Artificial Intelligence

George �鶹��Ƶ's College of Education and Human Development is advancing responsible AI in education

ckearney — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 20:39:13 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ's College of Education and Human Development is advancing responsible AI in education ckearney Wed, 01/28/2026 - 15:39

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape education, �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) is helping chart a path for schools to adapt AI responsibly, equitably, and effectively. Through the Educational Research Alliance of Northern Virginia (ERA.NOVA), a research and practice partnership that connects CEHD and other George �鶹��Ƶ faculty with K–12 and state leaders, the college is convening some of the region’s most forward-thinking voices to define what readiness for AI in education truly means.

ERA.NOVA Fall Convening brought together state policymakers, division technology officers, superintendents, and faculty researchers to explore how AI is changing the K-12 landscape across Virginia. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

This year’s focus on AI in education within ERA.NOVA reflects the vision of CEHD Dean Ingrid Guerra-López and ERA.NOVA’s school superintendent partners. It positions the alliance as a catalyst for forward-looking, research-informed solutions for school districts across the region and will strengthen educational opportunity and readiness for the future.

That necessity of the shared vision was evident at the ERA.NOVA Fall Convening in late October, which brought together state policymakers, division technology officers, superintendents, and faculty researchers to explore how AI is changing the K-12 landscape across Virginia. Participants shared a common understanding: The question is no longer whether AI belongs in education, but how to implement it in ways that strengthen instruction, prepare students, and ensure safety.

Superintendent Dan Hornick of Orange County Public Schools described his district’s efforts to balance innovation with responsibility. “We cannot pretend the future does not exist,” he said. “If we do not teach students to use AI responsibly, we are not preparing them for the world they are entering.”

Hornick’s division created flexible guidelines and integrated conversations about AI into curriculum planning and professional learning communities. Success, he said, depends on taking time to address privacy, safety, and teacher preparation before expanding implementation.

At the state level, Calypso Gilstrap, executive director of the Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Innovation, outlined the commonwealth’s Guidelines for AI Integration Throughout Education (PDF), which emphasize age-appropriate use of AI, careful tool selection, family engagement, and collaborative policy development.

“AI readiness is no longer optional,” Gilstrap said. “There are 32,000 jobs in the United States right now with AI in the title. Our students need these skills today, not 10 years from now.”

By 2029, she added, the department expects AI to be part of problem-based learning across grade levels, beginning with early exposure in kindergarten.

Gilstrap stressed that AI should not be seen as a shortcut to learning. Students must learn to question AI-generated content, verify information, and maintain human connection as they use digital tools. “Well-trained teachers can use AI to enhance their work, not replace it,” she said.

From George �鶹��Ƶ CEHD’s research perspective, Elizabeth Davis, postdoctoral fellow with EdPolicyForward, shared findings from the AI for Responsive Inclusive School Enhancement (ARISE) project. The project examines how school districts can use AI to identify and interpret research, such as to expand evidence-based interventions used to support school improvement planning.

Davis coauthored AI in K-12 Education: What School Divisions May Consider in Preparing for the Future and the companion PDF resource AI in K-12 Education: Preparing for the Future . Both publications were shared with convening participants and highlight emerging research on effective and ethical implementation.

“Efficiency must never come at the cost of human judgment,” Davis said.

Her team’s findings, focused on AI literacy, ethical design, and data governance, reflected many of the same priorities discussed by district leaders. She also noted that Northern Virginia’s position as the world’s largest data center hub gives the region an opportunity to lead in sustainable and ethical AI use.

District technology leaders Aaron Smith of Loudoun County Public Schools and Sharon Shewbridge of Stafford County Public Schools shared how their divisions are turning policy and research into local action. Smith emphasized the importance of protecting students and ensuring that the tools brought into classrooms are safe and developmentally appropriate. “Our focus has to be on protecting students and understanding what K–12 really needs from AI before we bring it into classrooms,” he said.

Audra Parker, director of George �鶹��Ƶ’s Office of Teacher Preparation, underscored that preparing educators is essential to any successful AI strategy. “AI readiness is ultimately about people,” Parker said. “Teachers need structured opportunities to build confidence, deepen their understanding, and practice using these tools in ways that elevate the irreplaceable human work of teaching. When we invest in educator preparation, we ensure that AI supports learning rather than driving it.”

