Florida State University’s Information Technology Services highlighted strategy, innovation and partnerships April 7 during the 2026 ITS Spring Town Hall and RISE Together Showcase, a daylong event highlighting how technology is accelerating the university’s academic, research and service missions. 

Hosted at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center and the Augustus B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center, the event brought together hundreds of ITS staff, faculty, students and university leadership for institution-wide updates and hands-on demonstrations of emerging technologies. 

During the morning town hall, Jim Clark, FSU provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs; Stacey Patterson, vice president for research; and Jeremy Slaga, FSU’s vice president and chief clinical operations officer, told attendees that Florida State University’s rise into the nation’s top 25 public universities was driven not only by ambition, but also by the people and systems supporting that growth. 

“I am thrilled to be in the top 25 public universities in the United States — it’s an incredible achievement,” Clark said. “But our focus today is to talk about the role you all play in helping us thrive and become even more excellent in the years ahead.” 

Clark said that success became possible only when the pursuit of national prominence evolved into a coordinated effort supported by aligned systems, infrastructure and service. 

“These are the teams that are making that happen,” said Jonathan Fozard, associate vice president and chief information officer. “These are the teams that are helping support the students, faculty and staff achieve our collective goals and aspirations for this amazing university.” 

Slaga highlighted Florida State’s expanding health and research initiatives. 

“FSU Health has an opportunity to serve as a vehicle — a backboard — that allows all of these amazing components to plug in,” Slaga said, emphasizing the need for standardized systems and shared data to support collaboration. 

Patterson provided an update on ASPIRE, or A Strategic Plan to Inspire Research Excellence, emphasizing people, partnerships, infrastructure and excellence as the four pillars of the plan.  

“When we talk about infrastructure, it’s not just buildings,” Patterson said. “It’s the processes and the systems behind the operations. None of us can do what we do without all of you.” 

Patterson noted that Florida State has more than doubled its number of National Academy members in the past year and a half, a key measure of research prominence and that a strong digital infrastructure and service support are essential to recruiting and retaining elite faculty. 

After the conversation with university leadership, Fozard emphasized that ITS’s greatest strength is its people. He outlined plans to invest in skill growth, foster trust and psychological safety to support innovation, and continue the shift from a ticket-based service model to a trusted strategic partner across campus. 

While the morning town hall focused on strategy and alignment, the afternoon RISE Together Showcase was designed to promote collaboration, highlight projects and drive technological innovation across the university. 

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Florida State University’s Information Technology Services (ITS) is hosting the 2026 ITS RISE Together Showcase from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7. This event is designed to promote collaboration, highlight groundbreaking projects and drive technological innovation across the university.  

Open to all members of the FSU community, this free half-day technology conference offers opportunities to connect, exchange ideas and spotlight emerging technological innovations.  

“The RISE Together Showcase represents the very best of Florida State University,” said Jonathan Fozard, associate vice president and chief information officer. “It brings together research, instruction, innovation, security and student success in one unified experience. This event demonstrates how technology is not simply supporting the university’s mission but actively accelerating it.” 

This year’s showcase features three 50-minute session blocks. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with thought leaders, participate in live demonstrations and discover how technology is shaping the future of FSU. 

Highlighted themes and sessions for 2026 include: 

• Research & Innovation: We empower researchers and educators with cutting-edge technologies that accelerate discovery and elevate teaching, ensuring our academic community continues to rise toward new horizons of knowledge. 

• Innovation & Modernization: By embracing emerging tools, modern platforms, and forward-thinking solutions, we are building a digital ecosystem that is agile, future-ready and boldly innovative. 

• Security & Compliance: We champion a culture of unwavering digital security, privacy and system resilience, fortifying our infrastructure with proactive safeguards so the university can operate with confidence in our digital environments. 

• Engagement & Student Success: Through seamless experiences, real-time insights and innovative digital pathways, we rise together to empower every learner and enhance engagement across the student journey. 

“RISE Together is more than a theme — it is a call to action,” Fozard said. “The showcase reflects how FSU is aligning strategy, talent and technology to drive measurable impact across research, instruction and operations. When we rise together, innovation becomes transformation.” 

While session selections are not binding, your input and RSVP are vital for estimating room capacities. On the day of the event, you are welcome to attend different sessions, space permitting. 

To learn more and register for the event, visit its.fsu.edu/rise-together-showcase.  

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Florida State University researcher Paul Bupe is developing an interactive intersection safety system, a project for which he must analyze thousands of satellite images, fisheye camera photos and maps — more than 1.7 million unique objects each with its own metadata. 

To handle all that data, he uses Amazon Web Services, or AWS. 

