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Pitt Cloud Innovation Center, Powered by AWS

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The University of Pittsburgh Cloud Innovation Center (CIC), powered by AWS, partners with Pitt faculty, staff, and researchers to turn real-world challenges into open-source AI solutions. Our student developers, supported by solutions architects, take on problems from across the university and build proof-of-concept tools using the latest in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Have a challenge worth solving? We want to hear from you.

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Opportunities for Faculty and Staff

Solve Your Next Problem

University leadership, staff, and administrators are invited to suggest ideas for future projects. Do you have a process that could be improved? An idea for an innovative project to support research? Give the CIC a chance to tackle your next challenge.

Submit Your Project
Opportunities for Students

Shape the Future

A CIC internship provides hands-on experience at the apex of technology and innovation. Work on cutting-edge projects, solve real-world challenges, and collaborate with industry experts in a pioneering environment.

Apply Today

Made Possible by the CIC

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Guided by Pitt and AWS Leadership

The Cloud Innovation Center is guided by a team from Pitt Digital and AWS who bring technical expertise, faculty insight, and program support to every project.

Dwight Helfrich
Dwight Helfrich

Senior Application Architect, Pitt Digital

Oversees the enterprise technology work that connects the CIC to Pitt's broader AI initiatives.

Varun Shelke
Varun Shelke

AI Solutions Architect, Cloud Innovation Center

Builds the AI-powered systems behind CIC projects, from data pipelines to production tools.

Kate Ulreich
Kate Ulreich

Lead, Digital Marketing Strategy, Pitt Digital

Manages CIC operations and supports project success through outreach.

Annette Vee
Annette Vee

Faculty Liaison for AI Enablement, Pitt Digital

Bridges faculty research and teaching needs with the CIC's project work.

Joe Yun
Joe Yun

Chief AI Architect, Pitt Digital

Leads Pitt's AI strategy and helped bring the first CIC on the East Coast to campus.

Maciej Zukowski
Maciej Zukowski

Solutions Architect, AWS

A Pitt alum who now guides CIC student developers through AWS's cloud and AI tools.

Innovation that Inspires

The CIC pairs student developers with real challenges from across campus — building open-source AI solutions that make a difference at Pitt and beyond. Whether you're looking to bring an idea to life or gain hands-on experience making it happen, we'd love to work with you.

Submit a Project

1st on the East Coast

1st on the East Coast Founded in 2025, Pitt’s Cloud Innovation Center is the first and only center of its kind on the East Coast.
students at computers

6 open-source solutions in year one

6 open-source solutions in year one The CIC's solutions are all publicly available for anyone to use or build on.
students at computers

AWS tools with Pitt talent

AWS tools with Pitt talent Student developers work alongside AWS architects to build AI solutions using industry-leading cloud technology — at no cost to the Pitt community.

Open to anyone with a challenge

Open to anyone with a challenge Faculty, staff, administrators, and researchers from any department or program at Pitt are invited to submit a project idea.

Turn a brief meeting into a lasting solution

Turn a brief meeting into a lasting solution Project sponsors contribute two short interviews, relevant data samples, and a few hours of mentorship — the CIC team handles the rest.
students pointing to computer monitor

Real experience, from day one

Real experience, from day one CIC student developers build quality solutions using AWS technologies and work on real projects with real stakeholders.
Advancing the Plan for Pitt 2028

Turn Ideas Into Action

"The Plan for Pitt calls on us to lead at the intersection of technology and innovation — for the whole University, not just one corner of it. The Cloud Innovation Center is one of the clearest ways we're doing that today."

— Mark D. Henderson, Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer, University of Pittsburgh

Mark Henderson