Episode 30 - BIT Center

[00:00:06] Speaker A: Welcome to Kendyl speaks. I'm Dr. Brian Stewart Kendall campus president. And welcome to today's Kendall speaks on our bit Center. We have three amazing guests with us today. First, the chair for the school of global business, Mrs. Alexis Portawando. Welcome. [00:00:31] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:00:32] Speaker A: Glad to have you. You're a return guest here? [00:00:33] Speaker B: I am. I have my punch card with me. I expect a stamp. [00:00:37] Speaker A: Okay, we'll work on that. Also with us is Josimar Mendez Sanchez, our bit center manager. Was I close? [00:00:43] Speaker C: Yeah, that was perfect. That was perfect. [00:00:45] Speaker A: All right. And Dr. Tavares Scott, who's our business resource center manager. [00:00:50] Speaker D: Hello. [00:00:50] Speaker A: Good to have you guys with us today. Let's first start again with you, Chair Portawando. Talk a little bit about your journey to the Kendall campus and remind our audience how you came to mdc. [00:01:01] Speaker B: Yes, absolutely. So I'm from western New York, Rochester area, and I hopped down to Florida in 2008 after I got my master's degree in student personnel administration. And I was working in higher education in the residence life side of the house at colleges and universities. So zoom. Working at USF in Tampa for four years. Then I hopped over to this side of the state and landed in Miami. I was at, UM for three years still in housing. And then life was like, okay, Alexis, it's time to move off campus. It's been 13 years. And so I took a job at Memory College as a communities of interest manager, which was a hybrid role between the student affairs experience that I've had before and to get me into the academic affairs side. So I did that position for four plus years, and then I took the opportunity to step in as the chairperson for global business at the Kendall campus. And I've been there since the end of 2019, and I'm still here living the dream. And so it's been great. I live close to campus, so I can't get out of my system where I used to always live, where I worked. So I tried to move as close as possible to where I work just for comfort's sake. And so here I am as the chair still. [00:02:28] Speaker A: And this bit center is sort of your little baby that you got through. [00:02:32] Speaker B: So the bit center or the business Innovation Technology center, if you have more time on your hands to say, has been in the works for some time. We had years ago applied, you know, to do a grant, and we were able to get the grant to extend to Wolfson as home base for the bit center. But Kendall, being the largest campus, really had a need for a bit center as well. And so we did for some time have a temporary location of a bit center, but it just wasn't the razzle dazzle that we needed. And so with lots of planning and funding maneuvers to get enough funding to have from one year to the next to add so we could do the whole bit center renovation, it took some coordination and planning to get there. So it took a couple years. But thank you to Christina Mateo for really being an advocate to make that happen. And of course, you know, to Dean Fuertes and her support of Kendall having a strong bit center as well. So a pretty penny later and in some months of good construction, we were able to open In March of 2025 our bit center for the MDC community, students and community members, as well as, you know, faculty and staff. And so it's been. It's been a beautiful addition to our just facilities and offerings and being able to be a strong business hub for our students. [00:04:06] Speaker A: That's great. I want to go back to one thing you said about your background, and this isn't news. I'm not breaking news here. [00:04:12] Speaker B: Okay. [00:04:12] Speaker A: But one day, possibly, we might have dorms on campus and maybe you might be able to play a role in that. [00:04:20] Speaker B: I'd be your gal. That's definitely my area of expertise. For a long, long time, I worked in first year housing. I worked in residential colleges with faculty and residents, worked with specialty populations, international student populations. And I know, like, our student athletes have a lot of international students. And so definitely it's a personal passion area for me, and I can't get it out of my system. But. [00:04:49] Speaker A: Yeah, well, there's no news in that. There's nothing coming. But that's just aside from conversation. You got it. You got it. All right, let's meet Joe over here. Joe, tell us a little bit about your background and what brought you to the Kendall campus. [00:05:01] Speaker C: Sure. So a little bit about me. I was born and raised in Venezuela. That's where I did my bachelor's. My bachelor's is in chemical engineering, actually. It's not business waiting for everybody to yell trader. [00:05:14] Speaker B: That's okay. You have a unique background. You do. You have a lot of classes under your belt. [00:05:18] Speaker C: Yeah. So I really like the world of entrepreneurship and innovation. And I decided to go to grad school and I took two master's degrees in Europe, one in France was focused on supply chain, and the other one was in innovation and how to bring new products to life. [00:05:35] Speaker A: That's what got you in our business? [00:05:37] Speaker C: That was what got me. Yeah. It was like a really A little smoothly