Building the Technology Workforce of Tomorrow with the "Digital Green" AI Tools of Today
Students, faculty, staff, and special guests gathered in the Oakland Dining Room on August 20 to celebrate the graduates of the Digital Green Technology Professional Training Program. The capstone event included a networking lunch, and certificate recognition.
"The intersection between cloud computing and artificial intelligence represents one of the most transformative forces reshaping the global economy and workforce landscape," said Dr. Dugwon Seo, Associate Professor, Engineering Technologywho secured a grant from Con Edison, 2026 Digital Green Technology Professional Training Program: Generative AI Fundamentals & Cloud Computing. "This program prepares students to seize the growing opportunities within the green economy, equipping them with the skills to drive innovation in clean energy and contribute to a more sustainable, efficient, and economically resilient future.”
Students worked together to develop AI and cloud-powered solutions to address world energy and sustainability challenges. Dr. Seo, also the Program Director of the Green Technology Academy at Queensborough, added, "We are excited to welcome our special guests who have joined us today, as students take the next important step in their professional journeys."
Dr. Paul Marchese, Professor, Physics, offered insights into the promising future of clean energy careers and introduced Queensborough President Christine Mangino, who offered congratulatory remarks.
"Today's ceremony honors what our students have accomplished and serves to celebrate what can happen when educational institutions and industry partners come together around a shared commitment to access the opportunity of workforce development," said President Mangino. "This program exemplifies that mission."
Richard Davis, Government and Community Relations, Con Edison, said," Con Edison has invested in green workforce trade programs across CUNY, and I especially enjoy returning to QCC because I get a chance to see the incredible talent that exists here."
A student presenter, Jonathan Odiadi, enrolled at Queensborough in the spring of 2025 to major in Computer Science. "The Digital Green training program taught me how to utilize the real-world experiences from my team when building the software, analyzing areas that might be overlooked when they are affected by climate as well as how to keep a project moving even when something doesn't work the first time."
Jonathan also reflected on the computer science program and his decision to switch his major to Business. "What excited me most wasn't the code itself; it was understanding how technology decisions affect a business and its customers. I'd like to work at the intersection of tech and business, something like product management or business analysis, where I can use the technical foundation that I built while focusing on strategy and the bigger picture.”
And he had this to say about his decision to attend Queensborough: "I'm from the Bronx and despite the long commute, QCC made sense for me because it let me get a strong, affordable start on my degree. It gave me room to figure out what I wanted to focus on before committing to a four-year school." Jonathan plans to graduate from Queensborough in Spring 2027.
Michael Lawrence, a Lecturer in the Engineering Technology department, was the instructor for the Green Cloud/AI cohort, built on a long-running QCC–AWS collaboration. The Zoom course was conducted through AWS Cloud and Generative AI Foundations.
“Cloud and AI skills are the on-ramp skills to the next decade of work,” said Michael. "This is one of the larger cohorts QCC has run; the broader QCC–AWS partnership has trained an estimated 3,000–4,000 people over the years."
Another student presenter, Kate Vasilevskaya, said, “This program was important to me because it gave me the opportunity to turn what I was learning about AWS cloud technologies into a working project and to see firsthand how cloud computing and AI can address business challenges while promoting more responsible use of resources and reducing environmental impact. I plan to continue growing as an IT Business Systems Analyst, combining my analytical and technical background with cloud and emerging technologies to build user-centered solutions that solve real-world problems, create meaningful business value, and support a more sustainable future.”
Students who presented their original research and analytical projects on clean energy themes:
- Group 1: Christopher Lee, Peter Solarin, Monica Evanchik
- Group 2: Oluwatosin Amodu, Markita Reed, Yulin Ning, Diah Anggraini
- Group 3: Mario Peart, Trisha Debnath, Alla Cheidvasser, Antoinette Taylor
- Group 4: Kate Vasilevskaya, Jake Park
- Group 5: Jonelle Rivalsi, Jonathan Martinez, Katiria Astorga, Jonathan Odiadi, Bianca Magloire
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