A&T Wins Approval for B.S. in Artificial Intelligence

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Nov. 25, 2024) – The University of North Carolina System Board of Governors has approved a bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence (AI) at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the only degree of its kind in this state and one of only a handful nationally.

While some other North Carolina universities offer an artificial intelligence concentration within a computer science degree, North Carolina A&T will be the only institution with a stand-alone bachelor’s degree. And it’s not stopping there: discussions are already underway to develop graduate degrees in the same field.

In recent years, AI has emerged as a transformative force, revolutionizing industries ranging from healthcare and finance to transportation and entertainment. Organizations worldwide are increasingly leveraging AI technologies to drive innovation, enhance efficiency and gain a competitive edge. This rapid proliferation of AI has created a demand for skilled professionals who can harness its power responsibly and ethically. According to A&T’s latest Hanover Research report on the AI workforce, “The AI labor market in North Carolina is projected to expand more than three times as fast as the overall labor market, creating over 20,000 new jobs.”

A&T’s bachelor’s degree in AI will help address this demand with a rigorous curriculum that covers foundational principles, advanced techniques and real-world applications of artificial intelligence, ensuring its graduates are ready for the workplace upon graduation.

“Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are increasingly part of everyday life with the potential for profound and far-reaching impact on virtually every facet of society,” said Chancellor James R. Martin II. “Collaborating with federal and state agencies, major industry leaders and fellow research universities, we have created a rich AI learning environment that is well informed by the latest in science and policy. Our new bachelor’s degree will prepare students for immediate impact, especially in the critical area of human interaction with AI.”

Students will be able to enroll in one of two concentrations: Advanced AI Systems, offered through the College of Engineering (COE), and Applied AI in the College of Science and Technology (CoST). The concentrations offer flexible delivery formats including on-campus and online courses to accommodate diverse student needs.

A&T aims to enroll its inaugural cohort in Fall 2025.

“Offering this degree in an interdisciplinary curriculum positions it in a way that is aligned with the intent of scientists in the 1950s who first labeled and defined AI - scientists who included computer experts, anthropologists, technologists, engineers and others. We seek the same holistic, inclusive approach as those who first saw the value of AI,” said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Tonya Smith-Jackson. “I am grateful for the work of our deans, chairs and faculty, as well as the guidance of our vice provost for Institutional Effectiveness, Dr. Alex Yin, for their good work in proposing this innovative program and success in seeing it approved.”

As America’s largest HBCU for 11 years, A&T is widely recognized as the No. 1 producer of Black engineers and Black STEM graduates. According to the latest rankings from Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, A&T also ranks No. 9 in the nation and leads all HBCUs in graduation of Black computer science students and holds top-10 national rankings for Black graduates in closely related disciplines, like mathematics and statistics and management information systems.

Industry relationships with companies like NVIDIA, Google, Microsoft, SAS, Lockheed Martin, Collins Aerospace and Boeing and defense agencies along with participation in major AI initiatives, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University and Duke University-led Athena AI research center, will provide opportunities for A&T students to participate as undergraduates in real-world AI research and to learn from AI professionals and researchers working at the highest levels in their fields. Graduates from A&T’s AI program will provide the state, nation and world with highly competitive, diverse talent in AI systems and technologies.

“It’s nearly impossible to overestimate the impact of AI in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Stephanie Luster-Teasley Pass, COE dean.

Added CoST Dean Abdellah Ahmidouch, “Our bachelor’s degree will enable our graduates to help create real-world solutions to complex global issues and shape a brighter future through science and technology.”

AI at A&T

A&T is heavily involved in AI teaching and research. A significant number of faculty from several colleges, centers and institutes across campus conduct research in AI-related fields such as cybersecurity, autonomous systems, robotics, advanced manufacturing, information systems, cyber-physical systems, machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, large language models, generative AI, natural language processing, game design, data science, big data, cloud computing, software engineering, multi-agent, social computing, precision farming/agriculture, dairy science and many others.

Here are some of the many projects underway on campus and in collaboration with partners across industry, education, government and the military, among others:

A&T Driving AI Innovation, Economic Development with NVIDIA

A&T is collaborating with NVIDIA to accelerate North Carolina’s economic growth, enhance workforce capabilities and foster innovation across key sectors to help further position the university as a leader in research and technology.

Leveraging NVIDIA’s powerful AI technology and resources, the collaboration aims to strengthen A&T’s research initiatives in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, biotechnology and sustainable agriculture; develop and refine educational programs to equip students with the critical AI skills needed to thrive in the global tech industry; harness AI to drive economic growth in North Carolina’s key industries such as energy, biotechnology and information technology; and work with NVIDIA to foster a diverse and inclusive technology ecosystem by engaging with community stakeholders to ensure the benefits of AI innovation reach underserved populations.

A&T Researchers Awarded $9M DoD Grant for Cybersecurity, AI

The Office of Naval Research (ONR), an executive branch agency within the United States Department of Defense (DoD), awarded A&T researchers $9 million to investigate how to create trustworthy, reconfigurable and secure artificial intelligence for cyber physical defense systems and diversify the artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity workforce.

