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Sagnik Dakshit bags Texas Innovator's Award for AI teaching platform
The Virtual Teaching Assistant delivers 24/7, course-specific AI tutoring using instructor-approved materials while helping educators track student progress and comprehension.
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Bhavana P - Mon, 27, Jul 2026
- 17:45 EDT
- 27
Sagnik Dakshit / Kennesaw State University
Indian-American researcher and academic Sagnik Dakshit has received the Texas Innovator's Award for developing an AI-powered platform designed to enhance student learning and empower educators.
Dakshit, a faculty member in Kennesaw State University (KSU) College of Computing and Software Engineering, was recognized for creating the Virtual Teaching Assistant (VTA).
VTA differs from publicly available AI tools by generating responses solely from course materials uploaded and approved by instructors rather than information gathered from the internet. Integrated with a university's learning management system, the platform provides students with 24/7 access to course-specific support while helping reduce the risk of misinformation.
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The platform also enables instructors to identify concepts students find challenging by analyzing trends in their questions. It can highlight topics that require additional explanation and help universities identify students who may be disengaging before they fall behind academically.
"It means a lot to me because the work is contributing to students' learning and outcomes. As educators, our primary goal is to understand how we can address our students' needs, make their learning more efficient, and help them have successful careers,” Dakshit said.
Darryl Ahner, dean of the College of Computing and Software Engineering, said the recognition reflects Dakshit's innovative research and its potential to transform higher education through responsible AI and personalized learning.
"VTA has the potential to transform how universities support students by combining responsible artificial intelligence with personalized learning,” Ahner said.
The award honors research Dakshit completed during his tenure at the University of Texas at Tyler with support from an internal grant at UT Tyler; VTA has expanded into pilot studies across multiple courses.
Dakshit is continuing to enhance the platform at Kennesaw State, including exploring integration with Desire2Learn and future features that could recommend coursework aligned with students' career goals.
"AI is not here to replace us. It is about finding the points where AI and humans work well together,” he said.
Dakshit holds a Btech from the West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata and a PhD from the University of Texas at Dallas.
The annual Texas Innovator’s Awards celebrate researchers and entrepreneurs whose technology offers meaningful solutions to real-world challenges.
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