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<\/p>\nInformation Technology Services (ITS) hosted the ITS Rise Together Showcase April 7, 2026. The event was a half-day conference, open to all, driving innovation and modernization through collaboration across Florida State University (FSU). Attendees were able to view and participate in lectures and workshops about a variety of topics in administration, education, and research.<\/p>\n
Three FSU College of Communication and Information (CCI) students\u2014Elias Latimer, an Information Technology (IT) student, Manavi Kotwani, an Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) student, and Courtney Stokes, an IT student\u2014presented their projects at the showcase.<\/p>\n
Elias Latimer merged what he learned at his internship with what he presented at the conference. Latimer\u2019s topic was creating Retrieval-Augmented Generation Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents for departments within FSU using the Salesforce platform. He expressed that he was able to gain hands-on experience in technologies and applications that are not only industry standards but also in high demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Salesforce DevOps team, which I am interning with, combines system administration and software development. This means I am learning not only best practices for software development but also system development,\u201d said Latimer. \u201cThis experience has been integral to my understanding of designing solutions for real use cases rather than just course projects. Understanding user requirements and needs and then building to meet those expectations has been especially formative.\u201d<\/p>\n
Latimer also remarked that seeing the passion of others through their projects, along with the supportive messages from leadership, created a very positive and motivating experience. This tied into the event\u2019s vision of driving innovation and collaboration.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis event is a great opportunity to showcase your experience, connect with others, and learn about different teams within IT. It is similar to a conference, with guest speakers, messages from leadership, and individual presentations. It is worth taking the time to meet new people and explore topics you may not have encountered before,\u201d said Latimer.<\/p>\n
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Manavi Kotwani presented on FSU\u2019s virtual assistant \u201cRuby\u201d and how it has been upgraded from a simple chatbot to a more advanced AI system using Salesforce\u2019s Agentforce platform. After more upgrades, the assistant gained more understanding of what users are asking and helps complete tasks instead of providing only basic answers.<\/p>\n
Kotwani said, \u201cMy biggest takeaway from this event was realizing how important it is to design technology that\u2019s not just smart, but also easy and helpful for people to use. It also showed me how important it is to communicate ideas clearly, especially when you\u2019re talking about something technical.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event also allowed students to gather experience in interdisciplinary topics. Kotwani explained how, as a Marketing and ICT student, her topic connected with her interest in how AI can improve user experience and make digital platforms more personal and efficient.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a valuable experience for me. It helped me bring together both my creative and technical skills, and it made me even more excited about working with AI in the future,\u201d said Kotwani.<\/p>\n
Latimer and Kotwani both expressed gratitude to CCI for gaining real-world experience through their programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cFSU, especially CCI, has been a huge support system for me. I\u2019ve had access to great resources, hands-on projects, and opportunities like this presentation that let me apply what I\u2019m learning. It\u2019s not just about classes, it\u2019s about real experience, which has helped me grow a lot,\u201d said Kotwani.<\/p>\n
Latimer echoed the same sentiment, saying, \u201cCCI has also been a great facilitator by acting as a bridge between the IT concepts learned in class and their real-world application in a career setting.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ITS RISE Together Showcase allowed attendees to apply their technical knowledge in real-world contexts and was a great opportunity to help shape the future of innovation at FSU.<\/p>\n