Dilab
Student SPOTLIGHTS
Nischita Ramachandrappa Mulikeri
Meet Nischita Ramachandrappa Mulikeri, a second year graduate student at the Fowler College of Business majoring in Information Systems. As part of the Digital Innovation Lab, she led the development efforts for an innovative AI video agent, which involved utilizing advanced AI and machine learning techniques, such as OpenAI’s LLM, NLP, and text-to-speech APIs. Through this project, she crafted a sophisticated desktop application that integrates lifelike avatars, enabling natural conversations and offering immersive user experiences. This project provided her with the opportunity to enhance her skills in understanding user requirements, conducting research, and applying artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques, which she is eager to leverage in her future endeavors. As she looks to the future, her aspiration is to transition into a product management position, drawing upon the skills she’s acquired during her academic and professional journey. She is eager to utilize her robust technical expertise and management acumen to lead the way in driving product development endeavors. Beyond work, she finds joy in exploring new destinations through travel, immersing herself in nature through hiking adventures, and delving into captivating narratives within the pages of novels. These experiences fuel her curiosity and inspire her to continually seek growth and innovation in all aspects of her life.
Prathamesh Jalgaonkar
Prathamesh Jalgaonkar is a second-year graduate student in Masters in Information Systems at Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University. He joined the DiLab as a Research Assistant to be a part of the team’s project, focused on developing an AI-enabled ad-hoc career coaching application. He has a background in data analysis, and he is passionate about harnessing the latest technology to create innovative solutions. In this project, he’s played a pivotal role in our conceptual research phase, where he delved into scholarly and industry literature to explore the potential of AI in career coaching. He’s also conducted market analysis, identifying target demographics and potential competitors, ensuring a solid foundation for the project. Ethical considerations, data privacy, and security have been a top priority for him in the technology assessment. Building on this research, he had the opportunity to contribute to a case study on BetterUp connect, which provided valuable insights into practical features and potential enhancements for the application, which will utilize AI as a career coach. He’s responsible for the logical model design, detailing core functionalities and features, and integrating advanced knowledge management with the lifelong learning machine. He emphasized a user-centric approach to design by creating UI/UX mockups. He believes that user feedback and usability testing are crucial to ensure applications meet the needs and expectations of its users. With a strong foundation and a forward-thinking approach, he is determined to make a significant impact in the field of technology. His passion for technology and dedication to this project aligns with his future goals in the tech industry in a big way.
Ishwarya Ramkumar
Meet Ishwarya Ramkumar a second year graduate student at Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University, majoring in Information Systems. As part of SDSU’s Digital Innovation Lab, she is working on on an artificial intelligence project where she is tasked with web scraping and prompt engineering. Through this experience and her coursework she has developed skills in Python, SQL, Tableau, and other data analytics tools. Right now her goal is to leverage her analytical capabilities and passion for technology to obtain a full-time role in data or business analytics after graduation. She is very eager to continue solving meaningful problems through data-driven solutions. Outside of academics, she enjoys playing badminton, hiking, dancing, and loves solving technical challenges. Ishwarya: “One accomplishment I’m proud of is completing a 7.5 mile trek through a forest on a rainy day, which required tremendous willpower and physical strength to endure the challenging conditions”. After gaining more work experience, she strives to move into a leadership position where she can guide teams and projects using her technical knowledge.
Michiko Gusto
Michiko is a passionate individual who loves connecting people and helping them succeed, as seen through her role as Vice President of the Women’s Network SDSU Chapter. She takes care of internal matters for the largest collegiate women’s networking organization right here at SDSU. In DiLab she is working with the UI/UX team, building out high fidelity wireframes for multiple startups building her experience in web development. On top of that, she holds two associate’s degrees, one in Business Administration and another in Computer and Information Sciences. Looking ahead, she is excited about gaining real-world experience after graduation, in fields like cybersecurity, web development, or product/project management. Michiko: “I aim to continue my education with a master’s degree while making a positive impact in my chosen path.”
