad took on a number of roles at Penn State, including directing the professional development and outreach efforts for both the STEMScouts and Regional Educational Laboratory – Mid-Atlantic initiatives, helping K–12 teachers to leverage research-based practices for improving teaching and learning. More recently, Brad served as Innovation Strategist for the Center for Online Innovation in Learning, strategically building and supporting a culture of innovation across the university. Brad is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Educational Leadership at Penn State with research interests that include educational ethics, innovation, and the integration and diffusion of educational technology.