road to get into the business world. So after that program in innovation, I worked sometime in universities teaching and helping people put products out there, do research and innovation. And then I started working as an innovation consultant. And that led me to work with a client that was building an educational platform. It was like a video course platform. And I learned a lot about education there. I taught a lot as well in that platform. And then I saw a position from Miami Dade College searching for somebody that works in the Business Innovation and Technology center that was willing to create programs for students to help them catch up with how fast technology was moving in the business world and help them get training on those. I saw that that was my interest and I decided to apply. And then I ended up getting the job and starting to do those things that were really similar to what I did in my previous role. Helping students understanding AI and technologies and how that will have a repercussion in their lives here. What I do most of the time is programming and I help our school of business and now not only the School of Business, but the rest of the community at Kendall campus and other campuses to see how technology is changing the business world and it could change their discipline. I'm also very privileged that I was part of the first cohort of the ELAB projects. I don't know if you heard about that earlier this year. I think yeah, this year that I start like working more not only with the people, the school of Business, but with other disciplines like let's say dance and performance here at Kendall Campus and introducing how the future of their field is going to look like. Because I'm very passionate about the future. I call myself a futurist and my project in the E lab, it was how to introduce futurology and helping others understand the future of their fields and disciplines. So that's like kind of like where I come from and what I have done. [00:07:47] Speaker A: Well, we're glad you found the Kindle campus. It sounds like it's a good fit for you right here. So welcome. And Tavares, tell us a little about yourself before we. [00:07:55] Speaker D: Well, hello. Well, I am a good radio voice. Thank you. [00:07:59] Speaker B: Yes, A plus Easy listening. [00:08:02] Speaker D: Born and raised in Miami. Love Miami would never leave. Love the culture. I am a proud Miami Dade graduate, actually part of the first graduating class of the supervision and management program when it first started. So that really got my interest into management. Worked for Miami Dade at the medical campus for nine years. [00:08:23] Speaker A: That's a good place. [00:08:24] Speaker D: Yes, it is. In the School of Health Sciences and went up to other institutions in doing that, went to get my master's in management where I've grown to love and in 2016 started to teach at the Kendall campus and and supervision and management courses and came back home to Kendall campus as the business resource center manager and something that I am loving and getting in contact with the students and it's a great experience. [00:08:55] Speaker A: Well, that's great and you guys are a great team. So it's great to have you here today. So let's get into it. Let's talk about the bit center and what inspired our creation for that. [00:09:04] Speaker B: So definitely the inspiration was to to have a place where students could connect and belong. A sense of belonging is a huge contributing factor to academic success for students. And so they didn't have a place to call their own. And so now we have two beautiful classrooms and a center lounge area where students can gather. And they really already have naturally found it as a hang place in a positive way to talk about like student organizations they're part of and initiatives that they want to get off the ground. And so it's been really productive for students to just have a place to call their own. And then on the program, the programmatic sense, I'll let Yosmar talk about that. But it's just been sky's the limit for us to have really great initiatives brought into the facility, which we're really proud of. And so, so much is coming to fruition already. And I mean again, we opened the doors in March and so we've already really taken a lot off the ground, which has been a point of pride for all of us. [00:10:12] Speaker C: Yeah, I think that like the PhD center started even before you, you know, like the big opening, the grand opening of this space. I think that like the reason why it started is because we wanted to enable or you know, like food at their disposal a place where we can find like supplemental training than their academic studies and something that gave them like a competitive advantage at the moment that they enter to the workforce. So we know that industries often they ask for certifications. We often know that like employers, they ask to strengthen certain skills. And the BAT center is a response to help them get there as fast as efficiently we can. Like providing hands on. Stay current. Yeah, and stay current because sometimes we always argue this, like sometimes maybe a textbook, it takes a lot of time like a new idea or an emerging technology to make it there. But if we engage our students maybe with somebody working in financial institution or an NGO or you know, other kind of company, they will be able to know what's going on in those