Kennesaw State University has received two grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) aimed at building a national network of artificial intelligence educators. The initiative, led by Department Chair and Professor Shaoen Wu with assistant professors Seyedamin Pouriyeh and Chloe “Yixin” Xie, will run through May 31, 2027. The project is funded by the NSF’s Computer and Information Science and Engineering division.
The grants are part of the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot, a White House program designed to expand access to AI education and innovation across the United States. The KSU team will bring together educators from various types of institutions—including community colleges, research universities, four-year colleges, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities—to develop shared teaching materials, best practices, and recommendations for curriculum guidelines in AI.
Shaoen Wu explained that although many universities have started offering undergraduate and graduate programs in artificial intelligence, there is no established community or standardized approach 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.”
Wu noted that their approach takes cues from the cybersecurity education field, which benefits from standardized curriculum guidelines. He said this project aims to help under-resourced institutions by providing them with free access to educational resources.
“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.”
Wu was recently invited to moderate a panel at the Computing Research Association’s annual summit for academic leaders in computing fields nationwide—a sign of KSU’s increasing role in shaping conversations about technology 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.”
Interim Dean Yiming Ji of KSU’s College of Computing and Software Engineering emphasized how this work aligns with college goals: “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.”
