Ideation Session: With the Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate and the Nittany AI Student Society

---

Join the Nittany AI Alliance for a fast-paced ideation session to spark cross-disciplinary solutions for the Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation’s Prize for AI Innovation in the Built Environment. This session also serves as an on-ramp to the Nittany AI Challenge—use it to shape a Challenge-ready problem statement, meet potential collaborators from across Penn State, and learn about timelines, resources, and next steps for submitting your idea. The “built environment” spans everything we design, construct, manage, regulate, and sustain—homes and high-rises, labs and classrooms, infrastructure and transit, public spaces, and entire urban systems. If you’re curious about how AI can make these places more affordable, sustainable, resilient, accessible, and human-centered, this session is for you.

What you’ll do:

• Hear from subject matter experts on the real-world challenges and emerging opportunities for AI in real estate and the built environment—from capital investment to operational intelligence
  • Gary Brandeis, CEO and Founder of Scholar Hotel Groups
  • Chingwen Cheng, Director of the Stuckman School
  • Gavin Evans, Partner at Skylight Real Estate
  • Eppie Vojt, Chief Data & AI Officer at West Shore Home
• Work in groups through guided prompts to frame a problem, sketch concepts, and pressure-test value, feasibility, ethics, and impact.
• Pitch mini-concepts for feedback and find collaborators for the Cocoziello Prize.

Who should attend:

• All Penn State students—no AI or coding experience required.
• Ideal for students in:
  • Architecture, architectural engineering, civil/environmental, mechanical/electrical, industrial, and construction.
  • Computer science, data science, IST, HCI, cybersecurity, and robotics.
  • Business, finance, supply chain, real estate, and entrepreneurship.
  • Earth and Mineral Sciences, geography/remote sensing, energy, and sustainability.
  • Public policy, law, community development, and social sciences.
  • Health and human development, hospitality management, human factors, communications, arts, and design.

You’ll leave with:

• A clear problem statement and a first concept aligned to the Cocoziello Prize.
• Potential teammates from multiple disciplines.
• Feedback, next steps, and resources for developing a scalable, high‑impact solution.

Bring:

• Your perspective (technical, creative, analytical, entrepreneurial, civic).
• A laptop is helpful but not required.
• Examples from your class, lab, internship, or community experience.

Check out these “IDEA SPARKS” to get your wheels turning prior to the event:

• Design: Generative space planning for inclusive classrooms and labs; AR/VR and digital twins to co-design accessible wayfinding.
• Construction: Computer vision for site safety and progress tracking; robotics-assisted installation; predictive models to reduce waste and delays.
• Operations: RL-optimized HVAC for comfort + energy; IAQ sensing for healthy buildings; tenant experience assistants that protect privacy.
• Policy & compliance: LLM copilots for zoning, permitting, codes, and environmental review with auditable fairness and safety.
• Resilience & ESG: Geospatial AI to map flood/heat risk; embodied carbon tracking; microgrids and demand flexibility at campus scale.
• Housing & equity: Tools to align affordability with quality of life; displacement risk mapping; community engagement platforms.
• Mobility & logistics: Smart curb/parking, micromobility safety, accessible routes, and last‑mile delivery that reduces congestion.
• Capital & investment: AI-driven tools to identify, acquire, and optimize building assets; predictive models for development ROI; platforms for transparent investor reporting and ESG-aligned portfolios.

 

**Light refreshments will be provided.

Registration