AI Futures in West Michigan: Talent, Research, and the GVSU–Van Andel Institute Partnership
Join us on Wednesday, September 16 (10 AM to 3 PM, DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health, downtown Grand Rapids) for a full-day event connecting workforce decisions to research discovery in West Michigan's fast-moving AI landscape.
In the morning session, Hire or Reskill?, the audience becomes the hiring panel. AI is transforming healthcare, research, and biomedical organizations faster than many teams can hire for it, so who should employers hire, and who should they reskill? You'll review realistic candidate profiles and vote live. Industry leaders then reveal how they would make the same call, unpacking the skills, gaps, and judgment calls shaping hiring in the AI era. Afterward, explore a showcase of AI-in-healthcare projects developed by GVSU students, including clinical data tools, predictive models, and biomedical research applications, with outstanding projects eligible for recognition from industry panelists and program leaders.
Panelists include:
Dr. Tim Triche, Van Andel Institute
Dr. Erica Gobrogge, Van Andel Institute)
Dr. Surender Rajasekaran, Corewell Health
Natalie Walther, HealthWest
Gautam Subedi, NxGen MDx
Jeff Dickinson, BAMF Health
In the afternoon, stay for refreshments and a continued showcase of student and Van Andel Institute research posters, then join us for a major moment: the launch of the new AI Research and Innovation Institute (AIRAI) and PhD collaboration between GVSU's College of Computing and the Van Andel Institute, bringing two of West Michigan's leading institutions together to advance AI research and innovation. Faculty from both institutions will share their work in fast-paced lightning talks, offering a window into the ideas shaping AI's next chapter, from healthcare to data science to the future of human–machine collaboration.
Whether you're a student, educator, clinician, hiring manager, or researcher, you'll leave with a clearer picture of the skills that matter most, the partnerships driving discovery, and where West Michigan fits in the AI story. We can't wait to see you there.
Refreshments will be provided!