Participants agreed that responsible integration of AI requires more than access to new tools. It calls for a shared framework grounded in educator expertise, ethical design, and a commitment to equity. Several divisions are also involving students directly in AI policy discussions, forming advisory committees and encouraging young people to provide feedback on how these technologies are used in classrooms.

“Students are already using these tools,” Gilstrap noted. “The question is how we guide them to use it well.”

The convening also reflected CEHD’s growing role as a thought leader, particularly in defining how institutions can prepare students and educators for a future shaped by intelligent systems. Under Dean Guerra-López’s direction, ERA.NOVA is intentionally bridging scholarly expertise with the urgent, practical needs of school divisions navigating AI’s rapid evolution.

Guerra-López emphasized that this kind of collaboration reflects CEHD’s mission to bridge research, policy, and practice for the public good. “Artificial intelligence is accelerating the evolution of work and learning.” Guerra-López said. “We launched this year’s ERA.NOVA focus on AI because our partners told us they needed guidance grounded in both research and real-world practice. As we prepare future educators, we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to lead—to ensure AI strengthens human development, expands opportunity, and supports ethical, future-ready learning across our schools.”

The Fall Convening was the first in ERA.NOVA’s 2025–26 series on Artificial Intelligence in Education. Upcoming sessions will continue to explore readiness, capacity building, and ethical implementation across all levels of the education system.

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Brainpower inspires energy-efficient AI

Teresa Donnellan — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:57:20 +0000

Brainpower inspires energy-efficient AI Teresa Donnellan Thu, 01/22/2026 - 11:57

The key to energy-efficient artificial intelligence (AI) could lie in the human brain. �鶹��Ƶ researchers Maryam Parsa (PI) and Giorgio Ascoli (co-PI) are leading a Department of Energy-funded project to make AI dramatically more efficient by mimicking the brain’s computing strategies.

Maryam Parsa. Photo provided.

“AI today is powerful but extremely energy-hungry,” said Parsa, an assistant professor in George �鶹��Ƶ’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering who specializes in neuromorphic computing. “We want to understand why the human brain is so efficient and why AI is not—and then bridge that gap.”

Unlike traditional AI models that rely on continuous signals and massive data centers, the brain uses sparse, event-driven signals called spikes.

“Any one neuron only fires a spike here and there, but the timing of those spikes carries a lot of meaning,” explained Ascoli, a Distinguished University Professor in George �鶹��Ƶ’s Bioengineering Department specializing in neuroscience. “That’s why the brain can do so much with so little energy.”

To replicate this efficiency holistically, Parsa and Ascoli teamed up with Akhilesh Jaiswal at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Pedram Khalili at Northwestern University. The team is building a full-stack neuromorphic computing system spanning devices, circuits, architectures, algorithms, and applications.

Each principal investigator is contributing specific expertise to the system:

Ascoli contributes neuroscience insights using Izhikevich models, mathematical frameworks that capture real neuron spiking dynamics, to inform system design.
Khalili develops spintronic devices, components that utilize magnetic materials to harness an electron's quantum properties of spin and charge for processing and storing data. By naturally exhibiting neuron-like temporal behavior, these devices are expected to reduce energy demands.
Jaiswal designs analog circuits to integrate these spintronic devices into functional architectures.
Parsa leads the project as well as neuromorphic learning algorithms and application-level integration, exploring diverse learning approaches to optimize speed, precision, resiliency, privacy, and energy savings.

Giorgio Ascoli. Photo provided.

“Izhikevich models allow neuromorphic systems to mimic the timing, diversity, and variability of real neurons, enabling more brain-like learning and efficiency,” Ascoli said. His extensive experience with these models, including simulating hippocampal networks, provides the biological foundation for the project.

“Instead of forcing existing devices to mimic brain behavior, we asked: What if we leverage new devices that naturally exhibit these dynamics?” Parsa said. This approach ensures innovations at the hardware level align with biologically inspired algorithms, creating a cohesive system rather than isolated solutions.

By introducing greater biological complexity and leveraging novel spintronic devices, the team hopes to reduce AI’s energy footprint while improving performance metrics such as accuracy and privacy. Early results are promising; even simple changes to spike distributions improved privacy without sacrificing accuracy.

