Syracuse University today announced the launch of a sweeping for Fall 2026, giving students an unusually complete set of pathways into one of the most consequential fields of the century.

The portfolio includes standalone �����������ǰ�’s and �������ٱ��’s degree programs, cross-disciplinary minors, hands-on co-curricular opportunities and research that together make up a single, coherent ecosystem.

“While AI degree programs are proliferating nationally, few institutions are bringing the full picture to market at once,” says , vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer. “This is an entire environment for students who want to master AI and shape what it becomes. Whether they want to build the technology, govern it or apply it to a wide range of disciplines, there is now a clear path for these students at Syracuse.”

Academic Opportunities in AI

The Syracuse AI portfolio includes new and degrees in artificial intelligence science; a new �����������ǰ�’s degree in ; a �������ٱ��’s degree in ; seven AI minors; a broad research portfolio across multiple schools and colleges; and a peer-led bootcamp designed to provide students with hands-on AI experience as soon as they arrive on campus.

“Artificial intelligence isn’t confined to a single classroom or discipline at Syracuse University—it’s woven into how our students learn, how our faculty conduct research and how we prepare graduates for a workforce being reshaped by this technology,” says , senior vice president for digital transformation, chief digital officer and interim dean of the . “From new degree programs to cross-campus research initiatives, we’re building an AI portfolio that reflects both the urgency and the opportunity this moment demands.”

The breadth and depth of this portfolio are what distinguishes the Syracuse approach. The �����������ǰ�’s in integrative artificial intelligence is designed for students who want to combine AI with other interests, from public affairs to design to the life sciences. The seven new minors let students in any major add AI fluency in areas like policy, ethics and data. And the AI Bootcamp, a student-led program offering stackable microcredentials, provides students with AI immersion even before they declare a major.

Students are also driving the momentum through the student-led AI organization, United AI, which gives undergraduates hands-on research experience through its Foundry program, cross-campus education initiatives and direct partnerships with leading AI companies.

“Students don’t experience AI as a single subject, and we didn’t want to teach it that way,” says , interim dean of the and associate provost for academic programs. “We built this portfolio so that a future engineer, a future policymaker and a future artist can all find a serious path into AI here and can start the moment they arrive on campus.”

Robust Research

Syracuse University boasts a robust and growing portfolio of research and creative activity related to artificial intelligence. With work spanning engineering, computer science, law, public policy, communications and the humanities, faculty and students are applying AI to challenges ranging from cybersecurity and health care to media literacy and the arts. This interdisciplinary momentum reflects the University’s commitment to advancing AI research that is both technically rigorous and grounded in real-world impact.

“Our faculty are not studying artificial intelligence in the abstract,” says , vice president for research. “They are building systems that detect synthetic media, investigating how algorithmic decision-making affects communities, developing new approaches to cybersecurity and creating new AI capabilities beyond today’s large language models. Students who come to Syracuse will learn from researchers who are actively shaping how AI is built, governed and understood.”

Learn more about artificial intelligence at Syracuse University by visiting .

University researchers with groundbreaking ideas in semiconductors, microelectronics or advanced materials are invited to apply for an entrepreneurship-focused hybrid course offered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program through Syracuse University this fall. The virtual course, which runs through September and October, includes an opportunity for an in-person immersion experience at SEMICON West, North America’s premier microelectronics conference, in San Francisco in October.

Interested working individual researchers and innovators .

The course provides hands-on entrepreneurship training and one-on-one coaching tailored to researchers working in far-reaching sectors that are critical to the next generation of semiconductor innovation. Successful applicants will be researchers working on solutions to enhance the performance and efficiency of electronic devices with applications to semiconductors across industries including big chip fabrication projects, consumer electronics, automotive, telecommunications, healthcare, artificial intelligence hardware and high-power materials.

Applications might range from 3D integrated circuits, system-on-chip integration and computing chips for tasks like pattern recognition, learning and sensory processing. Big data and machine learning innovations are also of interest, as well as conventional semiconductor design and manufacturing applications. The course benefits anyone interested in being part of the research, design, commercialization and supply chain associated with these industries.

