OCTOBER 20, 2023 — A project between UTSA and Six Flags Fiesta Texas is getting the word out about some high-tech experiential opportunities available to students.
The ESIX Gaming Arena is a development between University Technology Solutions’ (UTS) Bold Careers Program, Roadrunner Gaming at UTSA and Six Flags. The arena has created experiential learning opportunities for Roadrunner gamers working for the venue, while also providing access to high-end gaming hardware to park-attendees.
With the esports field valued at over $1 billion—including players, teams, and sponsorships—there is a growing push for universities to embrace gaming, according to Vanessa Hammler Kenon.
“Partnerships are vital to keep up in the growing fields of esports and experiential learning,” said Kenon, who is the UTS associate vice president of technology compliance and community engagement.
ESIX was recently in the spotlight, during the 2023 Govtech Leadership Summit. UTS joined forces with TechTables, a design and technology podcast, to bring Govtech to San Antonio.
TechTables Founder Joe Toste said that the purpose of the summit was “to build upon the research excellence of the university with a real-time collaborative roundtable and boldly jumping into the future at the ESIX gaming arena at Six Flags Fiesta Texas.”
Local attendees included Craig Hopkins, chief information officer for the City of San Antonio; Jo Ana Alvarado, director of innovative technology for Opportunity Home San Antonio, formerly known as the San Antonio Housing Authority; and Kendra Ketchum, vice president for information management technology and CIO at UTSA.
The event, which was also a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, featured a dinner at Mi Tierra Café y Panaderia. The dinner was an opportunity for participants to show their support for the city’s Hispanic leaders. The gathering at Mi Tierra also served to honor UTSA, a Hispanic Serving Institution that recently received recertification of the prestigious Seal of Excelencia.
For students enrolled in the Bold Careers Program, the summit was a chance to witness first hand exchanges of idea among participants.
“The leadership summit was a great opportunity to talk and connect with chief innovation officers from public and private sectors across the country on a more personal, comfortable environment compared to job fairs,” said Jacques Ballou, a student in the BBA cyber security program and Bold Careers intern. “I especially enjoyed listening to the panels on business management, leadership development and cybersecurity.”
By 2028, UTSA aims to have 75% of its students participate in one or more experiential learning opportunities. Initiatives such as the UTS Bold Careers Program are helping the university to reach that goal.
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The DMPTool is a free online resource that helps researchers create data management plans. This workshop will cover the main components of DMPs and how to create them using the DMPTool. Attendees will learn to: locate templates by funding agency, add research collaborators, and identify institutional guidance.
Virtual Event (Zoom)Join UTSA Libraries and Museums to learn more about the publishing discounts available for UTSA researchers. Current agreements include Elsevier, Cambridge University Press, Wiley, and more. Bring your questions and feedback for the library as we continue to pursue partnerships with publishers to reduce costs for our researchers.
Virtual Event (Zoom)This is an opportunity for our campus community to come together to champion, encourage, and increase awareness about character development during the college journey! You will hear from two inspirational presenters; you will have time to network with other faculty, staff, and students; and your presence will show support for leadership and character education & for our students.
Denman Ballroom (SU 2.01.28), Student Union, Main CampusCitation managers such as Zotero® can help you store and organize the citations you find during your research. Zotero can also generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual Event (Zoom)Have questions about making your OER accessible on UTSA Pressbooks? The OER Team and the Digital Accessibility are ready to answer them! Bring your questions about OER and accessibility and receive guidance from our two teams.
Virtual Event (Zoom)In this workshop, attendees will be introduced to Pandas, a Python tool for working with data easily. It makes it simple to organize and analyze information when data is organized and categorized, like spreadsheets or tables.
Group Spot B, John Peace LibraryDía en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.
Sombrilla Plaza, Main CampusThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
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We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
