On April 23, representatives from Pitt Information Technology and Amazon Web Services (AWS) will gather at the Tech Building on Fifth Avenue to officially launch an exciting new partnership: the University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences and Sports Analytics Cloud Innovation Center, powered by AWS.

This initiative — one of only four higher education AWS CICs in North America, and the first on the East Coast — will unite the strength of a leading tech pioneer with Pitt’s Schools of the Health Sciences, Athletics department, and Pitt IT. It is an exceptional opportunity for the University and select Pitt students to help develop cutting-edge applications that address the latest challenges in healthcare and sports.

Mark D. Henderson, Pitt’s Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer, describes the broader vision: “The Cloud Innovation Center will connect cutting-edge technology with real-world solutions to support our researchers’ efforts in health sciences, equip our students with the skills they need for an AI-driven future, and enhance the performance of our sports programs and athletes.”

Empowering Students with Real-World Experience

At the heart of the Cloud Innovation Center is student involvement. This initiative will offer paid internships, providing invaluable experience starting this summer, as well as opportunities for fall. Maria Fassinger, who began her career as an AWS-CIC intern and is now a solutions architect at AWS, underscores the impact the Center can have on all involved. “The CIC provides students with a unique opportunity to architect solutions applicable to real-world challenges alongside seasoned AWS technical advisors. Not only will the students’ efforts benefit Pitt and the broader community, the students will also benefit from gaining hands-on experience in an environment promoting collaboration between University and corporate talent.”

Becoming involved with the Cloud Innovation Center is a unique chance to advance your education and kickstart your professional career. Pitt alum Maciej Zukowski (Computer Science/Economics, ’12), a solutions architect at AWS, wishes a CIC had been around when he was at Pitt. “This is a phenomenal opportunity. The AWS CIC takes learning further by letting students work directly with real users, deliver actual prototypes, and see immediate feedback, while also gaining access to cutting-edge AWS tools. That hands-on experience is something you don’t usually get in traditional coursework.” Students from other CICs have presented at major conferences, landed impressive job offers, and really jump-started their tech careers. “It’s a golden opportunity to stand out and build something meaningful.”

Maria Fassinger (far left) and Maciej Zukowski (far right) with the first Pitt AWS CIC interns (R to L):
Mohammed Misran, Rowan Morse, Varun Shelka, Roman Koshovnyk, and Vincent Niedermayer

Using AI and Analytics to Advance the Health Sciences and Athletics

The Pitt-AWS CIC will collaborate closely with the Schools of Health Sciences and Pitt Athletics to find innovative solutions that propel their work forward. Anantha Shekhar, Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences sees the potential to revolutionize healthcare through technology. “This partnership with AWS represents Pitt Health Sciences’ dedication to pushing the boundaries of data and AI applications across our six schools,” Shekhar says. “By integrating cutting-edge technology with our vast research capabilities, we will drive transformative solutions that improve health outcomes and accelerate medical breakthroughs.”

This opening marks the first AWS innovation center with a focus on athletics. The CIC will utilize AWS's data infrastructure to support game strategy and enhance student-athlete performance through data-informed decision-making. "Athletics has been working closely with Amazon for several years to build our analytics tools. This will be a great step forward to be able to do more experimental work in this field,” says Richard Turnquist, Assistant Athletic Director for Data and Analytics. “We are honored to be a partner.”

Help Shape the Future of Technology, Healthcare, and Sports at Pitt

Pitt students interested in this pioneering journey can apply for internships at the CIC and with Pitt IT. For more details and to apply, visit pi.tt/itjobs.