Bupe earned seed funding for AWS through an internal FSU program last year and accessed the tools through a partnership with FSU Information Technology Services. 

 On Tuesday, he shared his experiences at the FSU-AWS Researcher Showcase and Awards, a celebration of research excellence and an opportunity for the FSU community to learn more about the high-powered research tools available through the partnership. 

 “Without AWS, we wouldn’t have been able to make this research happen,” said Bupe, who works with FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Associate Professor Moses Olugbenga on PREDISS, a Predictive Intersection Safety System project. 

Bupe and Olugbenga used Amazon’s cloud computing tools for data storage, object detection, autolabeling and other tasks. Their goal is to improve safety at intersections by predicting collisions between vehicles and pedestrians with enough time to allow for interventions to stop a crash. 

Through the partnership, they were able to access more computing power on their schedule to train their own models to handle millions of objects. 

“In AI and machine learning, data is the most valuable thing,” Bupe said. “This gave us the capabilities that truly allowed for innovation.” 

Other researchers from the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and the Department of Computer Science who have used AWS in their work shared their experiences with fellow researchers at the event. 

“Our goal as a technology provider and an industry partner is to help accelerate researchers’ work at a low cost,” said AWS Senior Leader Michael Curry. “As one of our presenters said, ‘I don’t need this to be a six-month project. I want it to be a six-day or six-week project.’ They’re trying to accelerate that time to science, and that is what this technology is helping to accomplish.” 

Setting the stage for innovation

The showcase opened with remarks from FSU leadership, emphasizing the growing role of cloud computing in accelerating research and the university’s commitment to expanding access to advanced computational resources.  

“This partnership is a powerful example of how Florida State is delivering on the strategic vision of President McCullough by investing in the technology infrastructure that drives cutting-edge research,” said Associate Vice President & Chief Information Officer Jonathan A. Fozard. “Removing traditional compute barriers and broadening access to secure cloud and AI tools allows our researchers and scholars to move faster, design transformative research and secure the large-scale grants that empower long-term impact.” 

The FSU Office of Research and FSU Information Technology Services recognized 11 researchers from across campus as 2026 FSU/AWS Research Acceleration Fund Awardees for their exceptional creativity, impact and technical excellence in leveraging AWS cloud computing to advance scientific discovery. Winners came from departments across campus: social work; computer science; educational psychology and learning systems; geography; urban and regional planning; scientific computing; health, nutrition and food science; civil and environmental engineering; and communication science and disorders. Each received up to $20,000 in AWS credits. 

“Modern research is increasingly data-intensive. Whether we are talking about quantum materials, generative AI or predictive safety systems, the lab is no longer just a physical space — it is a digital one,” said Vice President for Research Stacey Patterson. 

Cloud computing tools help researchers turn those piles of information into impactful discoveries. 

“This partnership demonstrates the art of the possible,” Patterson said. “Our goal is simple but ambitious: we want to provide FSU researchers with a world-class environment that accelerates discovery.”

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Florida State University Associate Vice President & Chief Information Officer Jonathan Fozard has received a prestigious statewide honor recognizing his leadership in technological innovation and his commitment to expanding internship opportunities that equip students for the evolving workforce.

Fozard was named a winner of the 2026 Florida Large Enterprise ORBIE Award, a recognition that honors chief information officers and technology executives who demonstrate excellence in leveraging technology to solve complex challenges, accelerate innovation and strengthen organizational performance.

“Every day, I find meaning and value in what I do,” Fozard said. “I don’t wake up and feel bored; I wake up and think about how we are impacting lives and the amazing people I get to work alongside each day. We are literally impacting the lives of the next generation of leaders.”

Fozard noted that the university’s investments in technology and innovation, from internships to new AI tools, create opportunities that will outlast his tenure.

“This next generation is going to come up with the next new idea, the next innovation and the next technology breakthrough. And it started here,” he said.

Fozard was selected for the honor through an independent review process led by previous ORBIE winners. Judges focused on his leadership effectiveness and the tangible value his technology initiatives brought to the university, community and state.

FSU Provost Jim Clark said the award highlights Fozard’s role in pushing the university toward a more modern future.

“Jonathan’s abiding commitment to driving ITS forward and championing innovation and collaboration has transformed how we support teaching, research, operations and student success at FSU,” Clark said. “This honor recognizes Jonathan’s visionary leadership and tireless dedication.”

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The Florida State University College of Law, along with the Stoops Center for Law and Business and the Institute of Law, Technology, and Innovation, hosted its first AI Day in the Capital last week, bringing together experts to discuss the future of artificial intelligence.

