The Tech Titans is an organization in North Texas where individuals fascinated by technology can come together to “connect, promote, educate, legislate, and innovate” with the brightest tech innovators. The Tech Titans hold their annual awards to recognize the most impressive innovators. This year, we proudly share, The University of Texas at Dallas Office of Information Technology Department’s own Amanda Pritchard has been nominated as a Finalist for the annual Tech Titans Awards under the category: Tech Titans of The Future – University.
What innovative project did Pritchard submit to the Tech Titans? The Microsoft Ambassador Program.
The Microsoft Ambassador program was piloted in the Spring of 2021 at The University of Texas at Dallas in response to students’ requests for additional assistance in the transition to remote and hybrid education. It became clear that a cohesive systematic approach of peer mentoring and long-term guidance would have the greatest impact, create a ripple effect in empowering others to provide IT assistance, and offer long-term solutions by elevating the knowledge and skills of the student body.
This program was recently recognized as a finalist in the annual Tech Titans Awards under the category: Tech Titans of The Future – University. This award category spotlights North Texas higher educational institutions’ technology-related curricula and incentives to perpetuate tech-related knowledge transfer.
Program founder, Amanda Pritchard, states:
“The mission of the Microsoft Ambassador program is to meet students at their level, cultivate collaborative solutions for the challenges of academics and research, and elevate the foundational knowledge of programs so students are empowered to perform at their best.”
After completing the program, students enhance their confidence with Microsoft apps, earn certificates from Microsoft and special badges from UTD to recognize them as stellar ambassadors. Find out more about the program and ways to apply at utd.link/ambassador
“Having the program recognized validates the hard work of the students who commit their time to learn additional skills, research product features, and present their findings. It is an honor to know this program is impactful to students during their collegiate studies and beyond.” – Pritchard
Earlier this year in August, Pritchard received the Texas Association of State Systems for Computing and Communications (TASSCC) Project Excellence Award for the Microsoft Ambassador Program. This award officially made Pritchard’s project a state-recognized program. Undoubtedly, Pritchard greatly contributes to UTD’s rich, informative, and memorable engagements with students.