(June 20, 2019) – The UTSA Open Cloud Institute has launched the Catalyst Lab, its summer fellowship program in partnership with the 80/20 Foundation. The program matches highly skilled UTSA graduate students in engineering, computing and scientific fellowships with local tech companies in the San Antonio region.
Last year, a small pilot was launched with a student interning at FileStack, a locally-based content platform and developer service for file uploading, all part of the Scaleworks portfolio of companies. After a successful internship, he now works for the company as an engineer specializing in machine learning.
“Talent is the cornerstone for any company. FileStack partnered closely with UTSA and the 80/20 Foundation to find the best talent in the city and we did. The San Antonio tech scene is growing rapidly and we are determined to retain and grow local talent with the help of great partners like 80/20 and UTSA”, said Sameer Kamat, CEO of FileStack/TINT.
The ten-week program offers current UTSA masters and Ph.D. students, enrolled in the cloud certificate program, the opportunity to work with local small- to medium-sized businesses in a position related to cloud computing, big data, machine learning or data science. Fellows receive a stipend and tuition credit, as well as a Geekdom membership.
“The Catalyst Lab is an initiative that brings together the expertise of UTSA’s graduate students in areas related to cloud computing, machine learning, robotics and other of our technical areas with the vibrant startup community in the San Antonio region. We expect this program to significantly grow by next year, and include more students from other disciplines and programs,” explained Jeff Prevost, co-founder and co-director of the UTSA Open Cloud Institute and associated professor of electrical and computer engineering/cloud technology endowed professorship.
Overall, students gain professional experience while obtaining a graduate certificate in Cloud Computing from UTSA. The graduate certificate in cloud computing is a 12-semester-credit-hour program designed to equip technical professionals with the knowledge and technical skills necessary for a career in an organization that leverages cloud computing. To date, nine students have completed the cloud computing graduate certificate since its launch in 2018.
“This is the type of experiential learning experience we want to offer our students. It benefits the students as they apply their academic knowledge to real-world problems, while getting acclimatize to a workplace environment. Employers benefit from highly skilled and trained scholars. Based on the outcomes of this summer’s program, we hope to offer this internship opportunity to more students across other disciplines,” said Bernard Arulanandam, UTSA interim vice president for research, economic development, and knowledge enterprise.
"We are honored to partner with UTSA on Catalyst Lab, strengthening San Antonio's post-grad talent pipeline. UTSA’s expansion with the upcoming School of Data Science and the National Security Collaboration Center will bring to the Downtown a highly skilled workforce that we are eager to tap into and place with local companies through this program,” concluded Alexandra Frey, executive director of the 80/20 Foundation.
Eligible UTSA students can apply to Catalyst Lab.
Learn more about the UTSA Open Cloud Institute.
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This town hall will include remarks from campus leadership and a presentation of the Campus Climate survey results by Rich Boyer, founding partner of ModernThink, LLC. There will be time for faculty and staff to ask questions and learn more about how the survey data can inform strategies to promote a welcoming and inclusive environment for working, teaching and research at UTSA.
Virtual EventThematic voice recitals featuring student performances from the Recital Hall stage and live-streamed via our Facebook page.
Recital Hall, 1 UTSA Circle, Main CampusMental Health Day is an annual campus-wide event taking place at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The event aims to bring students, faculty, and staff together to learn about the significance of taking care of their mental health.
Virtual EventThe tuba and euphonium students of Gary Poffenbarger and John Caputo will perform festive pieces in the first of two recitals. More details to come. The Fall 2021 concert schedule is subject to change. Please continue to monitor our website and social media for updates. This concert will be live-streamed via the UTSA Music Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/UTSAMusic
UTSA Recital Hall, Main CampusThe students of Dr. Isaac Bustos and Prof. Johnny Pena will perform from the Recital Hall stage and via the Department's Facebook page.
Recital Hall, 1 UTSA Circle, Main CampusPresentation by Dr. Ainhoa Vásquez Mejías, professor and researcher from UNAM in Mexico City. It will focus on the influence of drug traffic on different areas of culture, and specifically on literature.
Virtual EventThe second of two recitals featuring the tuba and euphonium students of Gary Poffenbarger and John Caputo. More details to come. The Fall 2021 concert schedule is subject to change. Please continue to monitor our website and social media for updates. This concert will be live-streamed via the UTSA Music Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/UTSAMusic
UTSA Recital Hall, Main CampusThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education.
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
