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The newest trends in information systems and analytics were put to the test by hundreds of students from 20 Association of Information Systems (AIS) student chapters worldwide during the 2023 AIS Student Chapter Leadership Conference at FIU Business during spring of 2023.
The conference, which drew 200 students, featured competitions focused on artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, cybersecurity, a smart cities case study and more. The 10th annual event brought together the brightest minds in information systems for a chance at winning $2,000 – the first-place prize in each challenge.
FIU Business won first place in the Assurant Smart Cities Case Study competition with a team comprised of undergraduates Ishel Zain, Amber Hwang and Thi Thuy Nga Pham.
The challenge was to use technology and available data to support or improve a current government institution's functionality.
Their solution: a real-time parking app that utilizes smart nodes to monitor available spaces throughout a city - a clever answer to a very relatable dilemma. "Our smart parking app is one of a kind," said Zain.
The AI-Assisted Analytics Challenge tested the students' abilities to harness one of the buzziest new technologies, requiring the use of ChatGPT or PubMedChatGPT to analyze FDA data on drug approvals.
Between competitions, the students participated in the "Microsoft Women in STEM" panel, where judges discussed opportunities and challenges for women in STEM fields.
Most panelists pointed to gender bias and lack of awareness as the primary factors keeping women out of the industry.
"When I go to universities to recruit students and they see me, I see it in their eyes: ‘She's like me,'" said Julissa Judd, program manager at Microsoft. "I try to provide mentorship, and let that person know there are so many areas of STEM. There is engineering in lipstick."
Others pointed out that making STEM easier to understand for other people is key.
"Sometimes we have an image of a person with huge glasses coding all day and all night," said Silvia Soto Avella (MSIS '18), change manager at Microsoft. "While that can be true, it can also be a female who is managing a team, jumping on a plane to Paris and enjoying her bonuses, which is me. How do we tell that story for our younger generation?"
