The University of New Mexico’s Office of the Chief Information Officer hosts Tech Days 2024, a popular event that offers students, faculty, and staff an exclusive opportunity to learn about campus technologies. This year’s event is set for Thursday-Friday, April 25-26, in the Student Union Building (SUB). The annual event offers an exclusive opportunity for the campus community to participate in no-cost sessions, discussions, and hands-on demos of current and future technological innovations at the University.
Tech Days 2024 offers several important and timely themes with something for everyone this year. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been exploding in the headlines recently. AI can potentially transform science and society positively, but it comes with risks. UNM plays a unique role in enhancing the societal benefits of AI and mitigating its harms.
Keynote speaker Melanie Moses, a UNM professor of Computer Science and Biology, will discuss the perils of AI that are already starting to affect everything and everyone, including disinformation, encoding systemic bias, and eroding privacy in a talk titled AI (R)evolution: how did we get here and where are we going? Learn about the perils of AI that are already starting to affect everything and everyone, including disinformation, encoding systemic bias, and eroding privacy. Moses is a special advisor to the Dean of Engineering for Educational Initiatives and to the vice president for Research for Artificial Intelligence.
Donna Caldwell, Principal Solutions consultant for Adobe, will show attendees how to be more creative with Adobe AI. Generative AI frees us to create, explore, and push boundaries like never before, saving time for what’s most meaningful. It can amplify creativity and intelligence without replacing the beauty and power of the human imagination. Join Caldwell as she delves into Firefly's and GenAI's impact on education and creativity. Microsoft will be on-site to highlight use cases on Generative AI in education and academic medical situations. Dell and ANM will discuss AI frameworks and cyber resilience, respectively. Apple and many others will round out the program.
There are also many beginner-level workshops. Caldwell will teach beginners how to create and edit videos in Adobe. The UNM Office of Institutional Analytics will review the free version of Tableau, a data visualization tool used to create visuals and dashboards for easy sharing on the web. Streamlyne will present “How UNM is Adopting QuickForms—The No-Code Form Builder.”
New this year is a special Career Readiness event for students (every level, every career stage) planned in cooperation with Adobe, UNM Career Services, and STEM Boomerang, a local grant-funded organization established to connect talented professionals with diverse STEM job opportunities across New Mexico; and RESPEC, an Albuquerque technology and business consulting firm. This student event takes place in the SUB on Thursday, April 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. Students will work on Career Branding - how to brand yourself and level up your interview presence.
Additionally, Adobe will show students how to optimize their LinkedIn profile, create an Adobe Express Portfolio, and share knowledge about the changing landscape of the interview process. Industry panelists from RESPEC, Adobe, Build with Robots, Sandia National Labs, and Rubber Ducks will give students insights into successful career readiness from the hiring perspective.
UNM Career Services and staff from RESPEC will moderate a workshop where small groups of students can practice great responses to the all-important “tell us about yourself” and other common interview questions. Visit Tech Days for more information and to register. Pizza and snacks will be served.
With over 30 hands-on and classroom presentations, attendees will learn about the latest technologies and productivity tools; there’s something for everyone.
As in past years, there will be a vendor showcase in the SUB Ballroom with representatives from most major technology vendors currently working with UNM. Staff will be on hand to answer questions about the products and services that UNM uses on campus. They often have treats and prizes at their booths and presentations. There will be a buffet breakfast each day and lunch on day one, with various coffee breaks.
Registration is now open and closes on April 15. Admission is free, but all events have limited capacity, so interested attendees should register early.
For the complete program, schedule and registration information, see TechDays.unm.edu.