Kaushik Roy, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science in COE, leads the research as principal investigator (PI) for the multi-thrust project over five years. Roy also directs the Center for Trustworthy AI, the Center for Cyber Defense and the Cyber Defense and AI lab.

SAS AI Platform to Help A&T, N.C. State Take Research to the People

A&T is partnering with North Carolina State University and data and AI provider SAS to create a unique, cloud-based platform to advance agricultural research at the two land-grant universities and tailor the platform to make those results easier to deliver across the state.

Using a $1 million allocation from the N.C. General Assembly, SAS will use the SAS® Viya® data and AI platform to allow researchers at both universities to integrate data from many different sources; manage it more effectively; and present it more easily to farmers, ranchers, growers and producers across the state through the universities’ Cooperative Extension divisions. According to legislators, the General Assembly’s investment in the platform for the two land-grant universities represents an investment in the state’s $111 billion agriculture sector.

A&T anticipates that SAS® Viya® will also help the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences grow its $46 million research portfolio by making grants easier to obtain.

A&T Cooperative Extension Uses Google Grant to Boost AI Education

Artificial intelligence increasingly plays a role in our lives. Mark Light, Ph.D., wants to ensure North Carolina 4-H agents and youth have the opportunity to understand AI and put it to use as a tool for learning and discovery.

Light is the 4-H STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) specialist with Cooperative Extension at A&T and the statewide lead of a new, two-year $225,000 grant from Google, part of an overall $25 million Google initiative to develop AI literacy among educators and students, teaching them to use AI in the classroom and beyond.

A&T Joins Duke, Other Partners, in $20M AI Center

N.C. A&T has played a critical role in the creation of Athena, an artificial intelligence research center led by Duke University and includes Yale, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other prominent institutional partners. Funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Homeland Security, Athena is part of a $220 million investment in 11 AI research institutes engaging campuses in 40 states nationwide.

Daniel Limbrick, Ph.D., an associate professor in A&T’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in COE, is the PI for A&T’s sub-award from Duke University. An expert in microprocessing and autonomous vehicles, he is creating small-scale testbeds of autonomous vehicle scenarios. The testbeds offer physical platforms to test and research the capabilities and limitations of edge computing and expand the research beyond computational modeling.

A&T, Lehigh Partner on Flood Damage Mapping with AI, Advanced Radar

Flooding is one of the most catastrophic and frequently occurring natural disasters, causing extensive damage to life, infrastructure and the environment. The severity and frequency of floods have increased in recent years due to extreme weather events such as hurricanes and the expansion of urbanization. Accurate monitoring and mapping of flood extent and damage assessment in both spatial and temporal measurements are critical to assessing flood risk and developing comprehensive relief efforts immediately after flooding occurs.

CoST Associate Professor Leila Hashami Beni, Ph.D., is the PI on a grant of nearly $1 million over three years from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support an innovative approach to mapping and assessing flood damage. The award is part of NSF’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities – Excellence in Research program, which funds research at public and private HBCUs to strengthen research capacity and promote engagement with NSF.

A&T Named an IBM Quantum Research Center, Skills Academy Participant

A&T is among 13 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to join IBM’s Quantum Education and Research Initiative for Historically Black Colleges and Universities to equip students pursuing quantum computing careers. The IBM-HBCU Quantum Center is a multi-year investment, and A&T’s proven strengths in ground-breaking STEM research and academic rigor resulted in the university’s selection and designation as one of five HBCUs leading quantum research centers in the partnership.

IBM’s five-year investment in the HBCU Quantum Coalition is providing training and access to the company’s quantum systems. In addition to the center partnership, IBM will also provide A&T and 12 other select HBCUs that are a part of the Skills Academy Academic Initiative with a $100 million asset and resource donation, which includes access to university lectures, software and faculty training.

Mohd Anwar, Ph.D., a professor of computer science in COE and an expert in artificial intelligence research, established and serves as the lead investigator for the university’s quantum research center. He is also associate director for the Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity, Research and Outreach.

Modern Milking: Bringing Advanced Tech to the Barn

A&T’s University Dairy demonstrated its new, state-of-the-art Automated Milking System (AMS) — a De Laval 300 — on Sept. 20, ushering the Aggie herd into the digital age. The AMS is the most advanced university-based milking system in the state, one of just six in the nation housed at a university. This fully voluntary system allows each cow to be milked as many times a day, and at any time of day, according to her individual needs and capacity.

The system, the latest piece of digital agri-technology to come to A&T, brings the University Dairy – the only dairy in the country at a historically Black college and university – online with an artificial intelligence-based system that benefits animals, dairy producers, researchers and students alike.

Other areas devoted to education and research around AI:

• The Autonomous Control and Information Technology Institute
• Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity Research, Education and Outreach
• Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, College of Engineering