The research also explores learning algorithms beyond the traditional. “Our goal is to see how different neuron models and learning rules interact and which combinations optimize for speed, precision, or energy savings,” Parsa said.

Ultimately, the project could transform AI by making it greener and more brain-like. “If we succeed, we’ll have systems that learn faster, consume less power, and operate more like the brain,” said Ascoli.

“This is not just about making AI more efficient,” said Parsa. “It’s about rethinking computing from the ground up."

In This Story

Maryam Parsa

Giorgio Ascoli

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NASA-funded wildfire digital twin could save assets and lives with pollution prediction, burn forecasting

Sarah Holland — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 19:29:20 +0000

NASA-funded wildfire digital twin could save assets and lives with pollution prediction, burn forecasting Sarah Holland Thu, 01/15/2026 - 14:29

One year ago, the Palisades and Eaton Fires ravaged the coast of Southern California. Combined, the fires killed 28 people, destroyed more than 16,000 structures, and displaced tens of thousands of residents.

Wildfires are notoriously difficult to predict due to the multitude of factors that affect their growth, spread, and speed. That uncertainty makes it difficult for response teams to know who should be evacuated to avoid both active flames and hazardous air pollution. Mass evacuations require cooperation and communication across numerous departments, and getting those systems activated can take precious time that evacuees might not have if the fire is spreading at a rate of seven and a half football fields per minute as the Palisades fire did.

Chaowei "Phil" Yang. Photo by Office of University Branding.

One researcher at George �鶹��Ƶ is working on a solution. Chaowei “Phil” Yang, professor in the Geography and Geoinformation Science Department in the College of Science, has teamed up with researchers from California State University—Los Angeles (CSU-LA), NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the City of Los Angeles to develop a wildfire digital twin to understand fire evolution and air pollution impact.

“The goal is to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system that can provide real-time, high-resolution simulation and forecasting of wildfire behavior and model the resulting air pollution and air quality impacts for better informed public health responses,” Yang said.

Air pollution is a critical metric here. “Inhaling wildfire smoke can cause serious and long-lasting damage to the breathing system,” said Yang. “We need to get those people impacted to safety as well as those in direct line of the spreading flames.”

Yang, who is the director of the Center for Intelligent Spatial Computing for Water/Energy Science, has worked on several projects using his knowledge of geospatial cyberinfrastructure and spatial cloud computing to study the impacts of major global events on air quality. When the wildfires hit southern California, Yang felt that his expertise and resources could be used to help mitigate future wildfire disasters.

Yang’s work ties directly to improving human health, well-being, and preparedness, as well as building a climate-resilient society, two key solutions in George �鶹��Ƶ’s Grand Challenge Initiative, the university's research focus to enable us to live in a world of our choosing.

“Looking at the damage increasing because of climate change, to both assets and people’s life and health, that really triggered us,” Yang said. “We really felt that we needed to do something to address it.”

The digital twin will integrate a range of data from a diverse set of sources—such as satellites, UAVs, ground observations, and citizen reports—in order to forecast and simulate the progress of a wildfire and the mitigation of potential interventions. Everything from fuel sources, moisture, load, and consumption to wind speeds and temperatures to real-time sensors for the fire are pulled into the system.

George �鶹��Ƶ’s high-performance computing (HPC) cluster is used to automate the data interpretation process, while machine learning modeling calibrates the data sets to increase accuracy. As more data sets become available, the model’s accuracy will increase.

“When we eventually provide information to firefighters and local agencies, we will give them a range of possibilities and a confidence level in those possibilities, such as ‘the fire will move in this direction with about 90% confidence, or 20% confidence,’” Yang explained. “That’s important for them when they’re trying to make these quick decisions about where to put fire fighters. It makes the information actionable instead of just data sets.”

While working on a bold solution to a grand challenge, the project is also an opportunity for students of all levels—from high school through post-doctoral—to get hands-on experience in cloud computing and digital transformation to address grand challenges.

Anusha Srirenganathan, PhD Earth Systems and Geoinformation Sciences ’25, joined the project during her time at George �鶹��Ƶ. “Working closely with researchers from different disciplines helped me grow as a collaborator, and my work on the project strengthened my abilities in large-scale satellite data processing, spatial cloud computing, and AI/ML modeling for environmental applications,” she said.

