NEWS: Highlights reel: UC Irvine’s Experiential Learning Program wins silver at UC Tech Awards 2023

The need for bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world applications has never been more crucial. UC Irvine is taking significant strides towards this goal with its Experiential Learning Program (ELP). At the 2023 UC Tech Awards, UC Irvine won the silver UC Tech Larry L. Sautter Award for Innovation in Information Technology for creating a transformative learning experience for underrepresented students at the university. The UC Irvine IT team who created this program includes Tom Andriola, vice chancellor of Information Technology and Data, Xanat Hernandez, director of communications, and Nyma Cain, executive assistant. 

Project summary

ELP’s goal is to equip underrepresented students with valuable skills in technology. The program aims to give students real world scenarios, foster connections, and enable practical experiences to enhance resumes and interview skills. ELP partnered with local companies in need of student talent, research teams on campus, and the UC Irvine career pathways team. Through ELP, 171 students have been placed in paid opportunities which demonstrates a significant impact on professional development. 

Project description

• Metaverse classroom: ELP collaborated with the Paul Merage School of Business to pioneer UC Irvine’s first metaverse learning experience. This project allows students to actively participate in the experimentation and evolution of education. 
• Digital humans and chatbots: Through this program, students are inspired to create the next generation of chatbots. Students can build interactive digital humans powered by natural language and processing and generative AI. 
• Zot Bot: ELP is investigating how generative AI tools like ChatGPT can enhance the student experience and potentially lead to the creation of startups. 
• Personal health navigator: Students are developing personalized recommendations for health and wellness by leveraging wearable, biometric and healthcare data. 
• Data science and machine learning in the lab: Students collaborate with UC Irvine faculty, applying technology and data skills to cutting-edge research in response to growing data and computational needs.
• Cloud migration: UC Irvine wants to increase their cloud presence. Students assist in building and migrating campus and health environments into the cloud which provides opportunities for further training and certifications.

By providing underrepresented students with hands-on experiences in emerging technologies, UC Irvine’s ELP is contributing to a more inclusive and innovative tech community. Andriola and his team are paving the way for a new era of education that expands beyond the classroom.

UC Tech Awards Program Background Information

The UC Tech Awards Program celebrates individuals and teams in the UC tech community who have contributed to areas of strategic importance to the university using technical approaches. The UC CIO Council created the program in 2001 when an award for innovation was named after Larry L. Sautter. The program has grown to seven award categories, which include design, DEI leadership, innovation, IT Security, operational excellence, UC-wide collaboration and sustained impact. The UC Tech Awards Program celebrates those implementing high-impact technology initiatives. It promotes an inclusive UC tech community by recognizing the technology contributions of people from all areas of expertise, including business operations, research, education, patient care and public service. The UC Tech Awards are sponsored by the UC CIO Council, composed of the Chief Information Officers (CIOs) across UC locations. Each year, five members of this council, who rotate on an annual basis, select the awards winners. The annual call for submissions is announced in February with a May submission deadline. The committee meets by early June and awards are presented at the annual UC Tech Conference. To learn about the UC Tech Awards program, please visit the UC Tech Awards Program Description or contact Laurel.Skurko@UCOP.edu.

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