The eMerge Americas tech conference on Miami Beach ended today, and FIU students, researchers and leaders got a unique window into current and upcoming innovations across industries.
As a sponsor of the global event – which annually attracts some 20,000 entrepreneurs, investors, scientists and the everyday curious – FIU distributed several hundred passes to undergraduates as well as others who welcomed the chance to visit the exhibit hall and listen to hundreds of speakers, among them FIU President Jeanette M. Nuñez and Vice Provost for Defense and National Security Research Brian Fonseca. Panelists covered topics such as artificial intelligence in health care, quantum computing, cybersecurity, education for an evolving workforce and more.
FIU used the opportunity to share its most promising research in its exhibition space, which featured important updates around a pair of prominent facilities: the undersea Aquarius Reef Base stationed in the Florida Keys and a next-generation hurricane-storm surge simulator slated for future construction.
Also on hand were lead investigators from a variety of academic units who made themselves available to discuss projects around environmental resilience, cardiovascular health and more.
The university has participated in the high-powered gathering since its inception, in 2014, when organizers invited FIU to serve as an anchor.
“If we didn't have FIU’s belief and partnership from the beginning, we couldn't have gotten to where we are today,” said Melissa Medina, co-founder and CEO of eMerge Americas. She and her team have grown the event alongside South Florida’s explosion as a tech and startup hub and now organize year-round programming and pre-conference workshops.
Mike Heithaus, executive dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education and vice provost for the Biscayne Bay Campus and environmental resilience, welcomed the chance to showcase to the broader world the important work taking place in FIU labs and in the field.
“When you get a lot of innovative, creative people in a room, you want them to see the things at the university that are really cutting-edge. We want to make sure we’re there so people know FIU’s the place to come to get talent. We’re preparing our students, and we’re making the connections we need for enhancing our research and making impact.”