“We’re using these capabilities to cultivate the next generation workforce,” said Yang. “It’s eye-opening for the students and paves a path for them to become the future leaders of the nation.”

Securing a safer future for both the current and future generations is what drives Yang in his work. And he sees this work on a wildfire digital twin as only the beginning of what’s possible with the technology.

Yang said his team is already working on a Chesapeake Bay digital twin project to develop more accurate flood forecasting, and collaborating with Daniel Rothbart at the Carter School on a conflict resolution digital twin with an alert system. “There could be possibilities for this technology to help predict other natural disasters or forecasting conflict as it evolves,” Yang said. “It’s exciting to get the chance to utilize our knowledge and tools to address the grand challenges we’re facing today to hopefully save lives and reduce asset loss.”

“This experience has shown me that research can provide real value when it matters most,” Srirenganathan said.

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Research

College of Science

Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science

GCI-Grand Challenge Initiative

Center for Intelligent Spatial Computing for Water/Energy Science

Artificial Intelligence

GCI-Climate

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George �鶹��Ƶ secures $1.5M to launch cutting-edge AI data center research lab

Martha Bushong — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:02:47 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ secures $1.5M to launch cutting-edge AI data center research lab Martha Bushong Thu, 01/15/2026 - 07:02

�鶹��Ƶ is taking a major step toward advancing clean energy and digital infrastructure innovation with the launch of the Virginia AI Data Center Research Lab at �鶹��Ƶ Square in Arlington. This initiative is made possible through funding from the Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank and Virginia Energy. The $1.5 million grant establishes a first-of-its-kind research and workforce development initiative and positions the commonwealth as the national leader in grid-interactive, AI-driven digital infrastructure.

Liling Huang, lab director (center) cuts ribbon of the Virginia AI Data Center research lab. Other guests (from left) Micah Till, Andre Marshall, Dean Ken Ball, Glenn Davis, and Jennifer Andos. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

Why Virginia

Virginia sits at the center of the world’s digital infrastructure, hosting the largest concentration of data centers globally and supporting mission-critical cloud, AI, and national security operations. The rapid emergence of AI-driven workloads has dramatically increased power demand, grid complexity, and the need for a highly skilled workforce.

As AI workloads surge, Virginia utilities face unprecedented interconnection requests and a shortage of engineers and technicians skilled in AI computation, power systems, cooling, and clean energy integration.

“We are on the frontlines to see how data centers, and in particular AI use, are changing the power grid and the information available to those who rely on it—both as the owners of underlying infrastructure and end users ourselves,” said Micah Till, manager, electric transmission system protection engineering, Dominion Energy Virginia. “George �鶹��Ƶ is an important partner for us in that. The work here will allow stakeholders across our nation to proactively and collaboratively work toward the smooth adoption and integration of clean energy and AI data center technologies.”

Workforce Development and Research Goals

The Virginia AI Data Center Research Lab will provide hands-on training for George �鶹��Ƶ students, K–12 and community college programs, industry-led workforce development and certification, and internship and apprenticeship pipelines. It will promote joint research and development projects with utilities, data centers, and leading institutions. It will enable real-world experimentation on critical infrastructure challenges, including grid-responsive AI workload management, power quality and harmonics optimization, thermal-electrical interactions, small modular reactor and renewable energy integration, and data center resilience and energy efficiency.

The facility will generate Virginia's first publicly available open-source dataset capturing real data center electrical and thermal telemetry—data that is not commercially available—enabling statewide research and innovation that will benefit universities, utilities, and industry partners.

George �鶹��Ƶ professor Liling Huang speaks with Glenn Davis, director of the Virginina Department of Energy (right) and Andre Marshall, George �鶹��Ƶ's vice president for research, innovation, and economic development. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

Voices from Partners and Leadership

“Virginia Energy’s investment in George �鶹��Ƶ’s Virginia AI Data Center Research Lab underscores our commitment to pairing world-class digital infrastructure with smart, sustainable energy systems,” said Glenn Davis, the director of the Virginia Department of Energy. “By combining AI, advanced data center technology, and grid-interactive research in an open, university-based platform, this project helps ensure that Virginia continues to advance our clean energy and workforce goals. Virginia didn’t become the data center capital of the world by accident. We earned it. And labs like this one are how we keep earning it.”

