EAB honors Dallas College with Technology Pioneer Award for its groundbreaking use of AI and data to support student outcomes 

Dallas, Texas -- Dallas College has been named a national leader in student success innovation, earning EAB’s Technology Pioneer Award at the company’s Connected25 conference in Orlando, Florida.   

This recognition highlights Dallas College’s bold use of technology and data to remove barriers, support students and drive record success. The award also includes a $1,000 student scholarship donation, which will be distributed to students through Dallas College Foundation.  

Dr. Karen Stills, Dallas College senior associate vice chancellor of student success, accepted the award on behalf of the institution.  

“At Dallas College, innovation isn’t just a goal — it’s a key ingredient for student success. By harnessing cutting-edge technology, we discover new and creative ways to connect with students and break down barriers that threaten their success,” Dr. Stills said. “This award recognizes our team’s commitment to leveraging technology to build supportive pathways toward success, at scale.” 

Ninety-six percent of Dallas College Student Success leaders have completed professional development focused on data concepts and culture, and more than 50 Student Success professionals were selected for an inaugural Artificial Intelligence Innovation Collective designed to enhance AI fluency.  

Recent student success outcomes include: 

• 78% persistence rate, the highest in the college’s history 
• More than 19,000 credentials awarded in the 2024-2025 academic year 
• 36% increase in reverse transfer credential awarding 
• 45% increase in data-mined credential awarding 
• 44% increase in attendance at New Student Orientations from 2024 to 2025 
• 55% increase in first-year students completing a career or transfer engagement milestone 
• 92% of first-year students have a program of study (10% increase)  
• 84% of first-year students have a documented career or transfer goal 
• Success coaching team supported more than 200,000 student sessions 

These achievements were made possible through the integration of data and AI-driven tools into student support strategies, enabling real-time insights, personalized outreach and timely interventions. 

Key technologies include: 

• EAB Navigate 360: Summarizes data, monitors student progress and generates reports for targeted communication and support  
• EAB Journeys: Creates personalized action plans based on student goals 
• EAB Forage: Offers virtual job simulations to support career exploration 
• EdSights: Launched “Ellie,” an AI powered virtual assistant who engages with first-year students to capture their needs and feedback 
• Waitwell: A virtual waiting room that empowers staff to triage student needs and connect them to appropriate support 

“As pressures on higher education mount, EAB’s university partners are embracing AI-driven technology to modernize operations, make better use of data and enhance student support,” said Scott Schirmeier, EAB president of technology. “Our 2025 Student Success Collaborative Award winners demonstrate how AI-enabled tools help staff elevate the student experience, improve graduation rates and launch more students into successful careers.” 

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About Dallas College  

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025, Dallas College consists of seven campuses — Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake and Richland — plus a dozen centers located throughout Dallas County. As one of the largest community colleges in the U.S., Dallas College offers online and in-person learning, serving more than 127,000 credit, workforce and continuing education students annually. Students benefit from partnerships with local school districts, four-year universities, industry and community leaders. Dallas College offers associate degrees and career/technical certificate programs in more than 100 areas of study, as well as bachelor’s degrees in education, nursing and software development. As the largest provider of dual credit in Texas, Dallas College serves 30,000 high school students through 63 dual credit programs.   

About EAB 

At EAB, our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger. We work with more than 2,800 institutions to drive transformative change through data-driven insights and best-in-class capabilities. From kindergarten to college to career, EAB partners with leaders and practitioners to accelerate progress and drive results across enrollment, student success, institutional strategy, data analytics, and advancement. We work with each partner differently, tailoring our portfolio of research, technology, and marketing and enrollment solutions to meet the unique needs of every leadership team, as well as the students and employees they serve. Learn more at eab.com.