Mission & Vision
Mission
We empower the College and our community to leverage emerging technologies to inspire learning, foster innovation, and create robust opportunities to share in a vibrant, human-centered future.
Vision
To lead purposeful and transformative innovation in Southwest Florida and beyond, equipping individuals and communities with the knowledge, skills, and ethical foundation to thrive in an interconnected world shaped by emerging technologies.
How We Serve the College and Community
- Providing Opportunities for Students to Use and Understand Emerging Technologies: Equip students with hands-on experience and understanding of cutting-edge tools to prepare them for a globally interconnected workplace.
- Providing Opportunities for Faculty to Use and Understand Emerging Technologies: Support faculty in gaining fluency with new technologies to enhance their teaching and research.
- Providing Opportunities for Faculty to Integrate Emerging Technologies into Their Research and Teaching: Empower faculty to embed emerging technologies into their courses and research projects to drive innovation in academic practice.
- Supporting the Development of a More Agile College by Streamlining Institutional Processes: Leverage technology to create more efficient systems and workflows, enhancing the College’s adaptability.
- Fostering a Collaborative and Innovative Culture Collegewide: Promote a spirit of collaboration and innovation among faculty, staff, and students through cross-departmental initiatives and projects.
- Providing Opportunities for Community Members to Upskill: Focus on skill development to bridge technological gaps in the local community and workforce.
- Fostering a Collaborative and Innovative Culture Community-Wide: Extend the culture of collaboration and innovation beyond the College, fostering partnerships and community engagement.
- Providing Thought Leadership About New Technologies as They Develop: Position the Institute as a leader in emerging technology discussions, sharing knowledge with the College and broader community.
- Providing Leadership for the Implementation of New Technologies as They Develop: Drive the adoption and integration of emerging technologies, ensuring the College and our region stay at the forefront of innovation.
- Inspiring Learning and Fostering Innovation through State-of-the-Art Facilities: Maintain cutting-edge technological infrastructure to support research, learning, and collaboration.
- Promoting Ethical, Healthy, and Human-Centered Use of Technology and Data: Ensure that the use of technology, data, and AI within the College follows the highest standards of ethics and security.
- Facilitating Industry Collaborations and Partnerships: Build strategic partnerships with industry, government, and community organizations to create transformative initiatives.
Our Team
Anna Haney-Withrow is the Director of the Institute, where she plays a pivotal role in fostering a collaborative and innovative culture at the College and beyond. With a rich background in teaching and learning design, Anna has a proven track record of leadership in both the private sector and academia, bringing deep thinking and boundless energy to educational innovation and cross-sector partnerships.
Continuing to teach in the Humanities, she integrates artificial intelligence and other tools to deepen students' engagement with art, literature, and philosophy. Her commitment to education maintains a strong focus on the dynamic relationship between students and teachers, ensuring that human-centered pedagogy and values remain at the core of technological advancement.