“We are honored to receive this support from the Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank and Virginia Energy to launch the Virginia AI Data Center Research Lab,” said Ken Ball, dean of George �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Engineering and Computing. “This lab will give our students, faculty, and partners access to state-of-the-art AI and data center infrastructure, enabling cutting-edge research, hands-on training, and open-source data resources that will help secure George �鶹��Ƶ’s and Virginia’s positions as global leaders in digital infrastructure and energy innovation.”

Powering Artificial Intelligence

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Energy

Electrical Engineering

Groundbreaking study reveals hidden complexity in human genetics

Teresa Donnellan — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 18:32:03 +0000

Groundbreaking study reveals hidden complexity in human genetics Teresa Donnellan Mon, 01/12/2026 - 13:32

In This Story

Amarda Shehu

Sometimes, in genetics, two wrongs do make a right. A research team recently showed that two harmful genetic variants, when occurring together in a gene, can restore function—proving a decades-old hypothesis originally proposed by Nobel laureate Francis Crick. Their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), not only experimentally validated this theory but also introduced a powerful artificial intelligence (AI)-driven approach to genetic interpretation led by �鶹��Ƶ researchers.

The project began when Aimée Dudley, a geneticist at the Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI), approached �鶹��Ƶ Chief AI Officer Amarda Shehu after following her lab’s work on frontier AI models for predicting the functional impact of genetic variation. That conversation sparked a collaboration that married PNRI’s experimental expertise with George �鶹��Ƶ’s computational innovation to discover some surprising ways variant combinations can shape human health.

The problem

Every year one in three Americans is diagnosed with a genetic disorder. Symptoms manifest in infancy for about 70% of individuals. Sadly, 35% die before the age of 5. Advancements in clinical genomics offer hope to better understand and possibly treat these disorders.

“High-throughput genomic screening has been a wonderful feat for humanity,” said Shehu, “but one of its side effects is that it has produced massive amounts of data, outpacing our ability to interpret what that data means for health and disease.”

Research in the Shehu lab has for years focused on building frontier AI models to advance genetic interpretation, but all data available link only isolated, single variants to measured functional activity. Because each person's genome contains billions of base pairs, with about five million variants existing between two individuals’ genomes, looking at one variant at a time rather than combinations of variants could only reveal so much.

“It looked like we had hit a wall,” Shehu said, “that is, until Dr. Dudley contacted my lab more than a year ago.”

On the left, a 3D landscape derived from variant–variant measurements shows distinct functional regions emerging from pairwise interactions. On the right, these regions map onto a multimeric protein structure, where variants in separate spatial zones can be sequestered into different active sites, allowing functional recovery. This visualization captures the structural logic underlying positive epistasis and illustrates how AI-enabled analysis links genetic variation to protein function, a key, groundbreaking result Dudley and Shehu's labs published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Image provided.

The proof

Dudley’s lab was convinced that the key was to account for variant combinations in a gene, also called epistasis. They measured functional effects of variant combinations in the DNA of a key enzyme, argininosuccinate lyase (ASL), a lack of which results in urea cycle disorder, a rare but devastating condition.

The researchers tested thousands of variant combinations that resulted in no enzyme activity when on their own and found that a significant portion of them had high levels of enzyme activity when in combination with each other. In other words, two defective variants, when combined, can recover function.

“This was the most puzzling thing that I could not believe when Dr. Dudley showed it to me. Sometimes in biology, zero plus zero equals 100%,” said Shehu.

Shehu said that Crick, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1962 with James Dewey Watson and Maurice Wilkins for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of DNA, had hypothesized this could happen.

“Crick had a fancy word for it—variant sequestration,” said Shehu, “But until Dr. Dudley, no one had demonstrated it.”

The progress

Once Dudley’s lab confirmed the phenomenon experimentally, George �鶹��Ƶ researchers turned to AI to see if it could predict similar effects across other genes. Using the ASL data from Dudley’s lab, George �鶹��Ƶ computer science PhD student Anowarul Kabir developed a machine learning model to predict the effects of variant combinations. Then, he applied the model to a structurally similar but evolutionarily distinct protein, fumarase (FH). The algorithm achieved 99.6 percent accuracy in predicting regained function within ASL and 91 percent accuracy in FH.