Offered jointly by Syracuse University and Cornell University as part of the Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps), this NSF-sponsored course is open to faculty, postdocs, Ph.D. and �������ٱ��’s students, undergraduates and community-based startups working on semiconductor-related technologies with commercial potential.

Syracuse’s NSF I-Corps program is a partnership between and . The Syracuse Center of Excellence () serves as tech scout for the program.

The course opens for pre-course work on Monday, Sept. 21, and will follow this schedule:

Virtual:

Session 1: Monday, Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. to noon

Session 2a: Wednesday, Sept. 30 (individual mentoring sessions)

Session 2b: Friday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to noon

Session 3: Wednesday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. to noon

Session 4: Wednesday, Oct. 7 (individual mentoring sessions)

In-person at SEMICON West in San Francisco:  

Tuesday, Oct. 13, through Thursday, Oct. 15

Virtual wrap-up:

Session 6: Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 10 a.m. to noon

Teams selected to participate may receive up to $5,000 in travel reimbursement, enabling participants to conduct in-person customer discovery interviews and attend specialized workshops during SEMICON West. Participation in this conference provides unmatched exposure to global industry leaders, cutting-edge technologies and potential collaborators or customers. Conference attendees include executives, engineers, startups and policy leaders shaping the future of chips.

Participants who complete regional courses may be eligible to receive lineage and a letter of recommendation for the  which includes a $50K grant). Learn more about courses here: and .

For questions about this SEMICON course, contact Linda Dickerson Hartsock, advisor for strategic initiatives for Syracuse University Libraries, at ldhart01@syr.edu

A recent major investment in Syracuse University research infrastructure has resulted in the installation of a field emission scanning electron microscope in the University’s (MRC) facility. The instrument has introduced dramatic new imaging capabilities to researchers at the University and at partner institutions in the region.

The new instrument demonstrates the University’s commitment to supporting and enabling cutting-edge research in important fields like biomedical engineering, materials science and quantum computing, says , director of research operations in the .

The Zeiss will serve researchers across disciplines and career stages, from advanced undergraduates and graduate students to postdoctoral scholars and faculty. The Zeiss also supports the campus research group and Central New York’s rapidly expanding semiconductor and quantum technology ecosystem. The instrument was funded by a $335,000 investment by the Office of Research, the and individual faculty contributors.

On Campus and Beyond

The microscope is part of the Office of Research’s efforts to build shared, core facilities available to users across the University and the greater Syracuse region, says , vice president for research. “Strong core facilities are a force multiplier for our outstanding faculty and student researchers, providing access to state-of-the-art scientific instruments without the burden of having to purchase and maintain them individually.”

“For researchers who once drove an hour to use a scanning electron microscope, that capability is now right here, benefiting researchers on our campus, in our community and throughout the region,” Steinbacher says. It also serves as a recruiting tool because it demonstrates to prospective graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty that state-of-the-art instrumentation is readily accessible at Syracuse, he says.

A Billionth of a Meter

Its resolution of 1.6 nanometers means the Zeiss can zoom down to the nanoscale, revealing details as small as a billionth of a meter, sharp enough to capture images of computer chip components, nanoparticles, bacteria and living cells, Steinbacher says.

It captures the shape and texture of an object’s surface in detailed, three-dimensional images versus thin cross-sections of materials. Because its electron beam works at lower energy levels, the microscope also offers highly detailed viewing of soft or non-metallic materials that typically are difficult or impossible to examine with older equipment, Steinbacher says.

Conventional electron microscopes require samples to be stripped of all moisture and placed under high vacuum, but some materials fall apart or change when dried out. Zeiss permits variable pressure imaging, so air pressure inside the imaging chamber can be adjusted to view samples that aren’t bone-dry. That lets researchers examine hydrogels, drug-delivery particles and biological samples in a more natural state. That capacity did not previously exist at Syracuse University or other area institutions, according to Steinbacher.

Who Will Use It

Biomedical and chemical engineering researchers can use the microscope to examine polymer film morphology. Environmental scientists can image rocks and fossils. Others will use it for battery technology research and catalyst design. The group and scientists in electrical engineering, computer science and physics can conduct device characterization—testing device effectiveness and checking for flaws.