business. [00:11:22] Speaker A: Spaces, especially in the speed of change now. [00:11:24] Speaker C: Yeah. And especially with emerging technologies. So these people will be able to share and they will to tell us or to point us in directions that without them we will not know where to go. So that's kind of like also part of the role is just like bridge that gap or build that bridge between students and the college with the industry. [00:11:45] Speaker A: That's great. How does our enrollment look here at the Kendall campus? [00:11:48] Speaker B: It looks fabulous. Thank you very much. Yes, we've grown Kendall campus though for the School of Global business. We are 35% of the enrollment for global business college wide is at Kendall. And so that's, I mean out of the seven campuses that offer business programs, we're 35% of that enrollment. And we, we have a strong student population. We have the best students and we just, we shine in all programs. Our bachelor's programs in Leadership, Management, Innovation, supply chain management and of course like our associate programs, our Associate in Arts and Business Administration, our as in Marketing, et cetera. Like we have just had a lot of positive growth. [00:12:34] Speaker A: Let's stay on that. That's exactly where I wanted to go next. Let's talk about our programs and our workshops, you know, in all the certifications. Let's make sure our audience knows, you know, a good picture of what goes on here at Kendall. [00:12:45] Speaker B: Yes, for sure. So like Yosmar was saying is that, you know, we're able to, we're able to stay current with the industry certifications that we have and link them directly to all of our programs. So for example, we have an as in marketing which is strong as it is, but we can supplement it with certifications with Hootsuite and with Wix.com like we have a website resources with the website so people can create their own website for companies that they may have. And these opportunities really just help enhance for students. The biggest one that we have Bloomberg Bloomberg Terminals, which we actually have four terminals at the Kendall campus, which is a great access for students, two of which are in classrooms so that the faculty can use them and hands on in the classroom. And then two of them are in the BRC with Dr. Scott there for students to just be able to use on their own to study or to do research and look into investing. We have student organizations that have a big part in that. The Smith and Financial Future Finance Leaders organization as well as our fbla, an Alpha Finance Club that we are just acquiring. So we have a lot of student organizations that benefit from the resources there in the center, too. [00:14:11] Speaker A: What's going on? [00:14:12] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:14:12] Speaker A: Dr. Scott, you want to talk a little bit about what goes on in your world? [00:14:15] Speaker D: Absolutely. And the Business Resource center, one of the major highlights is the tutoring that's available to our students. We have dedicated tutors for economics, finance, accounting, business, statistics, those major subjects. We notice students need a little bit more push in, more help in. So we have dedicated tutors just for those specific. And also marketing and management and other subjects as well. One of the major highlights that we're piloting now is the group tutoring sessions. We noticed that students are working a little bit better in groups and working together. So every third Wednesday of each month we have group tutoring sessions so they can interact with our tutors in a group session. And we hope to bring that up a little bit more pilot a little bit more days. [00:15:08] Speaker B: Yeah, it's gone well. It's gone well. There's good turnouts and enriched conversations with the group study sessions. So it's been. It's been great. [00:15:17] Speaker A: Yeah, I know. We have a lot of tours. We just yesterday had a high school group. [00:15:21] Speaker B: Yes, we did. Presented to them Bridge Prep. [00:15:24] Speaker A: Bridge Prep, Yeah. Talk a little bit about some of the other exciting projects that are going on in the BIT center and just in global business in general. [00:15:32] Speaker B: So for us, for me, and it's in the middle of it right now is micro internship program. And my first visit in the podcast world here was we got to discuss it, but so we're still living it and it's been great. So. So we've expanded some cool partners. We've worked now working with Heyday Marketing. We have X Strategy Company, Brown and Brown Insurance, United Way, Goodwill, Bean Automotive. Bean Automotive. Our friends at Bean Automotive, we love them. And so we've just. We've really just had. We've been very grateful to have the partnerships that we've had. Thank you to your connections to helping us get. Get these relationships going. And so we're placing our students in the micro internship program right now as we speak. And they're going to be off to the races now to get their 40 hours going. And so that's been great happening. And we use the BRC and the BIT as resources for those students because they're special to us and we love them. And thank you. Special. Shout out to Professor Erica Beckford for all her great work with the course this term. In previous terms, that's great. [00:16:47] Speaker A: We mentioned a little bit about emerging technologies and of course