The College of Computing at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) hosted its first official events on Thursday, August 1st and Thursday, August 8th. The brainstorming sessions on August 1st and August 8th covered software engineering, artificial intelligence, and human-centered design. The brainstorming sessions brought together, between the two weeks, over 140 key partners from the Greater Grand Rapids area in a variety of fields.

The session was led by Dean Marouane Kessentini who provided a look into the future of computing at GVSU. Additionally, Randy Thelen CEO from The Right Place, led a brief discussion emphasizing the importance of collaboration between industry and academia.

Throughout the brainstorming session, participants engaged in four hands-on discussions where they discussed needed skills, opportunities for partnerships, co-ops and internships, and applied research in software engineering and AI. Additionally, in the second session on August 1st they discussed the meaning, fears, challenges, and opportunities of AI, and on August 8th discussed the human-centered design curriculum.  

The main theme heard during the brainstorming session was bridging the gap between industry and academia. This gap being bridged benefits faculty, staff, and students but also provides local businesses. For our local Greater Grand Rapids area, this gap being bridged provides a pipeline of prepared students ready to contribute. Additionally, many attendees focused on wanting a long-term relationship with the College of Computing at GVSU through cohorted students, mentorships, sponsored computing projects, and long-lasting internships. The College of Computing has made a commitment to continue hosting events where local industry can connect with faculty, staff, and students.