, technical director of the , says the Zeiss enables exciting new levels of research. “It lets researchers image the surface appearance of synthetic materials, such as polymers or other engineered materials, and biological samples, such as cells, tissues and organisms, at higher resolution and better definition compared to existing instruments in the area.”

The instrument “is a critical addition to Syracuse’s growing suite of fabrication and characterization tools for next-generation quantum technologies,” says , assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “We’ll use it to image our superconducting devices at the nanometer scale, hunting down the surface defects and contaminants that limit their performance.”

, assistant professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, says the Zeiss will assist in prescreening superconducting qubit devices—the tiny, ultra-cold circuits that are the building blocks of quantum computers—from device batches fabricated elsewhere. “That will help us focus on the most promising devices and let students make the connection between the abstract shapes they draw on computer screens and the actual footprints of the tiny electrical circuits their designs imprint on the chips.”

For more information about of University instruments and facilities, visit the Core Facilities webpage.

Understanding of copper formation means examining material forged at depths of nine to 19 miles beneath the Earth’s surface. Remarkably, Emerson Long ’26 has spent the past year recreating those conditions in a campus lab.

Long is a double major in geology and physics in the (A&S). She and her faculty mentor, , professor of petrology and experimental geochemistry in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, have spent the past year examining how copper behaves when magma (molten rock) and fluid coexist at the crushing pressures and temperatures of the lower continental crust.

The work has implications that reach far beyond the laboratory. That’s because copper is used in modern and clean energy technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, lithium ion batteries and LED lighting.

“While my research doesn’t directly relate to finding and extracting copper deposits, it does give us a better understanding of the entire system for copper deposit formation,” Long says. “It’s really exciting to me to contribute to that understanding in some way.”

Going Deep to Understand the Surface

Copper deposits near the Earth’s surface that are extracted from mines are formed when copper-rich hydrothermal fluids move upward through the crust and deposit minerals along the way. Those fluids originate much deeper in the Earth’s magmatic systems, where molten rock and aqueous fluid coexist under intense heat and pressure. Long and Thomas are studying how copper splits itself between magma and fluid at those extreme source conditions.

Previous research on copper partitioning has focused on shallower, upper-crust-level conditions. This project goes beyond prior work to assess what happens at conditions equivalent to those found in the lower continental crustal source regions where magmas are generated. It’s a largely unexplored frontier in the study of copper deposit formation.

High-Pressure Science

To simulate those deep-Earth conditions in the lab, Long runs experiments in piston-cylinder devices, instruments capable of generating extraordinary pressures and temperatures found miles underground. When an experiment concludes, the magma cools into a glass and the fluid gets trapped in tiny pockets within a piece of quartz, called fluid inclusions. Long then uses a suite of sophisticated analytical instruments to measure the copper concentration in both the glass and the fluid inclusions.

That “deep dive” into the data helps extract meaning from material forged under those precise conditions. “I really enjoy the hands-on aspects of this research the most,” Long says. “I’ve had a few other short-term projects that have been more computational-based and I’ve realized that I really love lab work. I also just find the high-pressure experiments to be really fun and it’s really crazy to me still that we can emulate such extreme conditions in the lab.”

That focus recently took her to the facility in Denver, where she used specialized instrumentation (laser ablation ICP-MS, a type of mass spectrometry), one of the only ways to measure the chemistry of fluid inclusions. There are only a handful of facilities in the U.S. capable of doing that type of analysis, a notoriously difficult process.  “It was a really great experience,” Long says. “I learned so much about the technique and it was really amazing to be there and help with the analyses since it is such a niche method.” Being at the U.S. Geological Survey facility also allowed her to observe professionals conducting scientific research for a government organization, she says.

Long also took her studies globally experience that mirrors a prompting students to shape the future as engaged global citizens by combining studies in diverse areas of interest. She enjoyed both her science major and French/Francophone Studies minor during an immersive experience there, where she lived with a French host family, learned more about French history and culture, participated in a community internship conducting physics research at the University of Strasbourg, and took several courses in French.