we've done a podcast on AI recently talk about how the BIT center gives wraparound support to all of our students. We mentioned a little bit, Dr. Scott, about your lab, but are there other things we might want to highlight? [00:17:02] Speaker C: Yeah, sure. So AI is definitely one of those technologies that is disrupting the business more and we know it. Indeed we have at the School of Business a whole course that is devoted to artificial intelligence in business. At the bit, what we do is that we often offer a series of speaker series where we host companies that are supporting that transformation in the business world. For example, last year we have a series, we have this company called Brabant and they came in, it was with Dr. Milena Lavau. We host them there in one of her classes and they talk us through applications of AI. We know that in the field of business, we maybe are not coding, maybe not have that expertise, but we are the ones that are in the front end of the applications and how this going to help us save time. So we often bring those conversations to classrooms. We often also connect with our fellows in EdTech to give access to our classes to learn more about AI essentials and AI prompting. Something that we're really doing this past year is to training our faculty. We had the chance to bring our faculty to a conference in Orlando, Florida. It was like a higher education conference and how to teach AI. And I think that from the group that went there, four of us were Kendall campus faculty. So that was great. And now they brought back a lot of ideas on how to implement those. And when students come in, usually what we offer to them is workshops. We have a program that we offer as part of the VAT center and that program offers three different workshops with AI could be used either to improve or boost your marketing game, to understand topics like how to prepare for your career in the future, leveraging generative AI and many, many more. Right. So we help students to learn a little bit more about these topics like prompt engineering and so on through our hands on training. But we also help them access to certifications if that's something that they would like to acquire. [00:19:17] Speaker B: One thing to note is just how supportive we are as Miami Dade College is extremely supportive college and within global business. We work with all our students like we are so large, but we are, we have a cozy feel to us. So a student, for example, he was a Presidential Scholar and he graduated and he was going to go to continue on at a different university with a scholarship. However, due to funding, in certain situations, the funding fell through. So he looked at Miami Dade College and we jumped to support and help him. So he's staying with us. He's in our bachelor's program. He's going into the accounting concentration that we have. He's interning with kpmg. He just attended the event we had where we hosted EY and he was there able to meet people from HR from EY in the accounting world. And we're connecting them for something that's coming up in November for a further accounting intensive experience with the Big four that is coming to Miami actually. And so he will hopefully be a part of that. And so just the support that we were able to give all the faculty, the faculty had in his Silvino Barros, Professor Burroughs for the county. He had her when in his first two years here. And now Dr. De Castro in his upper division accounting classes. They've all just been able to just jump in and be supportive of the student to really make him feel like this was, this is the place for him and then he can continue living his dream and go on to a big cool school for his master's degree and that he'll be a proud alum of MDC and he'll be strong and well equipped and well prepared to work at any big accounting firm that he, that he wishes. [00:21:11] Speaker A: So it sounds like more than just what goes on in the classroom, we give our students opportunities outside the classroom, which is great for them. Talk a little bit, one of you talk a little bit about how we give students hand on opportunities. [00:21:22] Speaker C: Yeah. So something that we often do is that as Alexis mentioned earlier, the BAT center is home for a couple of student organizations and as she say, the example of Smith, Smith stands for Student Manager Investment Fund. And what this fund actually does or what this group of student actually does is that they use, they manage a real fund of like I think it's more than $50,000 and they actually trade this money usually in other colleges or universities. The group they stand like by this name, Smith, they just kind of practice or discuss on trading strategies. But in here at MDC we make sure that they have an actual fund of real money that they can trade. So these student organizations like Smith, like soda, that stands for Student Operated Digital Agency, they go and practice the things they are learning in the classrooms, the things they are learning in those certifications and they put them in place. SOTA is more like social media marketing agency, organized and ruled by students. And what they do, they host events and they also provide support to people in the community regarding their marketing strategies. Right. So like these student organizations, they give students not only a chance to learn on top of what they're learning in the classroom, but actually