Proximity and Partnership: InfoSci Hosts Arizona Tech Council Mixer at U of A’s Scottsdale Center

Proximity changes what’s possible. When students, industry leaders, researchers and decision-makers share the same room, ideas move faster and futures feel closer.

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That was the atmosphere at the University of Arizona Scottsdale Center on January 29, 2026, as more than 140 industry leaders, entrepreneurs, students, faculty, alumni and community partners gathered for the Arizona Technology Council’s Q1 VIP Tech Mixer, hosted by the College of Information Science (InfoSci). The evening reflected the college’s objectives of strengthening workforce pipelines, translating research into real-world impact and positioning information science as a catalyst for Arizona’s growing technology ecosystem.

The Scottsdale Center, designed as a gathering place for community and business leaders in Maricopa County, reflects the U of A’s land-grant mission in action. It is a space intended to reduce distance—geographic, institutional and professional—by promoting engagement, exchanging ideas and fostering collaboration across the state. Hosting the mixer there allowed InfoSci to do exactly that: place students, faculty, staff and alumni within reach of Arizona’s technology leaders.

For the college, proximity is not incidental, it is strategic. The event was intentionally designed to advance core objectives around workforce development, industry partnership and student success. Liz Marsalla, InfoSci career and engagement strategist, emphasizes that the mixer was as much about building long-term relationships as it was about opening doors.

“At the College of Information Science, we focus on preparing students who can navigate—and contribute to—the workforce,” she says. “Partnering with the Arizona Technology Council allows us to create meaningful connections with industry, showcase our student talent and identify ways our students, faculty and research can support real-world challenges for mutual benefit.”

That philosophy extended directly to students. Marsalla brought three InfoSci students—Jiya Singh, Humza Sheikh and Veronika Kyles—to participate in the event, ensuring they were not observers but active participants in Arizona’s tech community. “When students connect directly with professionals in their intended fields, their education becomes tangible,” she says. “They can see how their skills apply in meaningful ways and how close they are to the careers they’re working toward.”

The timing of the mixer amplified its impact. Held immediately following a meeting of the Arizona Technology Council’s Board of Directors, the event placed students, faculty and college leadership in close proximity to industry decision-makers shaping Arizona’s technology landscape. The mixer also created space to highlight the college’s dynamic, community-oriented programs, including the Arizona Cybersecurity Academy and AI Core—two initiatives that reflect the college’s applied approach to technology education. Led by professors Paul Wagner and Robert Honomichl, the Arizona Cybersecurity Academy brings together education, research and workforce development to help secure Arizona communities while cultivating tomorrow’s cyber and artificial intelligence professionals. AI Core, led by Ash Black, director of AI, XR and student success, extends that work by advancing responsible, hands-on engagement with AI and emerging technologies in ways that directly support student success and industry needs.

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As InfoSci Director of Strategic Partnerships and External Relations Susan Kaleita notes, the college’s work naturally sits at the convergence points shaping Arizona’s future: “So many of the challenges we face in Arizona today are at the intersection of people, data and technology—right where the College of Information Science thrives. Events like these help us find partners to connect our research and students to the needs of industry and our communities, such as through sponsoring capstone projects.”

From the Arizona Technology Council’s perspective, proximity to educational partners is essential to sustaining Arizona’s innovation economy. Darryle Emerson, Arizona Technology Council director of programs and events, highlights the value of that relationship. “We truly value our partnerships with Arizona’s educational institutions,” he says. “They play a vital role in workforce development and offer incredible resources to our tech community, including the valuable programs the University of Arizona provides to our members.”

As Arizona’s premier networking and trade association for science and technology, the Arizona Technology Council represents more than 750 organizations and convenes approximately 100 events annually focused on areas such as cybersecurity, clean technology and AI. Its mission to make Arizona the fastest-growing technology hub in the nation depends on exactly the kind of closeness the mixer created.

In Scottsdale, proximity did its quiet work. Students met employers. Research met industry need. Conversations opened pathways. And the College of Information Science demonstrated how bringing people together—physically, intellectually and purposefully—can move technology, and the state, forward.
  

Ready to partner with the College of Information Science? Contact Susan Kaleita, director of strategic partnerships and external relations, at kaleita@arizona.edu or 520-621-0570.