Ryan Duong
Hello there! Ryan Duong is a fourth-year student at SDSU, where he’s majoring in Management Information Systems with a minor in Computer Science. Alongside his academic pursuits, he has had diverse roles in his professional life, he is a co-founder at Mocktalk, inspired by his own struggles in job searching he’s created an AI mock interview platform to enhance job preparation for individuals. Simultaneously, he’s working as a Product Manager Intern at Tallysight, a company specializing in sports gaming content monetization software, and actively involved as a Product Manager in DiLab this semester. Last summer, he interned at Qualcomm, where he served as a Systems Analyst with a focus on streamlining workflow processes. Outside of his professional career, he loves contemporary architecture, collecting art pieces, and traveling! Ryan: “As I look ahead, I’m enthusiastic about diving into entrepreneurship and further developing my expertise in Product Management, drawing inspiration from the experiences I’m gaining this semester.”
Rosabel Ibrahim
Rosabel Ibrahim, a first-year student at San Diego State University majoring in Information Systems, has a strong passion for technology and its potential to drive innovation. Rosabel has recently embarked on an exciting journey as a research intern at the Digital Innovation Lab. Within the lab, Rosabel has been actively involved in the Data Swagger project, which focuses on the critical importance of data science literacy for employees in our increasingly digital and data-driven world. Her role has been instrumental in driving the project, as she meticulously reevaluated and polished the study. By conducting extensive research and incorporating the latest findings and insights, Rosabel has added depth and relevance to the study’s content. Coming from an international background, Rosabel faced unique challenges. However, her determination and commitment have propelled her towards remarkable achievements during her first year at SDSU. Working alongside the DiLab team has not only enriched her knowledge of technology but also provided her with a platform to make significant contributions. Looking forward, Rosabel aspires to continue contributing to the realm of technological innovation at the Digital Innovation Lab.
Heuldana Albe
Introducing Heuldana Albe, a first-year student majoring in Management Information Systems at San Diego State University. Heuldana joined the Digital Innovation Lab as a Spring Research Intern, where she embarked on a project exploring the world of Extended Reality (XR) within the metaverse. Heuldana’s research project delved into the combination of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). With a keen focus on effective architectural XR design software, Heuldana synthesized the best features from three original tools from the framework and two additional platforms that she discovered to create a powerful combination. The findings were then categorized into seven distinct functions, highlighting the potential of XR technology. As a passionate advocate of technology’s power and impact, Heuldana envisions a future career in the tech industry. Particularly drawn to the field of UX/UI Design, she recognizes the significance of human-centered approaches in leveraging technology to create innovative solutions. As a freshman in college, Heuldana is eager to engage in various experiences that will contribute to her well-rounded development. Outside of DiLab, Heuldana’s acceptance into the Henrietta Goodwins Scholar Program showcases her commitment to academic excellence and the pursuit of success. With her passion, dedication, and thirst for knowledge, Heuldana is poised to make a remarkable impact as she continues her journey of technological exploration and innovation.
Quynh Tran
Quynh Tran, a senior at San Diego State University has been a member of DiLab as a UI/UX designer since 2022. Last semester, Quynh worked on the open innovation platform project of redesigning the LEGO Ideas website. Her goal, along with her team’s, was to use previous findings from interviews to improve certain problems of the website that people were dealing with by redesigning those aspects of the website. This semester, Quynh worked as a UX designer with a startup called Hover Cover. Her team redesigned their website accordingly to the startup’s objectives and successfully launched it on Shopify. Earlier this year, Quynh, along with two other DiLab members on the UX team, Devika and Oceana, entered a designathon hosted by UCI and was able to place among finalists out of 65 teams and around 300 students from various colleges all over the country. Quynh’s goals for the future include developing her skills as a UX designer and obtaining a master’s degree in Psychology. She is determined to continue her work in improving user experiences and making websites more user-friendly.
#UXdesigner #UXresearch #UXteam #UIUX #userexperience #userresearch #userinterface #UXdesign #digitaldesign #webdesign #Dilab #digitalinnovation #SDSU #psychology #designchallenge #designathon
Spacetime Pitch Competition
Founders Ali Salman and Bekhruz Nuriddinov gave their pitch at the Spacetime Social Pitch Competition on April 13th at the University of San Diego, Knauss School of Business, alongside Dylan Fitzpatrick who was there representing his student-run Venture Capital fund. Ali Salamon said that “Participating in the Spacetime pitch competition was an exhilarating experience. Our team invested months of hard work and dedication towards refining our idea in ZIP, and being able to present it to a large audience was nothing short of incredible. The feedback we received from the pitch was invaluable, and we are eager to incorporate it into our future plans for Warm.”