like transition on, like use that knowledge. And most of the organizations that are, you know, they leave or they build their community around the Business Innovation center, like Alpha or like fbla, they promote that. They try to transition just from talking about topics, but like actually have the application and build in their experience to transition to the workforce. [00:23:11] Speaker A: Thank you for that, Tavares. I want to go back to the, to the Business Resource Center. Talk more about what you see in that lab and how you guide our students to be. To be successful in class. [00:23:22] Speaker D: Absolutely. I see it as a safe space for students that can come in and actually invest in themselves along with the tutoring. We have people that come in and to help other students. We have different industries that workshops and things of that nature that we have in the Resource center as well. Our study spaces are innovative. Along with the BIT center, we use their innovative classroom for group work, group projects, in case they're real life situations that they may encounter scenarios in the classroom that we can actually act out in the actual Innovation center classroom as well. And in the case that they're in on campus and they want to do their MDC live classes, there's a space for that, you know, as well. So it's more of a safe space for them to be able to learn more and to coincide with other students along with us, the tutors, to be better students. [00:24:27] Speaker A: Yeah. And it really is an amazing space. We ought to make sure our audience knows it's on the fourth floor of Building R. Yes. And probably has maybe the best views on campus. [00:24:36] Speaker B: It does, definitely. [00:24:37] Speaker A: It's amazing sitting up there. [00:24:40] Speaker B: You see the racquetball courts. [00:24:42] Speaker A: Yeah. Just the softball fields, everything. [00:24:44] Speaker C: And he's very popular, I should say. Like, people are like from all the campuses when they come here. They say, can we use your space? Can we use your space? It's like, well, yeah, it's a dynamite. [00:24:53] Speaker A: I'd love to teach a math class up there. We've sort of talked a lot about our micro internships and our partnerships. But let's talk a little bit of how the BIT center connects with, with local business and industry. And we've talked about what goes on. It's not inside the classroom, but it's outside. So let's talk a little bit about those connections. [00:25:12] Speaker C: Yeah, sure. A great example is something that we're just piloting this year that is industry challenges. So we have the privilege that we have faculty that are very, very innovative and open to try things Even when we don't know how they're gonna go. And since this summer we, we have been partnering with faculty. At first we partner with a faculty in West Campus, Dr. Rambaran, Dr. Varun Rambaran. And he help us help this industry challenge with a AI startup. Their name of the startup is Co Creator and they have an AI agent called Hakeem that help business entrepreneurs in their journey because this journey could be very lonely and you don't have all the answers. So our students, they serve as consultants in the sense of helping these students startup on tap on new market segments and we have such a successful experience that they decided to keep collaborating. And indeed another company sums up like that other company is called Gale AI. It's like a financial platform and they are working now with Dr. Barun Rambaran but the guys from Co creator and Hakimi, they are working now with a Canada campus faculty, that is Dr. Naira Smith, that is also. Yeah, both of them are in our teacher chairs this year and they are helping now based on the learnings that the students on summer this year, this term find out they will be working on another customer discovery challenge in one of her business strategy classes. They are already like halfway of the challenge. But again it's just helping these companies get some validation on what they are building, help these companies, you know, like get some value. And also providing students with access to their tools, exposure to how AI is changing the entrepreneurial world, the managing war, the financial world. Right. So they are in the front forefront with these companies and they are giving them feedback. So these companies shape their strategies. That's like the best, I think example of like successful collaborations we have put in place. [00:27:19] Speaker A: That's great, that's wonderful. You know we've kind of hit on technology and a lot of our questions today as we kind of start to wrapping up, let's talk about the role of technology with high demand programs and how we use that in the bit center and then maybe also how we identify new technologies that support our students. [00:27:36] Speaker B: Oh, that's great. So yeah, so we incorporate technology in all of our programs. In our accounting concentration we have an accounting information systems class and our HR concentration we have HR information systems class. And we have as Yosmar mentioned, our business AI course that we have that you can take as an elective, as a lower division elective in any of the programs. So we have a lot of technology incorporated into courses officially. But also our faculty are using technology in all their courses in various capacities. And, and so you really will Be immersed