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Hi, I’m Ron Vallejo, an AI Engineer, IT professional, and educator based in Rexburg, Idaho. I currently serve as the AI Engineer for Brigham Young University-Idaho, where I research and develop AI solutions to drive digital transformation across campus. My work involves designing intelligent automation systems, evaluating use cases for AI integration, and building support agents using platforms like OpenAI, Anthropic, HuggingFace, and others—leveraging both private and open-source models via API or local inference.

I’m also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Computer Science at BYU-Idaho, where I teach Introduction to Programming and help students discover the power and possibilities of technology through hands-on, project-based learning.

With a background in IT management and a deep passion for innovative tech, I combine my development skills with architectural strategy to assess and implement AI-driven solutions that improve cost, quality, experience, and reach—the guiding principles of our campus AI strategy. I’m also navigating life and leadership with ADHD, and I’m passionate about helping others grow, adapt, and lead through their own challenges.

I’m also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and my faith in Jesus Christ is central to everything I do. If anyone would like to know more about my faith, the Book of Mormon, or simply wants to discuss beliefs, please reach out! Just as importantly, I’m a husband and father of five, navigating life with ADHD while striving to turn its challenges into strengths.

BYU-Idaho Department of Information Technology (Feb 2025 – Present)

• Develop, test, and deploy AI solutions aligned with institutional goals, including cost-effectiveness, scalability, and user experience.
• Design and orchestrate AI agents to augment university operations, integrating with tools like TeamDynamix, Canvas, and Jenzabar.
• Build with a range of LLM technologies including OpenAI, Anthropic, HuggingFace, and local open-source models.
• Lead architectural strategy for AI integration and knowledge management using vector databases, semantic search, and prompt engineering.
• Partner with departments to identify opportunities for automation and intelligent systems that support enrollment, retention, and innovation.

BYU-Idaho College of Computer Science (current)

• Redesign the Introduction to Programming (CSE 110) course to incorporate a project-based learning approach, allowing students to build and develop a fully functional Python application over the semester.
• Developed Python-Tutor, a free Python programming tutor powered by advanced generative AI technology.
• Enhance course structure to cater to non-Computer Science majors by demonstrating the practical applications of programming in various fields, thus inspiring a broader appreciation and passion for technology.
• Integrate generative AI tools to assist with problem-solving, equipping students with cutting-edge skills relevant to the rapidly evolving tech landscape.
• Inspire students to find relevance and application of technology to bring more value to their personal and professional lives.

BYU-Idaho Department of Information Technology (Sept 2017 - Feb 2025)

• Pioneer the implementation of AI Chatbot technologies, significantly enhancing customer support and operational efficiency.
• Develop the IT Help Center, consolidating IT service management into one integrated web application and improving user access to support resources. developed using TeamDynamix
• Integrate the Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) methodology into incident and service management using TeamDynamix (ITSM), resulting in an average of 80% zero-day resolution.
• Engineer automation solutions to augment departmental effectiveness, streamline IT change management, and reduce manual workload.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT B.S. graduated

College of Business and Communication
Brigham Young University - Idaho

IT MANAGEMENT M.S. studying

College of Information Technology
Western Governors University

🚀 Check out Python-Tutor, an AI application I developed for my students enrolled in my Intro to Programming course at BYU-Idaho.

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