Aug. 18, 2025 Grand Rapids Community College is expanding its artificial intelligence offerings with a new Associate of Applied Arts and Sciences degree and a hands-on capstone course developed in collaboration with West Michigan businesses. Thanks to a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), GRCC will launch a three-year initiative focused on helping students apply AI to real-world business challenges. The capstone course — beginning in winter 2026 — will be open to both students enrolled in the new  Associate of Applied Science (A.A.A.S.) degree in artificial intelligence and those pursuing GRCC’s  AI certificate . “GRCC has a longstanding relationship with the business community,” said Dr. Kristi Haik, dean of the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and co-investigator of the grant. “We want to help our local business partners understand and apply the technology. We also want to create real experiences for our students so they enter the workforce with demonstrated competence in AI applications.”  GRCC was one of only 45 institutions nationwide selected to receive the competitive grant, which required detailed plans and measurable outcomes for the duration of the three-year program. Twenty local businesses wrote letters of support as part of the grant application process. Those same organizations also committed to work with GRCC students on the development of an AI project and create relevant, real-time learning opportunities. “We are very grateful to the 20 West Michigan businesses that wrote letters of support for our application,” said Jonnathan Resendiz, assistant professor in the Computer Information Systems Department and faculty director of GRCC’s AI Incubator. “Each one of them also committed to work with our students on the development of an AI project. They see the tremendous value of learning about the technology while investing in an educated workforce.” The capstone course will span seven weeks and serve as the culmination of students’ AI education at GRCC. While not an internship, the course will provide valuable experience working end-to-end on a live AI model — from problem scoping and data gathering to deployment of an AI solution. “The capstone course is seven weeks long, so the projects will be scaled appropriately,” Resendiz said. “Typical projects might include development of a chatbot, automating social media posts, summarizing customer data or similar work. Students will work in small teams to create the AI application using data the business partner provides. Once the project is complete, students will hand it over for deployment.” Over the course of the grant, GRCC expects to educate 60 students through the capstone course. “We plan to have students meet with our local business partners to help define the AI project,” Resendiz said. “Students will learn to ask questions, identify project parameters and create an implementation plan. Then they will use real business data to model the AI solution that has been identified.”   “By connecting with our West Michigan business community, we can structure education that meets their workforce readiness needs,” he added. “Our students will have experience creating a live application, and the company benefits from the result. There is no commitment to internship or employment through this project. It is a collaboration designed to be a win-win.” Jennifer Wangler, vice president of technology at The Right Place, has partnered with GRCC to help align the program with regional workforce needs. “As we continue to see tremendous growth in our regional tech sector, this funding will be instrumental in ensuring we have the skilled technicians and professionals needed to support that expansion,” Wangler said. “Through my work at The Right Place and with the Technology Council of West Michigan, I've seen firsthand how critical it is to align educational programs with industry needs. This grant will strengthen that connection, providing students with cutting-edge training while giving our local employers access to job-ready talent. It's exactly the kind of strategic investment that will keep West Michigan competitive in the rapidly evolving technology landscape.” The program is designed not only to provide GRCC students with resume-ready experience in AI, but also to help businesses explore how artificial intelligence could improve their operations. Throughout the process, GRCC will contribute to the growing body of educational tools and industry collaborations shaping the future of AI workforce development. “We are honored to play a significant role in fueling West Michigan’s tech hub status,” Haik said. “All the data points to AI as an important technology for businesses, and that means an upward trend in employability for people who know how to deploy it.” Grand Rapids was recently named the No. 1 city to grow a career on LinkedIn’s inaugural “Cities on the Rise” list, with strong momentum in industries like technology, healthcare, manufacturing and insurance creating a wealth of career opportunities for both new and experienced professionals. West Michigan businesses that are interested in partnering with GRCC to create an AI application through this capstone course are invited to contact Jonnathan Resendiz at jonnathanresendiz@grcc.edu . Learn more about the  Associate of Applied Science (A.A.A.S.) degree and  Artificial Intelligence Certificate at GRCC. 

Aug. 14, 2025 Yasmina came to GRCC with a passion for science, especially biology. Then she met professor Tari Mattox and fell in love with geology. Ultimately, she chose to pursue an  Associate Degree in Pre-Environmental and Sustainability Studies so she could pick and choose the pieces from geology and biology that she wanted to pull into a career.  Yasmina graduated in December of 2023 with  high honors . As important as that milestone was for her, she willingly sacrificed the graduation ceremony for something even better: a four-month research project in Alaska. The program, “ Scientists in Parks, ” places aspiring professionals across the National Park System to contribute to natural resource management needs.  “I bumped into the Alaska opportunity and knew I had to take it,” Zimmer said. “I spent the spring and part of the summer of 2024 in Denali National Park working as a natural research assistant, monitoring the behavioral changes of animals in response to human interaction.” After a brief break, Yasmina enrolled at University of Michigan for the winter 2025 semester. There she connected to another incredible opportunity in her field, helping to teach high school students at  Earth Outreach summer camp . That’s when serendipity really started to manifest itself.  “Each year, groups of Earth Outreach campers visit the Upper Peninsula, Wyoming and Ann Arbor to explore geologically significant sites,” Zimmer said. “This year, I was one of the people who took 12 students to the Upper Peninsula. For me, the coincidence of that location was almost too much to believe. My honors project with Professor Mattox focused on the rocks from several outcrop locations we visited. I have to say, I was pretty geeked! It was a moment I’ll never forget.”  Yasmina notes that each of the young campers found something interesting during the trip.    “Most people don’t really know what geology is,” Zimmer said. “But once someone explains it and you see what’s involved, your eyes are opened to how you can use it. As one of the students with me said, ‘I don’t know if I’ll become a geologist, but at least now I know what it is.’ I know that not all these kids will become earth scientists, but it was great exposure for them, especially since they saw how excited the geologists were about it.”  From an educational perspective, Yasmina notes that GRCC gave her all the skills to take advantage of these opportunities, and many more to come. “Tari Mattox is such a fantastic professor and so good at her job,” Zimmer said. “She helped me discover a passion for geology that I didn’t know I had. I also learned how to do research, and got the opportunity to attend a Community College Summer Fellowship program at U of M. That experience convinced me that U of M was the right place to continue my education.” Yasmina hopes that one day, the students from Earth Summer camp will remember how important places like the Upper Peninsula are in earth’s history.  “I never dreamed I would have the opportunity to influence and educate younger people so soon in my career,” Zimmer said. “It’s just one more proof to me that I am on the right path.” Learn more about  Pre-Environmental and Sustainability Studies at GRCC.