Mentorship and Mastery

Later, Thomas’ science lab on campus provided Long with a wealth of experiential learning opportunities and allowed her to gain an impressive range of technical skills. She has conducted electron microprobe analysis, laser ablation mass spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Those experimental and analytical methods  represent an arsenal of cutting-edge geochemical lab techniques capable of identifying the chemical fingerprints of minerals and rocks at an extraordinarily fine scale.

The (SOURCE) supported Long’s work through Bridge and Fellowship awards. She also worked with the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising. She says her awards, including a summer living stipend, made it possible to dedicate added time over a summer in Syracuse to sustain the momentum on her lab research.

In August, Long begins Ph.D. studies in geology at Purdue University, where she’ll continue conducting similar experimental research. For her, the appeal of the geological field goes beyond technique or career preparation. It is about being able to contribute in a hands-on way to one of the defining challenges of the coming decades: building the clean energy economy the world needs, starting with a deeper understanding of the Earth beneath our feet.

In 2025, Samsung Electronics had 7,054 patent grants in the U.S. alone. Apple Inc. had 2,277, and Google/Alphabet, Inc., received 1,782. And, it is estimated that more than 152,000 patent applications specifically related to artificial intelligence  were recorded in the U.S. last year with Google, Microsoft and IBM leading the charge. Add to that the thousands of innovators and researchers across the country filing individual patents every day, and it’s apparent why patent agents and patent attorneys are in high demand.

The College of Law’s (ILC) received a gift from Rodney A. Ryan L’97 that will be used to officially establish a patent law program in summer 2026 to academically and financially assist students preparing for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) registration examination, commonly known as the patent bar. Passing the patent bar is a significant achievement as doing so gives students credentials to become a patent agent who can draft, file and prosecute patent applications. It is a necessary step to becoming a patent attorney.

To be eligible for the new program, students must have an undergraduate degree in science, engineering or tech-related fields; complete required coursework and be actively engaged in the ILC.

For prospective students, the program represents a rare opportunity to enter the legal profession already credentialed as a patent agent and positioned for immediate career impact at law firms, corporations and startups.

“We are very grateful for this gift, which will allow the ILC to formally establish a patent law program and reimburse students for the patent bar preparation and exam—removing a financial barrier that will open this opportunity to even more qualified students,” says Professor of Practice Brian J. Gerling L’99, executive director of the ILC. “The program is designed so students will complete the patent bar exam well before having to study for state bar exams after graduation, while also giving them the opportunity to hone those skills as a patent agent during law school.”

The patent agent law program at the ILC will also assist early stage entrepreneurs through filing of provisional patent applications, thereby avoiding public disclosure bars or risking their ideas to commercial theft.

Students Work as Patent Agents at Local Firm

Carl J. Graziadei L’26 and Madison McCarthy L’26 helped pilot the idea for the formalized program. Both have already passed the patent bar and are currently working as senior research assistants at the ILC and part-time law clerks at local law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC.

Graziadei earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in electrical engineering at Clarkson University and passed the patent bar right out of college. When researching law schools that allowed him to mesh his engineering background with the legal field, he discovered Syracuse Law’s ILC.

“Professor Gerling is really the reason I decided on Syracuse, as he showed me how my engineering background would be a great fit for the ILC,” Graziadei says. “He confirmed my belief that going into patent law was the right move and explained the demand was high, and the opportunities were endless in law firms, corporations and startups.”

McCarthy studied biological sciences and neuroscience as an undergraduate at the University of Buffalo and also came to Syracuse with the goal of becoming a patent attorney. While working in the ILC, she passed the patent bar as a second year student.

Both excelled through the ILC, honing their research and writing skills and building confidence communicating with actual clients, while also gaining experience through internships. Graziadei interned at Lallemand, a French company optimizing natural fermentation processes. McCarthy was an extern in patent litigation at Kiklis Law Firm, PLLC, in Virginia, which focuses on trials at the USPTO’s Patent Trials and Appeals Board, and a general counsel extern at Upstate Medical University.