Sean Flanagan
As the Digital Innovation’s Lab Coordinator and consultant, Sean‘s primary focus is conducting market research and analysis for startups, with the aim of identifying areas where digital transformations and disruptive technologies can be effectively implemented to drive innovation and growth. Sean is a second-year Finance major and is working towards a career in Venture Capital, specializing in SaaS and tech startups. He is currently the Vice President of Fundraising at the Entrepreneur society were he is honing his skills in business development, entrepreneurship, and fundraising. Additionally he is on the executive board for Campus Program Funding and the Financial Affairs Committee at SDSU where he plays an important role in designing the budget process through financial modeling for the university.
#SDSU #Dilab #technology #AI #SaaS #Venturecapital #Privateequity #analyists #tech #startups #fundraising #entrepreneurship #dataanalytics
Venture Capital Investment Competition
Congratulations to the SDSU team on an incredible achievement! Winning the west regional final at the international Venture Capital Investment Competition is a major accomplishment and a testament to the hard work, dedication, and talent of everyone involved. We are especially proud of the two talented members, Dylan Fitzpatrick and Bekhruz Nuriddinov, who contributed to this success. Your investment acumen and strategic thinking were clearly on display, and it’s inspiring to see how you represented SDSU with such excellence. This victory is well-deserved, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for you all—well done!
Tyler Co
As part of the Digital Innovations Consultant team, Tyler Co’s work at DiLab has allowed him to hone his skills in big data analysis, which he hopes to utilize in his future career in data analysis and data science. Tyler primarily works on market research and uses his statistical knowledge to analyze data and provide valuable insights to the team. As a fourth-year Finance major with Interdisciplinary Studies and Statistics minors at San Diego State University, Tyler is highly involved in different organizations on campus. He is the Vice President of Finance for Delta Sigma Pi, a professional co-ed business fraternity, and a treasurer for The Look Magazine, a club that aims to highlight student art, fashion, and design at San Diego State. He also works as a Junior Counselor at SDSU’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, where he helps students with any financial issues they may have. With his vast array of skills and experiences, Tyler is poised for success in his future career, whether as a financial analyst or advisor or in a big data analysis or data science role.
#SDSU #Dilab #technology #bigdata #datascience #dataanalysis #financialanalyst #financialadvisor
Big Data Hackathon 2022
In this year’s Big Data hackathon, DiLab members, Griffin You, Dylan Fitzpatrick, Nhat Huynh, and their team members Jaxon Hill and Duong Lu, took home first place as the “Best Overall Project”! Their project presented their solution Cenos AI, a cloud-based software-as-a-service platform delivered via an API in existing patient management software to connect patient symptoms with common diagnoses simpler and faster. We congratulate them all on this amazing accomplishment. Griffin says, “The opportunity to work alongside my team to devise a solution tackling healthcare problems is an experience I will never forget. Not only was I able to gain new skills in UI/UX design, project/product management, and market research, but I also learned a whole lot about real-world problems in healthcare and how to address them using AI and machine learning.” A special thanks to Dr. Ming-Hsaing Tsou, Cathy Pucher, Dr. Atsushi Nara, Dr. Amy Schmitz Weiss, Dr. Gabriela Fernandez, ZIP Launchpad, and Sharp Healthcare for organizing and sponsoring this unforgettable event.
Nhat Huyuh
Working on the “Cybersecurity and Risk Initiative in Big Accounting Firms: An Experiential Perspective on Training Programs” project, Nhat Huynh (Information Systems ’24) explores the relationships between cybersecurity training initiatives, employee training experiences, and training outcomes in Big Four. His project will provide a framework to aid companies to design, implement and evaluate cybersecurity training to mitigate the risk of cyberattacks. Nhat, joined DiLab in 2022, is currently leading two projects and sharpening his big data analytics skills.