“The really cool thing about this,” said Shehu, “is that the model learned both sequence and structural patterns and was able to transfer its knowledge to another gene.”

This breakthrough suggests that with experimental data from a few genes, AI can help scale variant effect prediction to a broad set of genes. The PNAS publication estimates that as many as 4% of the genes in the human genome could have the same types of effects seen for ASL and FH.

The paradigm shift

This breakthrough marks a paradigm shift in clinical genomics for precision medicine. By considering variant combinations rather than isolated, single variants, clinicians can deliver faster, more accurate diagnoses and life-saving interventions for families facing rare diseases. They can also prioritize therapeutic treatments based on specific epistatic profiles of patients or clinical trial participants.

“Clinical genomics has been stuck in a rut for decades. We’ve shown that you need to look at combinations of variants to fully understand their impact,” said Shehu. “Our AI model expands coverage from one gene to another, accelerating interpretation and bringing us closer to true precision medicine.”

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DNA

Machine Learning

Machine Learning in Health Care

Research

Artificial Intelligence

Students use AI to solve everyday challenges at recent Fail-a-Thon

Shayla Brown — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 17:35:24 +0000

Students use AI to solve everyday challenges at recent Fail-a-Thon  Shayla Brown Mon, 01/12/2026 - 12:35

�鶹��Ƶ is preparing students to transform setbacks into stepping stones with a “Fail-a-Thon," a hackathon event where failing forward is the goal.

The event, hosted by the College of Engineering and Computing, encouraged students to explore bold ideas under two themes: artificial intelligence (AI) for everyday challenges and tech for well-being and creativity.

Junior computer science major Oluwatomisin Badmus and his partner, junior applied computer science major Chesney Noye, working under the team name “AfroHacks,” took first place. 

Chesney Noye (center) and Oluwatomisin Badmus presenting at the Fail-a-thon. Photo provided.

Badmus and Noye are international students and wanted to emphasize the importance of checking in with one another within their community. The duo used an AI coding tool to build an application that allows users to log their current mood over the course of the day, and the system then uses the logged mood when responding to questions.

“You might describe it as a mood-aware AI chatbot,” explained Badmus.

They were able to complete a working version of the application to present to the judges. The team 808s won 2nd place and the Three Musketeers won 3rd. 

“I'm very passionate about AI, so I make sure to take advantage of every educational opportunity regarding AI. I hope to apply that knowledge in my work to make an impact both in and out of school,” said Badmus, an Honors College student. 

Badmus said he has participated in other George �鶹��Ƶ hackathons and competitions at other institutions such as Morgan State, John Hopkins University, and online. Badmus encouraged Noye to participate in the event with him in hopes that he would also find the experience rewarding. 

“I’ve always wanted to participate in a hackathon, so when I saw the flyer for the Fail-a-thon, I knew it would be a great opportunity to gain experience in a relatively low-stakes environment,” said Noye, who has a concentration in software engineering.

Noye said hackathons always seemed too intimidating, but he was encouraged by the fail-a-thon's easygoing approach.

“Having an event centered around failing gave people room to go out there with their ideas, and getting to see all the projects everyone else came up with was great,” he said.

“Getting to share stories with the other participants there on where our projects failed, what weird bugs we had, and how different our initial ideas and final products ended up was a great bonding moment and really helped normalize the idea that failing is okay,” said Noye.

The students had two hours to build real-world practical projects using provided AI tools. Many of the project features were built and working, and judges and attendees could see them live during the presentations. 

Humaira Akhtari (left) with Christi Cartwright Wilcox, director, Office of Outreach Student Success and Engagement. Photo provided.

“Watching students turn ideas into functional solutions in just two hours was genuinely exciting and inspiring,” said Humaira Akhtari, a term instructor in the Department of Information Science and Technology and one of three faculty judges at the event.

Other judges included professors Socrates Dimitriadis and Maha Shamseddine from the Department of Computer Science.

“I kept telling the teams, ‘I would be the first person to use your app’ because their ideas were genuinely useful. Seeing students build practical solutions, collaborate across disciplines, and confidently present their work made the experience incredibly rewarding,” said Akhtari. “It brings me so much joy seeing my students grow beyond the classroom. Whether it’s capstone presentations, Fail-a-Thon, or Engineering Week, I love seeing how my students are thriving.” 