“I fell in love with the faculty and the ILC because I had so much freedom and the chance to interact with entrepreneurs and innovators about their inventions through the law,” says McCarthy, who is currently editor-in-chief of the .

As third-year law students, McCarthy and Graziadei are senior research assistants at the ILC helping second years assist clients. Both are also working part-time at Bond, Schoeneck & King, using their skills as patent agents. They each have been offered positions as full-time associates at the firm upon graduating this spring.

“Because I am already a patent agent, I will be a licensed patent attorney once I pass the New York State bar, and the experience I have had through Syracuse Law has been incredible preparation,” says McCarthy. “I’m grateful to have found a program where I could combine my interests in science, innovation and the law, and I look forward to what’s ahead.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how governments operate, how universities teach and how public institutions make decisions.

That was the central message of a recent fireside chat hosted by the . Dean moderated the conversation which brought together two leaders working at the forefront of AI adoption: , commissioner of the New York State Office of General Services (OGS), and , Syracuse University’s senior vice president for digital transformation and chief digital officer.

“The question before us is not whether AI will transform public life,” Van Slyke said. “It’s whether our institutions are ready to lead that transformation thoughtfully, equitably and effectively.”

Personalizing Learning and Expanding Access

Rubin opened the March 26 event with a claim about the stakes for higher education: AI, he said, has the potential to transform how universities teach in ways not seen in 200 years. “The idea of a professor standing in front of a room, lecturing—and students taking notes and then being assessed through projects, papers and exams—that model has not shifted,” he said. “What AI allows you to do is personalize learning.”

Personalization at scale has long been a challenge because no instructor can simultaneously tailor a course to every student’s pace and needs, he said. AI changes that equation.

Rubin shared how Syracuse has deployed more than 30,000 AI licenses across campus to drive equitable access and data security. Some students had already purchased AI tools on their own, while others could not afford them, he pointed out. Faculty and staff also needed a secure environment for uploading sensitive documents without routing data through commercial platforms.

Rubin also highlighted a less-discussed dimension of the University’s AI work: a private wireless network, built in partnership with JMA Wireless, that supports thermal sensors in academic buildings across campus. The sensors detect occupancy without capturing identifying information, allowing the University to optimize janitorial services, plan building capacity and, eventually, adjust heating and cooling based on actual use patterns.

A Measured Approach to Government AI

Moy noted that the state’s deliberate pace of technology adoption is a necessary safeguard rather than a liability. “I would contend that it’s important that government is risk-averse,” she said. “The information that we hold is really important—Medicaid data, health data, testing information. The importance of that stewardship becomes paramount.”

Her office oversees roughly 30 million square feet of state real estate, manages 1,500 procurement contracts valued at $44 billion and administers a design and construction portfolio of approximately $5.7 billion. Moy described the agency’s AI strategy as a measured approach. It involves first identifying low-risk, high-value applications, then building the data infrastructure to support them, and ensuring legal and operational frameworks are in place before scaling.

Moy said one of OGS’s most tangible AI investments is in procurement search. Agencies and municipalities navigating the state’s contract catalog often struggle to find what they need, undermining the efficiency those contracts are designed to provide. Moy said AI-assisted search is a logical starting point: low risk, no job displacement and an immediate opportunity to test what the technology can do.

The agency is also piloting AI-powered document summarization tools for bid documents and contract histories which are reported to save up to three hours per day.

Moy noted that backlogs present another opportunity, as they are a universal challenge across the public sector. She explained that while AI could help alleviate some of those challenges, agencies must be cautious; they cannot hand out productivity tools to every worker without first creating the right frameworks.

Jobs, Regulation and What Comes Next

Both speakers addressed audience concerns about AI’s impact on jobs—a topic that has gained urgency in New York following Governor Kathy Hochul’s , which is tasked with studying AI’s effects on the labor market.

Rubin cited research suggesting that less than 1% of the 1.2 million layoffs recorded in 2025 were directly attributable to AI, arguing that economic factors and structural business decisions are doing more to reshape the workforce than the technology itself. He expressed confidence that AI will ultimately create more jobs than it displaces, though he acknowledged that every job will change.

