Kennesaw State secures grant to build community of AI educators

(Press-News.org) The International Data Corporation projects that artificial intelligence will add $19.9 trillion to the global economy by 2030, yet educators are still defining how students should learn to use the technology responsibly.

To better equip AI educators and to foster a sense of community among those in the field, Kennesaw State University Department Chair and Professor of Information Technology (IT) Shaoen Wu, along with assistant professors Seyedamin Pouriyeh and Chloe “Yixin” Xie, were recently awarded two National Science Foundation (NSF) grants. The awards, managed by the NSF’s Computer and Information Science and Engineering division, will fund the project through May 31, 2027 with an overarching goal to unite educators from across the country to build shared resources, foster collaboration, and lay the foundation for common guidelines in AI education.

Wu, who works in Kennesaw State’s College of Computing and Software Engineering (CCSE), explained that while many universities, including KSU, have launched undergraduate and graduate programs in artificial intelligence, there is no established community to unify these efforts.

“AI has become the next big thing after the internet,” Wu said. “But we do not yet have a mature, coordinated community for AI education. This project is the first step toward building that national network.”

Drawing inspiration from the cybersecurity education community, which has long benefited from standardized curriculum guidelines, Wu envisions a similar structure for AI. The goal is to reduce barriers for under-resourced institutions, such as community colleges, by giving them free access to shared teaching materials and best practices.

The projects are part of the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot, a White House initiative to broaden AI access and innovation. Through the grants, Wu and his team will bring together educators from two-year colleges, four-year institutions, research-intensive universities, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities to identify gaps and outline recommendations for AI education.

“This is not just for computing majors,” Wu said. “AI touches health, finance, engineering, and so many other fields. What we build now will shape AI education not only in higher education but also in K-12 schools and for the general public.”

For Wu, the NSF grants represent more than just funding. It validates KSU’s growing presence in national conversations on emerging technologies. Recently, he was invited to moderate a panel at the Computing Research Association’s annual computing academic leadership summit, where department chairs and deans from across the country gathered to discuss AI education.

“These grants position KSU alongside institutions like the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Pennsylvania as co-leaders in shaping the future of AI education,” Wu said. “It is a golden opportunity to elevate our university to national and even global prominence.”

CCSE Interim Dean Yiming Ji said Wu’s leadership reflects CCSE’s commitment to both innovation and accessibility.

“This NSF grant is not just an achievement for Dr. Wu but for the entire College of Computing and Software Engineering,” Ji said. “It highlights our faculty’s work to shape national conversations in AI education while ensuring that students from all backgrounds, including those at under-resourced institutions, can benefit from shared knowledge and opportunities.”

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