UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Nittany AI Alliance has announced its schedule of workshops and events for October. All Penn State students are invited to attend.
Housed in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology, Nittany AI connects Penn State students with faculty, industry and community partners to explore practical applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and develop solutions to real-world challenges. Through workshops, competitions, internships and collaborative projects, it gives students hands-on opportunities to build AI skills while helping organizations explore how AI can address their needs.
The workshop series
"AWS Kiro Demo"
- Oct. 1
- 6-8 p.m.
- 233AB HUB-Robeson Center
A hands-on demonstration of Kiro, an AI engineering agent designed to help developers build and ship high-quality software: Kiro transforms plain-language prompts into structured specifications and working applications, helping users turn their ideas into what they actually intend to build. Visit the Nittany AI website for more information and to register for the AWS Kiro Workshop.
"Amazon Bedrock Demo"
- Oct. 6
- 6-8 p.m.
- 603 Barron Innovation Hub
An interactive workshop introducing Amazon Bedrock, Amazon Web Services’ platform for building and scaling generative AI applications: Participants will explore foundational concepts, experiment with foundation models and gain hands-on experience creating AI-powered solutions. Visit the Nittany AI website for more information and to register for the Amazon Bedrock Workshop.
"AI Fundamentals with Figma"
- Oct. 20
- 6-7:30 p.m.
- 603 Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub
A hands-on workshop introducing Figma, a collaborative design tool for turning ideas into visual concepts and interactive prototypes: Participants will learn to create wireframes, build prototypes and communicate their AI-powered ideas while developing practical skills to bring their concepts to life. Visit the Nittany AI website for more information and to register for AI Fundamentals with Figma.
"AI Fundamentals with Claude"
- Oct. 22
- 6-7:30 p.m.
- 603 Eric J. Barron Innovation Building
A hands-on workshop exploring Claude and its practical applications for brainstorming, refining ideas and solving problems: Participants will learn how to use Claude to develop project materials, improve prompts and support creative thinking as they bring their ideas to life. Visit the Nittany AI website for more information and to register for AI Fundamentals with Claude.
Ideation sessions
"Sustainable Business Association Student Org/ACM Ideation Session"
- Oc. 5
- 6-8 p.m.
- 612 Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub
A collaborative workshop designed to help students explore AI-powered ideas and connect with potential teammates from computing, business and sustainability for the Nittany AI Challenge: Participants will identify real-world challenges, develop ideas for addressing them with AI and shape a concept they can continue developing through the Challenge. Visit the Nittany AI website for more information and to register for the Sustainable Business Association Student Org/ACM Idea Session.
"Idea Discovery Workshop with Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation"
- Oct. 13
- 6-8 p.m.
- 504 Engineering Collaborative Research and Education (ECoRE) Building
An event exploring the emerging technologies, ideas and opportunities shaping the future of real estate, design, construction and development: Participants will connect with industry leaders, researchers and students while gaining insights into innovation across the built environment. Visit the Nittany AI website for more information and to register for Idea Discovery with Cocoziello Institute.
Fireside chats
"A Conversation with Google"
- Oct. 7
- 6-8 p.m.
- W201 Westgate Building
A fireside chat with Anay Wadhera of Google exploring the technology industry, career pathways and the evolving role of innovation in the workplace: Students will gain insights into careers in technology and hear perspectives on navigating an industry shaped by continual change. Visit the Nittany AI website for more information and to register for the Fireside Chat with Google.
"A Conversation with Cloudforce"
- Oct. 14
- 6-8 p.m.
- 504 Engineering Collaborative Research and Education (ECoRE) Building
An open conversation with Husein Sharaf of Cloudforce about his journey from building websites as a middle school student to leading an AI company: Students from any discipline can explore the future of AI and the skills that can help them prepare for opportunities in a rapidly evolving field. Visit the Nittany AI website for more information and to register for the Fireside Chat with Cloudforce.
Skills workshop
"Vibe-a-Thon: Bring your Prototype"
- Oct. 29
- 6-8 p.m.
- 603 Eric J. Barron Innovation Building
A hands-on workshop for students who have an existing project or prototype they want to take to the next level. Participants in the Nittany AI Student Society Shark Tank, the Nittany AI Challenge, HackPSU and other competitions are invited to keep building, refining and experimenting with their ideas alongside the Nittany AI community. Visit the Nittany AI website for more information and to register for the Vibe-a-Thon.
Penn State is shaping the future of higher education in the age of artificial intelligence. Our focus is on human-centered, ethical AI innovation that delivers meaningful impacts for Penn State and the broader community. Through visionary planning, strategic partnerships, targeted hiring and strategic investments, we will equip every Penn State student, staff and faculty member with the AI-related knowledge, experience and confidence they need to succeed in the AI-powered future. Learn more at psu.edu/ai.