Students from electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, IST, and cyber security engineering participated. The mix of backgrounds really elevated the ideas and discussions, said Akhtari. 

When evaluating projects, judges looked at creativity, risk-taking, learning through failure, and how well teams communicated their ideas.  

“Rather than penalizing mistakes, we looked for evidence of iteration, reflection, and growth. The goal was to celebrate experimentation and meaningful learning,” said Akhtari. 

“Events like Fail-a-Thon create a safe space where students learn that failure is not something to avoid—it’s part of the process. This mindset is essential not only in academics, but also in entrepreneurship and real-world problem solving,” said Akhtari.

One team built a study management tool where students could upload their course syllabus, and the app would automatically generate a personalized study plan based on upcoming assignments and deadlines.

Another team designed a nutrition app that helps users track dietary preferences like Halal, vegan, and other restrictions.  

There were also projects focused on productivity, motivation, and wellness—apps that help users stay on track with their schedules, motivate them to stay consistent at the gym, or even guide users while grocery shopping based on their calorie goals.  

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competitions

Hackathon

Applied computer science

computer science

Artificial Intelligence

Honors College

Students

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In This Story

Humaira Akhtari

Socrates Dimitriadis

Maha Shamseddine

Artificial Intelligence at George �鶹��Ƶ

Tech Expert, George �鶹��Ƶ alumna, and Costello Dean’s Advisory Council Member Kinsey Fabrizio talks about the AI Revolution and its positive disruption

Katelynn C Hipolito — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 17:23:17 +0000

Tech Expert, George �鶹��Ƶ alumna, and Costello Dean’s Advisory Council Member Kinsey Fabrizio talks about the AI Revolution and its positive disruption Katelynn C Hipolito Fri, 11/21/2025 - 12:23

As president of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, which represents more than 1,200 technology companies and owns and produces CES®—the most powerful tech event in the world, Kinsey Fabrizio, BA Government and International Politics; Spanish ’04, is a force in the tech world.

Kinsey Fabrizio, BA Government and International Politics; Spanish ’04. Photo by Hannah Patterson/Costello College of Business.

Since joining the association in 2008, Fabrizio has played a pivotal role in transforming CTA and CES. Fabrizio was awarded the Women in CT Legacy Award in 2023, recognizing her longtime leadership and contributions to the consumer technology industry. Most recently, Fabrizio was named one of Washingtonian’s 2025 Most Powerful Woman. She served on the Costello College of Business Management Advisory Council from 2023-2025, and is serving as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council.

�鶹��Ƶ George �鶹��Ƶ

What made you choose �鶹��Ƶ for your degree?

I grew up in Winchester, Virginia, and what I loved most about George �鶹��Ƶ was its capacity to really challenge me and expose me to diverse people, opinions, thoughts, and different ideas.

What was the most rewarding experience for you at George �鶹��Ƶ?

I remember a class my senior year that centered on conflict resolution and international politics, and I loved it! That class connected me to an internship that led to my first job. I got trained in conflict resolution and as a mediator, and it was just this amazing door that opened. That was definitely a moment that I'll never forget, and I think about that class often.

You have served on Costello’s Management Advisory Council in the past, and have recently joined our Dean’s Advisory Council. What do you think is special about Costello?

Costello is special because of its unique focus on the intersection of innovation and business. It’s tech-forward, dynamic, and truly one-of-a-kind. The more I’ve learned about Costello, the more impressed I’ve become. I’ve been able to learn from the really brilliant people that are part of this group and get exposed to a different part of the university while being able to give back and volunteer my time.

Kinsey Fabrizio, BA Government and International Politics; Spanish ’04. Photo by Hannah Patterson/Costello College of Business.

�鶹��Ƶ AI

Where do you see AI going?

AI is a foundational leap. It's as big a new technology and tool as the Internet. We're just at the very beginning of this AI revolution, but we're already seeing it improve lives. We're seeing it solve some of society's toughest challenges, from energy production to climate resilience to chronic disease management to efficiency for enterprises and businesses. AI is an amazing and powerful tool. Businesses are going to be able to optimize their strategy and their operations through AI by boosting efficiency and productivity. I don't think AI is going to completely replace a workforce, I think it's going to add value to the existing workforce. People using AI will make the workforce more efficient and more effective. You've probably heard it before, the saying that AI won't replace people, but people who use AI will replace people who don't. I think that's really important to keep in mind as we move forward. AI is something that we are going to integrate into our daily lives, helping us turn all kinds of data into action.

