Several team members in LSA Technology Services planned or participated in events open to all technology enthusiasts across all four U-M campuses. Both the 2024 Michigan IT Winter Innovation Exp (WIE) and Hacks with Friends (HWF) events brought together hundreds of technology professionals in an effort to foster collaboration and innovation.
Part one of HWF took place in November at Arbor Lakes, featuring 14 pitches across three tracks: Gen AI, Technology, and Human-Based (Non-Code). Community members were encouraged to join teams to build "hacks" that explore new technologies or find innovative solutions to problems. Open to everyone, the event welcomed participants with or without technology experience to fill any role on the project team. From project managers and designers to cheerleaders, every team member played a vital role.
The final round of HWF took place at the Winter Innovation Expo in December at the Central Campus Classroom Building. During this event, four finalist teams made 10-minute presentations in front of a panel of judges and attendees. Elizabeth Fomin, LSA Technology Services Teaching and Learning Consultant, was the co-chair alongside Daniel Burgess, ITS Teaching and Learning. Additionally, Jesse Miller and Jean Arnold from LSA Technology Services were part of the WIE planning committee, which included several colleagues across ITS and Ross IT.
The HWF finalist teams presented immediately following the event’s opening remarks. Then after lunch, attendees enjoyed a keynote speech by Angela D. Dillard, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, followed by poster sessions, a Classroom in the Round demonstration, and networking before the HWF judging results were announced. The posters at the event showcased a wide-range of technology insights. Josh Simon, a Systems Administrator Senior in LSA Technology Services, presented a poster about testing disaster recovery plans. His poster explained their importance and discussed how LSA Technology Services tested their plans against potential attacks on their services.
Pitch #11: Extend Maizey to API Directory won both the Judge’s Choice Award and People’s Choice Award, with Sinji Yang, LSA Technology Services BI Analyst, as part of the winning team. Leslie Bell, Research HPC and Storage Engineer from LSA Technology Services, was on the team for Pitch #14: Documentation Makeover Bot, another finalist. Other strong finalists included Pitch #6: Agent Smith: A Community Platform to Build, Clone, and Share AI Agents, and Pitch #7: Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders Today - Shaping the Perfect Internship Experience Together.
Additionally, large events such as the WIE rely on the support of volunteers. Over 20 staff members within the Michigan Technology Community, rebranded from "Michigan IT" to more-accurately reflect its scope, volunteered their time and expertise. LSA Technology Services had four members volunteer to make this event a success: Kelly Armstrong, Teresa Horton, Riyadh-LaBresha Warren, and Suzanne Marosi-Anderson. AV Techs from LSA Technology Services (Delmar Jones, Jesse Miller, Liz Larin, and Marciel Peres) also provided the technology support for this hybrid event, ensuring all attendees were able to participate.
Keep an eye out for the 2025 Hacks with Friends and Winter Innovation Expo. These yearly events showcase the vast knowledge and expertise within the technology community!