“If you don’t know how to incorporate AI into your domain and discipline, you will be at a disadvantage,” he said. “Students need to have the tools and the classes.”

Moy recalled the dot-com era and the transformation of publishing that upended models at institutions like the Brooklyn Public Library, where she once served as chief strategy officer. The fear and exuberance that accompanied those transitions, she said, mirrors what society is experiencing today.

“We want to make sure that we’re thinking about it ethically, that we’re balancing it according to public need,” she said. “And we’re having active conversations about those trade-offs.”

Both panelists returned repeatedly to the theme of transparency in AI systems, government data and institutional communications.

Rubin pointed to Anthropic’s practice of publishing system prompts as a model for responsible AI deployment and noted that Syracuse recently launched an AI-powered course search tool, called , that similarly makes its operating parameters visible. He also raised the challenge of AI-generated media and the difficulty of distinguishing real content from fabricated content online.

An Open and Ongoing Dialogue

The conversation drew questions from the audience.

A first-year Maxwell student and member of the University’s United AI club asked what precedent a recent court ruling holding social media platforms liable for algorithmic harm to minors sets for the future of AI regulation and whether platforms like ChatGPT should face similar oversight.

Rubin was direct: “We made the mistake with social media. These companies should have an obligation to have guardrails.”

Moy pointed to Hochul’s recent policy proposals targeting addictive technology, including requirements for more restrictive default settings on children’s accounts. She acknowledged that government is often a step behind rapid technological change, but argued that intervention becomes necessary when innovation results in public harm.

A second student raised concerns about AI’s potential to enable fraud, including falsified documents and biased algorithms.

“These are very real questions,” she said, emphasizing that OGS is working to understand its uses and risks. She argued that the answer isn’t avoiding AI but understanding it well enough to spot its misuse. “If we don’t understand it, we will fall behind.”

Rubin agreed, framing the detection challenge as both technological and philosophical: As AI becomes embedded in everything from autocomplete to document editing, defining what counts as “AI-generated” becomes increasingly difficult. “My gut is almost every piece of content out there will have some AI piece to it, assisting us,” he said. “So, it’s a technology challenge and a societal challenge.”

Van Slyke closed by noting that Maxwell’s role in preparing students for public service has always meant equipping them not just with technical knowledge, but with the ability to navigate the policy, governance and ethical dimensions that accompany it.

“The question is not what will AI do to our institutions,” he said. “It’s what will we choose to do with it.”

When Tyler Neary ’27and Orion Goodman ’27 scattered flyers across campus last spring advertising a new AI club, they saw a critical need: students needed to be included in conversations about a technology that would fundamentally reshape their futures.

“AI was at the point where it could help people in every single major, in every single profession, in every single job,” says Neary, a civil engineering major who co-founded United AI with Goodman, a biomedical engineering major, both in the (ECS). “We realized this was no longer just a computer science thing.”

What started as a room of 10 people has grown into , a recognized student organization (RSO) with more than 100 members representing every single school and college and most majors. Since its fall semester launch, the club’s focus has been democratizing AI literacy and ensuring students from all disciplines have a seat at the table as this technology transforms society.

The group will host a on Saturday, April 25, from 1 to 5 p.m. in the K.G. Tan Auditorium in the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, featuring industry speakers, demonstrations and faculty research showcases.

Why Students Need Leadership in AI Development

For Goodman, the urgency became clear watching rapid AI development. “When I’m going through college, watching AI capabilities escalate, it can be disempowering—and I figured my peers may be feeling the same way,” he says. “It felt threatening because there’s a small group of people making decisions about how the technology is being used, and others feel like they’re being left behind.”

That sense of being sidelined drove the co-founders to create what Neary describes as an empowerment space. “Something that we say a lot in the club is: don’t get used by AI, use AI to your benefit,” he says. “We’re the ones who are going into the workforce leading the charge and determining how we will use this technology now and into the future.”

The message resonated. Within weeks of tabling at campus events, students from ECS, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Newhouse School of Public Communications, the Whitman School of Management and the College of Visual and Performing Arts were showing up to meetings, eager to understand how AI would affect their fields and futures.