With College of Law Dean and Donald J. Weidner Chair Erin O’Hara O’Connor kicking off the event with a welcome message, the day was filled with discussions and presentations that included leaders in government, law, technology, and academia. The event examined the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and its implications for public institutions, civic infrastructure and ethical governance.

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Florida State University is partnering with Google to offer students complimentary access to the Google People Management Essentials certificate program, which helps students gain leadership and professional skills, while also learning how to use artificial intelligence (AI) at work.

FSU’s College of Business is leading the university initiative in partnership with Information Technology Services to provide this self-paced management training, giving business students a unique opportunity to gain essential leadership skills and hands-on experience with cutting-edge AI tools at no cost.

FSU is one of the first institutions in the country to offer the Google People Management Essentials course.

“We are excited about our partnership with Google, one of the world’s most prominent tech companies, and the benefits it will offer our students,” said Michael D. Hartline, dean of the College of Business. “This collaboration reflects our ongoing commitment to prepare students for the transformative effects of AI on workplaces and society, ensuring they graduate with the relevant, in-demand skills necessary for a rapidly changing world.”

People Management Essentials is an eight-hour, self-paced course developed by the Google School for Leaders, Google’s center for leadership development. Taught by Google experts, the program equips new and aspiring managers with practical skills to build high-performing teams, set and achieve goals, support individual growth and invest in their own development.

A key feature is hands-on experience with AI tools such as Gemini and NotebookLM, empowering participants to incorporate artificial intelligence into their daily management activities — ranging from setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) goals to developing project plans and customizing communications for a variety of audiences.

“At Google, we’ve seen firsthand how investing in managers creates a more effective, collaborative and supportive environment for all and drives business outcomes,” said Brian Glaser, chief learning officer at Google. “We believe the principles behind effective management are universal. By sharing what we’ve learned, we hope to empower leaders and their teams to thrive in any organization.”

Glaser added, “We believe that great managers create great teams. By making our foundational management principles accessible to everyone, we hope to empower the next generation of leaders to build a better future for teams, one manager at a time.”

For more information, visit business.fsu.edu.

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Florida State University’s Information Technology Services (ITS) is collaborating with 11 Florida universities to promote online safety for students, faculty and staff. 

Previously named the Cyber Bowl, the Cyberween online game assesses participants’ abilities to respond to cyberthreats. This year, Cyberween is scheduled from Monday, Oct. 20, to Friday, Oct. 31.

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“This year’s Cyberween promises to be incredibly exciting,” said Bill Hunkapiller, FSU’s chief information security officer. “One of our key goals is to raise awareness about the risks people face in today’s digital landscape.”  

During training, players will enter a virtual haunted house and encounter five cybersecurity scenarios, ranging from phishing emails to fraudulent logins. 

“As the cybersecurity industry bolsters its defenses with advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, many bad actors are turning to social engineering tactics,” Hunkapiller said. “Users should be extra vigilant about the authenticity of communications, including links, text messages and phone calls.” 

At the end of the competition, the university with the highest participation from current students and employees will take the title of Cybersecurity Champion.  

All are welcome to play, but current FSU students, faculty and staff have a chance to win big prizes. Those who play are entered into a grand prize drawing to win one of two $500 FSU tuition scholarships or a pair of tickets to the FSU vs. Virginia Tech football game at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15. 

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month takes place each October as a joint initiative between government and industry to inform the public about cybersecurity and provide resources for safer online practices.  

In addition to the Cyberween virtual game, ITS will be hosting a number of training courses throughout the month of October. These trainings include:

• Tuesday, Oct. 21 | Digital Native or Digital Naïve? Raising a Savvy Cyber Generation presented by Ben Halpert  
• Thursday, Oct. 23 | Generative AI with CrowdStrike  
• Tuesday, Oct. 28 | Hurricane Preparedness with FSU Emergency Management 

For more information, visit its.fsu.edu/cybersecurity or head to its.fsu.edu/cyberween to play the virtual Cyberween game and help FSU secure the title of Cybersecurity Champion!

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Florida State University welcomed Google to campus for a full day of hands-on training, offering students, faculty and staff an immersive opportunity to explore Google’s latest generative AI platforms through interactive demos, workshops and direct engagement with technology experts. 

The Google Gemini Pop-up event, held on Landis Green, provided demonstrations of the AI assistant Gemini and research software NotebookLM. Participants engaged with Gemini to explore its capabilities in writing, research, coding and more, all supported within a secure, cloud-based environment. 

“This was a huge day for Florida State University,” said Jonathan Fozard, FSU’s chief information officer. “We partnered with Google to showcase the capabilities our students, faculty and staff now have across the university in a secure and reliable way. We take security very seriously — Google has partnered with us to ensure our researchers’ work and our students’ data are protected in a safe and secure environment.” 

