(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.
Celebrate UTSA’s 50th Anniversary and share social media posts about the 50th using the hashtag #UTSA50.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
The Racial Justice Book Club was established at UTSA by members of the campus community to explore social justice following acts of racial violence across the nation over the last few years. We are reading The Injustice Never Leaves You: Anti-Mexican Violence in Texas by Monica Muñoz Martinez. We will meet every Wednesday in September and October at 2 pm on Zoom.
Virtual EventCelebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at our very own street fair - Calle UTSA. We will have activities, performances, food, music, and piñatas to break open.
Student Union Paseo"La Plática" is a space for thoughtful dialogue to build a sense of connection among the Roadrunner Community by getting to know each other better and sharing what's on our minds and about ourselves to increase to increase awareness of diverse perspectives.
Virtual EventThis September 30, the Friday Series will feature Prof. Milena Ang, who will be presenting A Tren to Nowhere: Statistic Development and the Politics of Racial, a paper co-authored with Tania Islas-Weistein where they discuss Mexico's long history of state-led development projects that contribute to economic and racial inequality. The authors argue that despite professing racial justice, official discourses surrounding the Tren Maya reproduce existing symbolic and material forms of racism.
McKinney Humanities (MH 4.01.01,) Main CampusWe invite you to learn about the process of screenwriting and explore the intersection of identity and pursuing dreams from Jorge Ramirez-Martinez and Raymond Perez, screenwriters for the Selena: The Series, released on Netflix. They will discuss their careers and writing process, including how their identities as Mexican American and gay men have shaped their professional experiences.
Virtual EventPlease join us in remembering those who have entered the next part of life by designing a nicho box in their memory. This workshop will provide the necessary items to create your nicho box, though please remember to bring a photo or small object that can fit in a 3.5 x5x1 inch box (small jewelry box).
John Peace Library GroupSpot B, Main CampusLMSA invites you to join us in celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month through an interactive cooking lesson! This cultural experience will teach you how to prepare a popular Mexican dish, street taquitos. You will be able to sample this dish and learn the recipe to use in your own home.
Recreation Wellness Center Demo KitchenThe 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.