in that while you're in our programs, for sure. And that exposure is necessary to work in the career landscape of today, for sure. And so the support of the BIT center that they bring is allowing students a playground to experiment in these systems so that they have experience, even with Salesforce and CRMs and different platforms, that they can already come in knowing a thing or two about when they're working in industry. And that can make all the difference to really set them apart. And our students, our programs are geared for them, you know, to get into the workplace. And the strength of the programs allows them to be confident, confident leaders when they're out there doing this because. Cause it won't be the first time they've heard something. They would have gotten exposure to it prior to starting the job. And we do a lot of career preparation. You know, we work with MDC works and we hold that of high regard, that career preparation for our students so that they are able to present themselves well. In our marketing courses, we talk about branding and, you know, being able to represent who they are and. And so it comes into play in all that they do. And we really hope that they go out there and are presenting their best selves and their true selves to be ready and competitive for the jobs ahead. [00:29:45] Speaker A: As we close here, I want to go around the table for one last question. I'm going to start with you, Dr. Scott. We have an audience that's listening to us today. What would be the one or two or three things you would tell them about our programs, about our BIT Center? You know, what would be the thing that's on your mind that would help students? [00:30:01] Speaker D: I would definitely say student awareness. Students are not as aware that these opportunities are available to. These facilities are available to them. So that is a big thing for me to get the word out there and let them know that, hey, we do have a bit Center. We do have a business resource center. We have tutors, we have industry contacts that are available to you and make use of it and access it, which. [00:30:25] Speaker A: I should probably apologize at this point for all the tours I lead and interrupt your areas. But I do love to bring tours up there because you're exactly right. It is a place that students don't realize we have. And it is a very great place. [00:30:37] Speaker D: Absolutely. [00:30:39] Speaker A: Joe, what would you say. What would be the thing you would say to somebody listening that might. They might be considering Miami Dade College? [00:30:45] Speaker C: I will say that if they go to the School of Business or if they go to the VIT center, they're Going to find somebody that, like, really cares and that their faculty, their professors, and the staff, they're going to make the most of helping them get to wherever they want to go next. Either if it's transferring, either if it's like getting a job in a big four, you're going to find this kind of, like, community of people that will help you get there. And if you have an interest, let's say you want to learn more about business intelligence, you want to learn more about AI, you want to start a club like it happens with the guys from Alpha, or you want to build your own project, you're going to find support. And even if we don't have it listed in our website, we're going to find a way, because we always find a way. But it's more a matter of, like, if you come here and you ask for help, help will come to you. [00:31:41] Speaker A: Yeah. And I think what you said, we have incredible faculty. [00:31:44] Speaker C: Right. [00:31:44] Speaker A: Really do. And staff, too. So that is great support. All right, Chair Portawanda, you have to follow those two. What would you say? [00:31:50] Speaker B: Follow when they do a saliva. [00:31:52] Speaker A: That's why I put you last. [00:31:53] Speaker B: Okay, okay, okay. I will say that Yoastmari and Tavares are both adjunct faculty for us in Global business. [00:31:59] Speaker A: You didn't tell us that in the intro. [00:32:00] Speaker B: I know. I do hire well. I find the good ones and I keep them, and then I work them very hard to be adjunct. So I will just say that, yes, so we are a hidden gem, and we're not hiding, but we're there. And so our programs are strong, they're competitive, and yes, our faculty are amazing. But just the environment is very conducive to the support that you need to be successful. College is an experience that's unique to everybody who goes through it. And so my experience years ago has been a certain way, and experience of today is definitely different. And so we stay as current as possible with how things are and working within the realities in which students are bringing their experience in. We pivoted during pandemic. We pivoted in our approach of things, and we continue to do so as needed. And so we really are on this current. And, you know, Sal's a blazing. [00:33:04] Speaker A: Well, you guys have been great today. Thank you for. For your great comments. We do like to end our broadcast with turning the microphone around, if you would like. You can ask me any question you want. And we've had a lot of fun with this. You don't have to, but I will answer anything you want. So whoever Wants to go. [00:33:19] Speaker B: That's nice. A little spin on things. [00:33:22] Speaker C: That's very cool. [00:33:23] Speaker B: Do you two have anything? I