Higher Education

OnGov, an AI startup supporting government service delivery solutions, hosted the first-ever 1776 Labs in Philadelphia. There, a variety of technologists developed civic tech solutions with AI.

A year after issuing a $1.5 million grant to a data center project proposed by Indian River State College, the Florida Department of Commerce accused the college of deceiving state officials into funding the campus.

Seven Pennsylvania universities, the state government and the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center are coordinating shared AI and quantum computing infrastructure to boost research and industry collaboration.

Opened last year as part of the Montana Digital Academy, a lab at the University of Montana conducts AI training events and incorporates evolving tech like AI and virtual reality into schools where it makes sense.

With so many academic programs for cybersecurity still playing catch-up, the bipartisan, bicameral Cyber Ready Workforce Act would create a grant program to support registered cybersecurity apprenticeships.

A 148,000-square-foot facility set to open in the 2026-27 academic year will have research and teaching laboratories with technology supporting the biology, chemistry, geology, math, physics and astronomy disciplines.

The university's new facility will feature four research labs and two classrooms for student entrepreneurs interested in energy, digital health care, infrastructure, cybersecurity, food security and applied computing.

Colleges are using artificial intelligence to augment student advising and analyze data, but some experts warn it could confine their thinking by steering them toward statistically common paths.

The one-year-old dashboard helps students plan their path to college while also offering a treasure-trove of educational and career data. The state also has increased the tool’s accessibility.

The Minnesota State university system may receive $1.5 million a year for “automatic identity proofing” software that uses biometrics, document authorization and behavioral analysis to verify financial-aid applicants.

In the second phase of its partnership with IBM, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will develop new algorithms that enable classical and quantum systems to work together to solve complex problems.

As AI creates uncertainty around specific technical skills, universities and employers are rethinking how to embed AI fluency, real-world experience and soft skills into education through private-public partnerships.

A new 120,000-square-foot complex will house 15 departments, including programs for computer science, medical assisting, electrical engineering, and air conditioning and refrigeration technology.

A major insurer is partnering with the University of Connecticut for a range of projects, from energy-tech research to the use of artificial intelligence and smart-city tech to improve workplace safety.

At the national level, data on workforce development programs is housed in several different systems, creating administrative work for universities. Experts recommend unifying those systems without an act of Congress.

A private Jesuit university in California is developing a new AI center to advance research in areas such as health care and medical imaging, information access, intelligent robotics and human-computer interaction.

Penn State Berks will use a recent donation to establish the Foster Excellence in STEM Fund, which will support partnerships with K-12 districts and outreach programming to introduce kids to STEM subjects.

Some experts say interactions with artificially intelligent “aliens” could be developmentally damaging. As such, learning technologies need to balance anthropomorphism with objectification and engagement with separation.