UTD Alums Excel in American Airlines Technology Program

Jordan Drizen BS’21 said that sometimes he must pinch himself when he realizes how lucky he is to work for American Airlines in the corporate offices near Fort Worth, Texas. That sentiment comes not only from working for a company known for its employee culture, but also because he was specifically recruited from The University of Texas at Dallas.

The American Development Program for Technology (ADEPT) aims to hire newly graduated information technology professionals and insert them into a two-year program focused on career development and acclimation into the airline’s culture and organization. Since 2016, American has recruited 32 participants from UT Dallas though ADEPT.

“Sometimes in the beginning I felt like I was being pranked because the opportunity was just too good to be true,” said Drizen, a platform engineer who studied data science at UTD’s School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

American Airlines launched ADEPT in 2007, steadily expanding the effort since. Cohorts of IT graduates selected for the program complete a two-year rotation. The program gives American a boost in the highly competitive arena of technology recruiting, resulting in more than 320 employees hired through ADEPT.

“Our recruiting process is really robust,” said Leslie Brown, a senior business analyst who manages ADEPT. “It really gives us access to diverse candidates throughout the U.S. with all different learning paths in the IT field.”

The first year of the recruits’ experience begins with an intense technology boot camp, followed by access to the airline’s managers and leadership. That, combined with networking and mentoring, provide ADEPT participants an inside look at airline operations and the importance of technology at the company.

“There were so many benefits that came with the ADEPT program, like working with a cohort of people our age who understand where you are in your career,” said Ragini Khanduri BS’22, an associate developer on the design system team who studied computer science at the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. “You have a lot of support and not just from your peers. The program pairs you with various mentors, including with directors and above, which is something you can’t get elsewhere.”

Brown said the recruits offered spots in ADEPT are valued for soft skills as much as for their tech abilities. They are looking for candidates who fill several requirements — the most important of which is taking advantage of the opportunity, she said.

“We’re looking for someone who is driven by a desire and passion for technology, but also someone who will thrive in the program,” Brown said.

In the second year of ADEPT, the cohort, which is divided into small groups, pitches special projects to leadership. Khanduri and Drizen worked together on the Red Team, which adopted a project to enhance American’s internal online travel tool known as Travel Planner. The tool is the one piece of technology that nearly every employee uses regardless of position to take advantage of the airline’s free employee travel benefit.

One of the tool’s most popular features was a map showing American Airlines flights that was discontinued during the coronavirus pandemic. After employees requested the return of the route map, the feature was reimagined by the Red Team.

“We were given a completely open-ended question when looking for a project,” Drizen said. “Find something that will bring value to American Airlines. And that’s what we did with the travel tool enhancements.”

Brown said the projects are good learning experiences involving teams working with groups across the company. Various ADEPT teams, like the Red Team, had to think about who would manage a project once it was completed.

“What they’re looking for is support from the team that will own it,” Brown said.

During the duration of the year-long project, members meet one day each week, allowing teams to dedicate 20% of their work hours to the effort.

“The project gives you experience from a financial standpoint, from the developmental side and the project management side, and from the perspective of convincing people that it’s worth it,” Drizen said.

“We presented our project to C-suite leadership, so we were getting face time at pretty much the highest level,” Khanduri said. “But the most exciting part was being able to deliver for our fellow employees.”

Both Khanduri and Drizen have graduated from ADEPT and remain in technology roles at American. Brown and her team will continue recruiting for the 2026 ADEPT cohort this fall when they begin visiting university career fairs, including the Jonsson School Internship and Job Fair at UT Dallas in September. Brown said she will be looking for fall 2025 and spring 2026 graduates and said the program also considers referrals to American for ADEPT.

“I think we are definitely achieving our goal for the program,” Brown said. “We’re looking for advocates for American Airlines technology, and we’re looking for people who want to be leaders in their field.”

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