K-State Digital Summit at Fort Riley to showcase next-gen higher education digital innovation
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
MANHATTAN — Kansas State University is hosting a digital summit at Fort Riley for the local military community to explore digital innovation and next-gen academic programs.
Transitioning soldiers, active-duty military members, veterans and their families from Manhattan, Junction City, Salina and surrounding communities are invited to the K-State Digital Summit at Fort Riley from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 24. Soldiers can register for the event at k-state.edu/digitalsummit.
The immersive event will include hands-on workshops led by faculty experts representing digital innovation in media, cybersecurity, computer science, integrated computer science, entrepreneurship and innovation, digital media technology, marketing technology, digital media user experience design, social media management and digital engagement.
Participants will experience simulations in educational pathways to the digital world that include mobile app development, artificial intelligence, marketing technology, digital business and others.
The Digital Summit at Fort Riley will also feature community engagement presentations from the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas Employer Exploration Program and the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce as well as a campus engagement panel with student and faculty veterans as well as representatives from the university's Office of Recruitment and Admissions; Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging; Office of Military and Veterans Affairs; and Military-Affiliated Resource Center.
"Soldiers possess knowledge, discipline, team-building, collaboration and leadership skills gained from their military service," said Alan Boyer, assistant director of digital innovation in media in the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication. "The Digital Summit at Fort Riley introduces the educational pathways, support and resources that provide a bridge for soldiers to play key roles in the digital workforce in Kansas."
The Mid-America Regional Council and Zippia project that Kansas and regional employers will need to hire more than 40,000 graduates during the next 10 years with blended digital skills for the jobs of today and the future. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 1.7 million digital media-related jobs will need to be filled by 2030. In addition, the bureau reports that the annual entry-level salaries for digitally skilled professionals reach more than $111,000.
"K-State and the 52,000-person military community at Fort Riley are important regional assets for employment, professional development, quality of life and community development," said Art DeGroat, director of K-State's Office of Military and Veterans Affairs and the Military Affairs Innovation Center. "The digital summit presents K-State's collective expertise in digital innovation across the university, demonstrating more educational pathways to gainful employment, independent lifestyles and social readjustment for transitioning soldiers and their families."
The workshops, simulations, presentations and panel at the summit will help soldiers better understand what is required for a range of careers in the digital space, including careers in cybersecurity, mobile app development, digital marketing management, social media, digital art, digital brand strategy, software development, animation, data analysis, game design, digital brand or product management, and digital business analysis.
"The Digital Summit at Fort Riley will demonstrate how each of the digital programs across the university can provide every degree- and certificate-seeking soldier with applied learning experiences, fulfilling our commitment to prepare all learners for life," said Chris Culbertson, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "We're excited to meet the soldiers and their families at the digital summit that builds on our strategic partnership with the 1st Infantry Division."
The Digital Summit at Fort Riley is an interdisciplinary collaboration between K-State's College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business Administration, Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, Salina campus, Sunderland Foundation Innovation Lab and Office of Military and Veterans Affairs. It expands the community partnership renewed in 2023 between K-State and the 1st Infantry Division.
