University of Advancing Technology's Official Technology Blog

What an incredible semester we've had! As we wrap up the spring term, I wanted to share some of the amazing achievements and developments that made the first part of 2026 memorable.

A Historic Start to 2026

On February 14 our official mascot Wrath the Wyvern landed; you can read his origin story at uat.edu/wrath. Don’t worry, though! Max our resident “catscot” is still hanging around the Quad.

After starting the year with a game jam, February also brought our AZStruT Refurbishing event. At this event, UAT students refurbished over 75 computers for the Cartwright School District, making a difference for hundreds of students across the Maryvale district.

A major theme of this semester was competition, and our students absolutely delivered. During Arizona Tech Week, our teams dominated multiple events:

• Jerrod Bolton, Jeremy Demoranville, Isabela Teck, and Jonathan Meija-Vanegas won the Student Technology Showcase with their application Nexus at the AI Meets Electronic Manufacturing Symposium

• Paul Esparza, Philander Atkins, and Jyun Wei (Mason) Wang earned top honors and the University Prize at the AZ Research and Innovation Expo (hosted here at UAT) for their project "BeforeTech: The Physical Foundation for Digital Lives”

• Our VEX U team is currently competing at Worlds in St. Louis.

Looking Ahead

True to our Mission, we're constantly upgrading our campus. The Founder’s Hall movie theater was renovated last month, and the summer semester will bring students a brand new Manufacturing Innovation Lab which will house a Tormach 770 commercial CNC mill.

Ahead of the 2026 Commencement Ceremony, we’re excited to host Honorary Doctorates Dara Gibson (CEO, Cybersecurity Readiness Advisors) and Austin Carson (Founder, SeedAI) for dinner with students that are part of our prestigious Honors program.

The summer term is packed with opportunities! We have camps, community projects, and our Vibe Coding Jam in June. Whether you're a current student or considering UAT, there are plenty of ways to get involved.

Congratulations to the UAT graduating class of 2026!

Valerie Cimarossa

Chancellor, University of Advancing Technology