What is NEXIS?

NEXIS is a student-run team of undergraduate and graduate students at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies (iSchool). Every year, our members explore emerging technologies through innovative and collaborative research projects to develop real business applications. Throughout this process, these students have the opportunity to grow skills such as project management, research, design thinking and more. We are also an active part of the Syracuse community by hosting and participating in workshops, hackathons, and other events.

Our Mission

“The pursuit of collaborative research in the spirit of student-driven discovery and innovation in the information field”

Our Mentality

Be Curious
Ask more questions. Learn new skills and topics. Explore industries and technologies to make new discoveries.

Be Innovative
Look at problems from new perspectives. Find creative solutions using an empathic and user-focused approach.

Be Collaborative
Leverage your peers’ strengths and knowledge to succeed. Be open to new perspectives.

Our Project Process

Exploration

Phase 1 – Our members explore emerging technologies: How does it work? How is it currently being used in real industries? What problems currently exist? We focus on a user-focused approach while removing boundaries to allow for free thinking and curiosity.

Ideation

Phase 2 – NEXIS students will ideate different potential applications. They ask ‘What if?’ and ‘What Wows’ and focus on an empathic approach to potential solutions. By encouraging failure, students rapidly come up with ideas through ideation exercises such as mind-mapping and innovation tournaments. Then, they will measure each application’s disruptiveness and feasibility to select one final idea.

Development

Phase 3 – In the last phase of the project, our members will develop a minimum viable product for their final application. In order to accomplish this phase, our members implement agile project management, learn new technical skills, and work collaboratively.

Pitchouts

At the end of each semester, NEXIS members ‘pitch out’ their projects to the iSchool Dean, faculty, and students. Using the GE Pitchout style, students develop a 1-slide, 5-minute pitch to share their project to potential stakeholders.