Bringing Humanities and STEM Into Conversation

When Alex Kahn ’27, a junior studying citizenship and civic engagement and political philosophy in the | , discovered United AI, he wasn’t looking for coding or technical skills, but was compelled by the policy implications of AI that were dominating news headlines. “AI was in every story, across every industry, and it felt like there was no escaping it and how it will affect you,” Kahn says.

As United AI’s recruitment director last fall, Kahn became instrumental in broadening the organization beyond its engineering roots. His approach focused on relevance rather than technical expertise. The interdisciplinary composition has transformed conversations within the club.

“Having people from different majors and disciplines means having that understanding that everyone’s mind works differently,” Kahn says. “The people who are writing code are not thinking the same way as the person majoring in fine arts, and having that creativity along with those technical skills, you’re able to build and think much differently.”

Goodman appreciates what non-engineering perspectives bring to the table. “As conversations around AI progressed, I began asking, ‘Where are the artists? Where are the policymakers? Where are the humanities majors?’” he says. “A lot of the population was not behind building this technology and still isn’t—but how do we provide a space for them to learn and join the conversation?”

From Concept to Creation: Student Projects Take Shape

United AI goes beyond theoretical discussion to hands-on application. Through four-week project cycles, students receive funding, access to premium AI tools and mentorship to develop their ideas.

Paige Siciliano ’29, a computer engineering major, led a second-place winning project during her first semester on campus. Her team’s AI-powered schedule builder, still under development, helps students manage their time by generating personalized daily plans based on individual learning styles, fixed commitments and flexible tasks.

For Siciliano and her teammates—Neha Redda ’29 and Ria Yagielski ’29—the project provided more than AI experience. “It really helped us find a way into the community of Syracuse, and it helped us feel like we belonged,” she says.

Building Community Around Shared Curiosity

Beyond projects and programs, United AI has cultivated what Kahn describes as “a school of thought on campus.” During a debate night last semester, members discussed everything from business applications to environmental impacts to personal usage philosophy, with some participants there simply to understand the technology rather than use it. “Being surrounded by club members and in this community of lifelong learners, we focus our educational efforts to not just learn the technical side, but also on practical application,” Kahn says.

Siciliano emphasizes the club’s welcoming atmosphere. “We came in as first-semester freshmen, two weeks into school. It didn’t matter if we had no background knowledge in AI or all the knowledge in the world—they create an atmosphere that makes you want to learn about it and continue to grow.”

To join United AI, . To learn more, follow the organization on or .

The (NSF) has awarded $45 million over three years for phase two of the , a regional initiative in which Syracuse University is a core partner.

Launched in 2024, the initiative aims to make upstate New York a national hub for battery technology by bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs and workforce trainers to develop the next generation of batteries—the kind that will power electric vehicles, store renewable energy on the grid and strengthen national security. It’s led by and includes partners (RIT), , , and .

“Syracuse University is proud to be a core partner in advancing battery technology research, building workforce pathways and strengthening the upstate New York economy,” says , vice president for research. “The success of the Engine’s Energy Storage Workforce Development Network in the first phase has contributed to a regional innovation ecosystem that connects innovation to talent development and economic growth across upstate New York. We look forward to working with our Engine partners to build on this success in the years ahead.”

In phase two, the Engine will focus on developing safer, more cost-efficient next-generation battery systems; integrating artificial intelligence into materials discovery and manufacturing; and deepening partnerships with regional corporations and the defense sector. A new advanced battery safety testing facility, the first of its kind in the Northeast, is set to open at RIT this summer.

Phase two will also see the expansion of workforce development programs, with a particular emphasis on preparing the next generation of engineers and scientists to meet growing industry demand. The Engine may receive up to $160 million in total NSF funding over 10 years, with an additional $16 million in matching funds from .

Since its launch, the Engine has supported 15 industry-academia research teams, served more than 300 learners through its workforce development network and funded more than 15 high-tech battery startups. Those startups have attracted more than $20 million in follow-on funding in the past year alone.