Innovative solutions and groundbreaking work take center stage at the ITS RISE Together Showcase.
Join Information Technology Services (ITS) for the second annual technology showcase. The half-day conference is open to the FSU community and dedicated to fostering collaboration to drive innovation and modernization across FSU. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with thought leaders, participate in live sessions and discover groundbreaking work that is shaping the future of technology at FSU.
Schedule
1:00-1:50PM | Session 1
Automate Your Way to Happiness
Presented by Jorge Merlano (Systems Architect)
Room 103
Breaking Away from the "Prison of Two Ideas" in IT
Presented by Chris Hart, Ph.D. (Systems Administrator)
Room 101
Building Intelligent Systems: A Deep Dive into Agentic AI Workflows
Presented by Sathish Sundaramoorthy (ERP Analyst III)
Room 208
How Can I Request (and Fund) New Technology Project Ideas?
Presented by Anne Neidhardt (Director of Project Management), Tom Morgan (IT Project Manager)
Room 201
Research Computing Center 2025 RISE Update
Presented by Casey McLaughlin (Research Technology Specialist), Marcelina Nagales, (Manager of Research Applications), Alex Birkovsky (HPC Operations Manager), Paul van der Mark (Director of Research Computing Center), Alex Townsend, Ph.D. (Scientific Applications Specialist)
Room 205
2:00-2:50PM | Session 2
Unleashing IT Automation Power
Presented by Breeze Howard (Director IT Infrastructure Services), Nicholas Voran (Engineering/Automation Manager), James Cox (ERP Analyst IV), Bret Whissel (IT Platform Systems Manager)
Room 103
Microsoft Mesh and Immersive Media
Presented by Derek Kooi (Emerging Technology Developer), Zachary Greif (Emerging Technology Intern), Jason Hamilton (Emerging Technology Intern)
Room 208
AI in Education: Good, Bad and Ugly
Presented by Dina Vyortkina, Ph.D. (Assistant Dean for Innovation and Instructional Technology Enhancement)
Room 101
How I Really Learned Python by Solving Sudoku
Presented by Matthew Pouliotte (Developer/Database Administrator)
Room 201
Data Vaults in Higher Education: Bridging Business and IT
Presented by Ronald Fowler (Data Engineer), Pramodh Sairam (Data Analyst Intern), Jorge Merlano (Systems Architect)
Room 205
2:50-3:40PM | Intern Showcase & Networking Coffee Break
Mid-afternoon intermission featuring a poster session by ITS student interns and networking opportunities. Light refreshments will be provided.
Atrium
3:40-4:30PM | Session 3
Ruby v2: The Next Generation
Presented by Rutuja Jagtap (Salesforce Developer), Gavin McDavitt (Salesforce Developer Intern), Jody O'Steen (Salesforce DevOps Manager)
Room 103
Going Deeper: Immersive Media and Virtual Reality at FSU
Presented by Drew Kocur (Assistant Director of Computing Technology Services), Andrew Opel, Ph.D. (Emerging Media Professor)
Room 208
Integrating AI in Online Humanities Courses: Challenges and Future Directions
Presented by John L. Crow, Ph.D. (Instructional Design Faculty)
Room 101
Design for All: Making Accessibility a No-Brainer
Presented by Teodora Abrams (Senior Course Support Specialist), Christopher Riley (Instructional Technologist), India Bryant (Instructional Technologist), Mary Eichin (Instructional Specialist II)
Room 201
Innovative Interns: Developing the ITS Intern Application
Presented by Sara Mischler (Intern Cohort Director), Elyse Walcott (Custom Application Design Intern), Matthew Hummel (Software Developer Intern)
Room 205
Add to Calendar
Mark your calendar for the ITS RISE Together Showcase on April 8, 2025.
Presentations
NOTE: Please check back soon for presentation slides missing from this list. They will be posted as soon as possible.
Session 1
- Automate Your Way to Happiness
- Breaking Away from the “Prison of 2 Ideas” in IT (Coming Soon)
- Building Intelligent Systems: A Deep Dive into Agentic AI Workflows
- How Can I Request (and Fund) New Technology Project Ideas?
- Research Computing Center 2025 RISE Update

Session 2

Session 3
- Ruby v2: The Next Generation
- Going Deeper: Immersive Media and Virtual Reality at FSU (Coming Soon)
- Integrating AI in Online Humanities Courses: Challenges and Future Directions
- Design for All: Making Accessibility a No-Brainer
- Innovative Interns: Developing the ITS Intern Application

Support
For more information about the ITS RISE Together Showcase, please contact Brandon Casey at bcasey@fsu.edu.