Chidinma Ezugwu, one of our PhD students, and two PhD students from Education Research Methodology (ERM) recently formed a team, “Campus AI Solutions”, to compete in the UNCG AI Innovation Challenge. Their advisor was Dr. Malistitso Moteane from ERM. This prestigious competition, hosted by the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Research Development, celebrates creativity and forward-thinking ideas in the field of artificial intelligence. They were selected as one of six finalists and presented their work to a panel of judges on Friday October 24th. The team put forward an AI-powered tool, SpartyWiz, as a groundbreaking solution designed to help UNCG students navigate all aspects of college life more efficiently. Unlike other AI tools, SpartyWiz goes beyond general responses; it provides personalized guidance, directions, and advice specific to UNCG’s diverse community. The tool employs advanced large language models and retrieval-augmented generation systems to deliver fast, precise, and inclusive responses, with accessibility at its core. Not only did the team earn second place in the competition, but they also won the Viewer’s Choice Award voted on by attendees to the final event. We are very proud to have one of our PhD students collaborating with ERM and playing a key role in this tremendous achievement. The top three teams will receive funding to further develop their projects and showcase the evolved work at ResearchCON 2026.
