Vertically Integrated Projects Session Showcases CRIZM’s AI-Driven Support for Student Learning

Adam Ortiz and Professor Alex Doboli

The Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Program Student Information Session at the Stony Brook University College of Engineering and Applied Sciences drew a full room of undergraduate and graduate students interested in joining long-term, multidisciplinary research teams. Representing CRIZM as a Faculty Mentor, Adam Ortiz, Department Coordinator for Electrical and Computer Engineering, joined Faculty Mentor and Professor Alex Doboli to introduce students to the VIP model and its role in connecting coursework with sustained research experiences.

During the session, Adam Ortiz and Alex Doboli outlined how VIP teams enable students to contribute to complex, real-world projects over multiple semesters while collaborating closely with faculty, graduate students, and peers from across disciplines. For Electrical and Computer Engineering students, VIP offers opportunities to engage with advanced systems, strengthen technical and professional skills, and prepare for careers in industry, research, and public service.

CRIZM was highlighted as a key example of how VIP teams can leverage emerging technologies to improve teaching and learning. The CRIZM group is developing AI-powered tools designed to provide more meaningful coding feedback, support scalable grading in large courses, and offer instructors better insight into student learning patterns. Through VIP, students not only benefit from these tools in their coursework but also participate directly in the design, testing, and deployment of the software.

Adam Ortiz, who is also a graduate student in the Tech, AI & Society (TSM-MS, Resilience & Sustainability) program, emphasised that initiatives like VIP help transform classroom concepts into impactful research, software, and community-focused innovation. The event underscored the department’s ongoing commitment to experiential learning and socially aware engineering education.

 

ECE Coordinator and Faculty Mentor Adam Ortiz explaining CRIZM to students.

Special thanks were extended to Leanne DeMay-Pouliot, M.S., and the Stony Brook University College of Engineering and Applied Sciences team for organizing the VIP Student Information Session and for championing hands-on learning opportunities at Stony Brook University.

Audience at the VIP Session