don't. [00:33:24] Speaker C: It could be like, like Dr. Stewart ask us a lot of questions about technology. [00:33:28] Speaker B: Yes. [00:33:29] Speaker C: I wonder, like, what is your favorite emerging technology and why is that? [00:33:34] Speaker A: Well, let me talk old school for a minute because I am a math teacher at heart and I'm teaching college algebra this semester. And I didn't realize it, but it's been 20 years since I actually had a classroom of my own. I've taught nursing when I was at the medical campus. Every year I did a math review and I've helped redesign math, but I didn't realize it had been that long since I was in the classroom. And I was lecturing a couple days ago, thinking about the graphing calculator, how awesome a tool that was. And so I know that doesn't answer your question. What I would say to your question is I think AI is really important because one of the things I'm teaching our honors college students and I have to give them a project. And so I used AI to help come up with ideas for them. And they're honors students, so what would you expect? But I've already had three of them present their ideas and they're incredible. And so I think, I think that AI and everything that statistics is the of one. One of my favorite courses to teach. And I always had them do a project, but college algebra is not a very easy one to do a project on. And you know, it's a requirement for an honors college class and just as few groups of students that come up with amazing ideas. So I think the AI and how we can use that in the classroom is going to really change the future. So thank you. That's a great question. [00:34:45] Speaker C: Awesome. [00:34:46] Speaker B: Love it. [00:34:46] Speaker A: Tavares, anything you want to ask? You can say no and let me out easy if you want. [00:34:51] Speaker B: What fun is that? [00:34:52] Speaker A: I know. Hit me with something. [00:34:55] Speaker D: Well, you kind of answered it. What's your favorite class to teach? Are there any other classes? [00:35:01] Speaker A: Yeah, actually my favorite class is Cal 1. I love Cal 1. Statistics is probably my favorite that just anybody would take. But Cal1, I always loved teaching that class. And actually that's what I was going to teach this semester for the honors college students. But I thought let's start with college algebra and we'll. We're building our way to that. But calculus would be my favorite to teach. [00:35:20] Speaker B: We have the business calculus class in the math department. [00:35:22] Speaker A: I've taught that a million times. Yeah, I have Some stories about that class. First time I taught it. I'll just tell a brief story. I was at University of North Texas. I grew a beard to look older, obviously, and I was 20 years old. I got my bachelor's and I was teaching business algebra. And it was an afternoon class. [00:35:42] Speaker C: It was. [00:35:43] Speaker A: University of North Texas had a lot of fraternities and sororities. And so the class was full of guys. And it was a. I'm glad I had a beard because they didn't realize how young I was. But there are a lot of stories related to that class and how. Because, you know, the business students have a different focus on the math that they need. And so I tell my students a lot of stories. If you come to my class, you'll get to hear some of those. [00:36:03] Speaker C: I will. [00:36:04] Speaker B: I'm going to do an observation. [00:36:05] Speaker A: Come on. You need to. I'm just a math faculty at that point. You're a chair. All right, what's your question? [00:36:11] Speaker B: My question is just what support does Dr. Stewart bring to global business? At Kendall, we have a pretty shiny name on our building R. And so what support we get. I know day in and day out you think of global business and how wonderful we are, but what support does Dr. Stewart bring to our department? [00:36:36] Speaker A: Well, I think, you know, now that I've been here 15 or so months, I really. The thing I see about this program, and you guys have talked about how diverse we are, how many different opportunities we have for students, but I think what I can bring is community connections. And we've done that with micro internship program. I have one with a drama program that wants to be a part of it. I'll tell you about off the air. [00:37:00] Speaker B: I love that. [00:37:01] Speaker A: But, you know, I love being in the community. I love making connections. And we have so many people, when I go to meetings that graduated from this campus. Not mdc, Kendall campus or South Campus is what I like to call. And so what I hope I can do is be a connector, because we offer so many great programs and you all have mentioned the great technology in our bit center we need. And you said it best, Tavares. We gotta let people know about what we've got. Because if we do, you know, the high schools are so many different segments of where we live. And hopefully that's what I can bring, is I can be that connector and then I can just turn over to you guys and you can make it work. [00:37:38] Speaker B: I appreciate that. And you've been doing that for us, so thank you. [00:37:41] Speaker A: Okay, well, this has been a great conversation. I appreciate you spending a Friday afternoon with me here. I want to thank my head writer, Christine Saenz, Paul Klein, our executive producer and Alex Bellows, our producer. So thank you for now and goodbye.