Davenport University to host several Tech Week Grand Rapids events
Tech Week Grand Rapids is an annual event designed to make Grand Rapids, Michigan as a hub for tech innovation. Davenport University will host four events during the week.
Grand Rapids, Michigan, hosts its annual Tech Week celebration between September 14 and 19. Davenport University will play host to a number of events at its W.A. Lettinga Grand Rapids Campus. The events will cover how to avoid getting scammed by AI, a new video game, and a look inside of the human body.
Tech Week Grand Rapids is organized by the organization The Right Place, and takes place every year. The goal of the event is to position the Greater Grand Rapids area as a dominant location for innovation and technology. The specific events being held on the Davenport campus are taking place on September 15, 16, and 17.
Davenport information systems faculty member Jeff Martin was quoted in an article posted on the University’s website about the importance of events like Tech Week, saying, “The events bring together professionals with real-world experience to discuss issues that affect people every day, from cybersecurity and artificial intelligence to online safety and scam prevention. Attendees will leave with useful information they can apply in their personal and professional lives.”
The following events will take place on the Grand Rapids Campus of Davenport University:
Bridging the AI Velocity Gap -- September 15 at 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.
The event will be hosted by Davenport University’s Institute for Professional Excellence (or IPEx). Senior AI/ML engineer at Google, Rihana Msadek, will be the featured speaker. The topics will cover what has been termed “The Velocity Gap.”
Vice President of IPEx & Strategic Partnerships at Davenport, Dan Rundhaug, previewed the event, saying, “We created this event to address the ‘Velocity Gap,’ which is the critical divide between how fast AI advances and how fast a workforce can actually absorb it. Buying tools is the easy part, but true success comes from preparing your team. Alongside Google AI experts, we’ll help business leaders audit their current capabilities and build a concrete roadmap to close that gap before it widens.”
Rundhaug recorded a video previewing the event which can be watched here.
Anatomage Demo: The Future of Anatomy Education -- September 16, at 4 until 5:30 p.m.
The event is an interactive demonstration of an advanced 3D anatomy visualization software platform called Anatomage. The software is used by many health science and medical programs around the world. Participants will get to experience hands-on tablet demonstrations where they will be able to explore the details of the human body including organs, muscles, skeletal structures, and other systems of the body.
Joseph Brown is the department chair of Davenport’s Allied Health and Health Information programs, and he spoke about the event, saying, “Anatomy is usually taught by describing what’s underneath the skin. The Anatomage Table technology lets our students actually see and navigate through the human body in real time, beyond still images.”
Exclusive Video Game Launch -- September 16, at 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
The game Ashlight: Undercroft was unveiled by Davenport’s College of Technology at last year’s Tech Week during a Beta Bash event. Attendees of that event were allowed to try out the game and provide feedback, which the developers used to improve the user experience of the game.
This year, the development team will present the official launch of Ashlight: Undercroft. The game is an action/adventure game for mobile devices. Players will fight their way through dungeons, battle dangerous bosses, and discover the mysteries hidden underneath the Undercroft.
David Krogmann is a professor of game development at Davenport University. He said, “This event is for anyone who enjoys games or is curious about how an indie game gets made. Ashlight: Undercroft was developed by Norfic Games, with Davenport students contributing to the project through internships. Attendees will be able to play the game, meet members of the development team, and learn a little about what goes into taking a game from development to release.”
Anyone who wants to be part of this experience and gain exclusive early access to the game after the event has concluded are encouraged to attend the event.
Krogmann created a video message ahead of the event that can be viewed here.
Safe Online: Spotting Scam Before The Hit Home -- September 17, at 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
This event will be hosted by the College of Technology at Davenport. It will contain a presentation about scam prevention and internet safety. The panelists will talk about the most common threats that utilize the internet such as artificial intelligence scams, online marketplace fraud, account takeovers, identity theft, social media scams, fraudulent text messages, and phishing emails.
Jeff said, “Our internet safety and scam prevention panel will help attendees recognize common warning signs, understand how scams are evolving, and learn practical steps to protect their accounts, personal information, and finances,”
The event is recommended for people looking to pursue a career in or who are already in the healthcare industry, educators, or people who want to learn more about various new technologies.
More information about Davenport University can be found on its website.