It all started with a handheld, electronic game of “20 Questions.” That’s what sparked Dallas Watkins’s lifelong fascination with technology.
The toy used a basic artificial intelligence decision tree, and while the young Watkins didn’t realize it as a child, his experience put him on a path that would place him at the center of AI policy for the entire state of Michigan.
“I fell in love with AI as a kid, and I never even knew it,” Watkins said. “All this buzz about AI in the news — I just knew this is exactly what I wanted to do.”
The Goodrich native followed his interests to the military, across two continents, and back home to pursue his education at the University of Michigan-Flint. He served five years in the Air Force, from 2017 to 2022, working as a helicopter crew chief and mechanic. While on active duty, he enrolled at UM-Flint and completed three years of online coursework. After returning home, he finished his Bachelor of Business Administration in international business management and human resources management.
Soon after completing his undergraduate work, UM-Flint’s College of Innovation & Technology announced a new master’s program in artificial intelligence, and something in Watkins stirred.
“The moment I heard about it, I knew right away I wanted to learn more,” Watkins said. “The next morning, I reached out for information, attended an open house, and submitted my application the following day. I was thrilled to be among the first students accepted into the new program.”
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In 2021, UM-Flint marked its 65th anniversary, celebrating its position as one of only three campuses of the world-renown University of Michigan. Today, the campus continues to undergo a transformation as it grows academically with new undergraduate and graduate degree offerings, expanding partnerships with local and regional entities and industries, and remains committed to the ideals of diversity, equity and inclusion by making an affordable, accessible education possible to the community.