#cybersecurity #digitalinnovation #dilab #SDSU #risk #initiative #accounting #employees #project
Griffin You
A digital innovation consultant at SDSU’s Digital Innovation Lab (DiLab), Griffin You is focused on competitive analysis for tech startups. The purpose of his current project is to identify the market potential for AI-enabled drone-based inspection. Griffin You is also a second-year, management information system major aspiring to pursue a career in Venture Capital, emphasizing mental health. To achieve his aspirations, he is currently a Financial Analysts Intern at Paramount Pictures and a Venture Capital Intern at Lair East Labs.
#SDSU #Dilab #technology #AI #drones #management #mentalhealth #analyists
Kelsey Azmitia – Project Coordinator
Pursuing a career in project management, Kelsey Azmitia is going into her 3rd year at SDSU and as the project coordinator for SDSU’s Digital Innovation lab. She has also interned as Channel project manager for Woodruff Communications and is pursuing her degree in Management Information Systems. Kelsey is also involved in different school activities as she is rushing for Appa Kappa Psi next semester, in the mechatronics club, and is working toward her SDSU Leadership Certificate. Being very passionate about technology and business, Kelsey says she wants to pursue her career as a project manager for an IT company, creating an advantageous work environment for her team. She says, “My goal is not only to lead a team and project to success, but to also be an equitable, honest, trustworthy, and honorable leader, as I want my team to be able to confide in each other and myself.”
Melissa Klase & Olivia Connors
While we are approaching the post-pandemic world, organizations are at a crossroads, going back to the office or embracing digital workspaces as the new normal. Many argue that the reliance on virtual work environments has notable side-effects such as communications breakdown, unhealthy team dynamics, unregulated and mindless system use, causing digital fatigue and loss in productivity. To explore this issue, Melissa Klase and Olivia Connors combine the awareness and self-regulation power of mindfulness with the action generating power of reflectiveness to promote employee well-being and increase overall productivity in digitally-enabled or supported work environments. They will present the results of their work and their paper entitled “Reflectiveness: The Missing Link between Digital Mindfulness and Mindful Use of Digital Technology” at the 28th Americas Conference on Information Systems in Minneapolis. Melissa is a fourth-year student at SDSU College of Sciences with an emphasis in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. She is a member of SDSU Digital Innovation Lab for more than two years as well as a member of several honor societies, including NSCS, Phi Theta Kappa, and Tau Sigma. Olivia Connors is graduating in May 2022 and is currently working at a substance abuse private practice in New Jersey.
Joey Kettle
Working on the “Advancing Digital Innovation in SMEs: Challenges and Opportunities from an Employee Engagement Perspective” project, Joey Kettle focuses on the limitations and/or challenges of advancing Digital Innovation and digital entrepreneurship in small-medium enterprises (SMEs). So far, Joey and the team have identified three barriers that can inhibit the advancement of digital innovation- organizational, technological, and environmental barriers- and introduced the concept of digital innovation potency as how SMEs can monitor and respond to these barriers. In addition to this, Joey is a 3rd-year Business Administration- Information Systems student at Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University who enjoys playing for the Men’s Division 1 soccer team at SDSU.
#digitalinnovation #business #smebusiness #innovation#employeeengagement
Nikita Velji
Nikita Velji is on a mission to rediscover the process of Digital Transformation and how it unfolds from an employee’s perspective. Her main focus is to understand how to drive digital transformation within the organization without disrupting culture and discouraging employees from active participation. With her great passion for international business and technology, she compares and contrasts this process across countries to offer more context-specific recommendations for practice. Nikita is a graduate member of the Digital Innovation Lab (DiLab) and studying MS in Information Systems at Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University.
Timothy Seitola
Researching Digital Entrepreneurial, Timothy Seitola focuses on identifying the underlying characteristics that shape an entrepreneurial mindset in a digital context. Timothy interviews founders and works on developing an instrument for companies and institutions to assess their current employees’ intrapreneurship/ entrepreneurial abilities. The instrument can be also used for hiring and promotions. Timothy will graduate with an MBA degree from Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University with a focus on Information Systems this semester. He will join Halma PLC and start his career by participating in their renowned leadership development program.