FIU's Hack Day 2025

Context

Selected to serve as a Team Champion for FIU Hack Day and Ideation Sprint, representing FIU Online in a university-wide initiative focused on reimagining the Prospect Journey—the critical sequence of touchpoints that influence how prospective students and their families discover, evaluate, and ultimately choose to enroll at Florida International University.

Problem

The Prospect Journey presented several challenges impacting student decision-making and institutional efficiency:

• Fragmented communication across departments

• Lack of clarity and consistency in how information is delivered

• Friction points within inquiry, follow-up, and decision stages

• Limited personalization in early student engagement

• Siloed workflows reducing responsiveness and transparency

Faculty and Leaning and Design staff actively collaborating at FIU's Hackday

Actions Taken

• Facilitated a Process Hack session, guiding teams through identifying friction points and improvement opportunities

• Led structured collaboration using the Challenge Dossier, ensuring clarity in roles, tasks, and deliverables

• Promoted balanced participation and sustained team momentum

• Leveraged tools such as Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and AI platforms to support real-time ideation and rapid prototyping

• Captured and synthesized ideas into actionable outputs, including:

  • One-page solution summary

  • Two-minute student-perspective video

• Ensured alignment with key priorities: student-centered design, data-informed decision-making, and cross-unit collaboration

  
  

Framework

Applied a Design Thinking and Process Improvement framework grounded in:

• Empathy & Student-Centered Design – Prioritizing the needs and perceptions of prospective students and families

• Journey Mapping – Identifying key touchpoints, breakdowns, and opportunities across the Prospect Journey

• Data-Informed Insights – Leveraging analytics and institutional knowledge to guide decisions

• AI-Enhanced Ideation – Exploring emerging technologies to personalize and streamline engagement

• Cross-Functional Collaboration – Reducing silos and improving communication flow across departments

  
  

Impact

• Contributed to a more streamlined, transparent, and student-friendly Prospect Journey

• Strengthened cross-functional alignment and shared understanding across university units

• Delivered actionable solutions that support improved communication, efficiency, and personalization

• Elevated FIU Online’s role in institutional innovation and strategic initiatives

• Demonstrated leadership in facilitation, strategic thinking, and scalable design practices aligned with FIU’s mission of access and student success