FSU was the only Research 1 university in Florida selected to participate in Google’s AI for Education Accelerator program, part of the company’s $1 billion initiative to advance higher education through artificial intelligence.

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Florida State University will join Google’s AI for Education Accelerator program to provide free AI training to students, faculty and staff. The program was announced in the company’s recent $1 billion commitment to education in the U.S. over the next three years.

This investment will support AI literacy programs, research funding and cloud computing resources nationwide, according to Google’s announcement. FSU leads the state of Florida with its dedication to AI training and development as the only R1 institution within the State University System to participate in this program.

“At Florida State, we are committed to providing our faculty, staff, students and researchers with the latest tools and advancements, empowering our community to achieve beyond what many think is possible,” said Jonathan Fozard, chief information officer at FSU. “Our adoption of Gemini for Education reflects that commitment, enabling us to push the boundaries of technological innovation, research discovery and academic excellence, all in a safe and secure environment.”

Google’s AI for Education Accelerator program aims to provide students and educators with AI tools designed to personalize learning, enhance productivity and prepare students for a technology-driven future.

Gemini for Education, which includes data protection free of charge, is accessible to all FSU students, faculty and staff by logging in with their university email and password. The company also offers free AI training to college students as part of its program.

For students, Google’s AI tools serve as a powerful resource for inquiry-based learning, a thought-partner for brainstorming projects, and a personalized tutor to explain complex concepts in a safe, controlled environment.

“Every student deserves access to the AI skills needed to succeed in today’s job market,” said Lisa Gevelber, founder of Grow with Google. “We are proud to partner with Florida State University to provide students with our most advanced AI products and training, ensuring they know how to make the most of the technology in the classroom and beyond. This program builds on years of us working together with universities to help students prepare for exciting careers.”

As part of this initiative, FSU is adding Gemini and NotebookLM to its growing list of AI resources available to faculty, staff and students. These tools help faculty and staff create engaging instruction, simplify administrative work and focus more on mentoring students. The program also includes access to Google’s AI Essentials and Prompting Essentials programs for faculty and staff to help them get the most out of these AI tools.

“We are very excited about the AI tools that this partnership with Google will bring to our faculty, staff and students,” said Paul Marty, associate vice provost for academic innovation. “Gemini-powered applications like NotebookLM make it easy for students to create summaries, study guides and practice quizzes, and for faculty to organize course content into shareable notebooks that can serve as an interactive classroom resource for their students.”

For more information, visit ai.fsu.edu.

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Florida State University launched its fall Faculty Innovators Series this week at the Innovation Hub, where faculty and staff gathered to explore new ways to advance teaching and technology through collaboration. 

Each Wednesday morning, the series brings together faculty and staff from across campus to explore emerging trends in education.

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Florida State University Information Technology’s Third-Party Risk Management Program has been named a 2025 Foundry’s CSO Award winner, one of the most prestigious honors for security professionals.

The CSO Awards honor organizations that demonstrate excellence in security and risk management.

FSU’s Third-Party Risk Management Program was honored for its forward-thinking approach to managing risks from external vendors, helping the university maintain strong security and compliance standards across its operations.

“Winning this award highlights our team’s unwavering dedication to upholding the highest standards of security and compliance,” said Jonathan Fozard, associate vice president and chief information officer at FSU. “It’s a testament to the continued success we’re seeing at Florida State — we’re rising in the rankings, gaining national and global attention, and the security team is being recognized as part of that momentum.”

The project was launched following a 2021 audit finding in an effort to strengthen vendor security practices. FSU’s Information Security and Privacy Office partnered with the university’s procurement office to develop a process ensuring that vendors providing essential business functions undergo independent information security audits. Using a risk-based approach, the program evaluates vendor reports to assess the adequacy of their security measures.

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Florida State University’s Information Technology Services (ITS) recently brought the campus community together for a half-day conference dedicated to shaping the future of technology and innovation at the university.

The RISE Together Showcase — an acronym for research & instruction, innovation & modernization, security & compliance, and engagement & student success — featured three session blocks with 15 presentations from faculty, staff and student interns. Attendees had the chance to learn about technological advancements at FSU’s campus. The event also included a poster session where ITS student interns displayed their research.

“It was inspiring to see so many members of the FSU community come together to engage with the innovations transforming our campus,” said Jonathan Fozard, FSU associate vice president and chief information officer. “We’re not just experimenting with emerging technologies; we’re leading national conversations and delivering real results. The energy and collaboration from this conference make me even more excited about what’s ahead at FSU.”

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