CTA supports establishing clear, effective guardrails for AI to encourage innovation while protecting consumers. What are your thoughts on the best approach to AI regulation moving forward?

We feel strongly about a light touch, risk-based approach to regulation that protects consumers, but also gives businesses clear rules of the road and doesn’t hinder innovation. One of the ways we think you achieve that is with a federal AI framework, rather than 50 different states with different sets of AI regulations. That is nearly impossible for companies, especially startups, to keep up with, and it would inhibit innovation. The AI Action Plan released by the White House this summer is a good blueprint. It looks at AI innovation in terms of acceleration and ensuring that the U.S. stays a leader. It focuses on streamlining outdated regulations and strengthening public/private partnerships, which is going to be great for AI advancement. It also rightly focuses on infrastructure and the need to modernize the energy grid.

Do you have any advice for higher ed when it comes to AI and technology?

AI is here to stay and it’s important to train students on how to effectively, efficiently, and ethically leverage AI because it is a powerful tool. AI could really accelerate research. It's important that higher ed leans into AI adoption and creates opportunities for students to learn and use these tools. Building AI into the curriculum is really important. So is training students on real world uses of AI , because when students graduate today and go into the workforce, AI is going to be a part of it. Preparing them in the best way possible is a responsibility of higher education.

The Costello College of Business is on the eve of its 50th Anniversary. Technology has grown immensely in the last 50 years. In what ways do you see AI and new technology having an impact on business for the next half century?

We’re just at the beginning of this AI revolution. As AI disrupts entire industries, businesses are trying to figure out how to embrace these new tools to advance and accelerate. A couple areas where we’ll see the biggest leaps forward are blockchain and quantum. AI is going to make blockchain technology more efficiently scalable. Think about financial transactions that can be more traceable and transparent, and health care data transactions that’ll be more secure. We’re years away from quantum technology being an everyday reality, but AI will offer testing platforms to develop quantum technologies in areas like cybersecurity, transportation, and biotech, and make it more scalable.

You work with some of the top leaders in technology, what are you hearing about the latest trends in AI and technology?

Across the business world, you’re seeing companies use AI to boost productivity. We’re also seeing AI used to enhance the customer experience, including as a frontline customer service tool. AI in health care is advancing lifesaving innovations and medical research. There’s also digital twin technology applied to manufacturing to create smart factories and even create models of entire cities. AI is really quick at solving complex problems that humans alone can't solve. AI chips are more advanced than ever, and agentic AI that can manage tasks semi autonomously with a little bit of human oversight expedites basic but necessary back office functions that every business needs. We'll see a lot of these—and some new and exciting applications of AI technology—at CES 2026!

Kinsey Fabrizio, BA Government and International Politics; Spanish ’04. Photo by Hannah Patterson/Costello College of Business.

Our dean likes to say, “Everything is business and that we are all in the business of some thing.” Please tell us about the business of technology and how you think the business college needs to be preparing our students for successful careers in the business of technology.

I think the business of technology is the most exciting business! I love tech and innovation. Think about the benefits of the Internet—everything from streaming content, to digital advertising, toplatforms that allow you to connect with anyone, anywhere. And these days, everything is tech! From entertainment, to health care, to enterprise, they’re all solving real world issues.

The business college needs to prepare students to embrace technology and to adapt. The job opportunities available to kids coming out of college today are going to look different than they do in a few years, and different again in the next 10 years. Making sure today’s business school students are ready to embrace tech and adopt new ways of doing things is critical. Ensuring that curriculums highlight new technologies and advancements is really important. It’s also important to find opportunities for tech leaders to connect with students through tech challenges, startup competitions, and hackathons, which I know George �鶹��Ƶ does already.

One more thing: we can’t forget the importance of being in person and engaging in the physical world, not just the digital world. You learn so much from observing a leader's body language, watching how they present themselves in a meeting, when they speak up, who they make eye contact with, and looking at how they bring different people into the conversation. CES is all about bringing people together to connect, discover, learn, and solve, so we see the value in those things every year at the show. In our world today, real-life, in-person connections give you a competitive edge. That includes CES, which is open to students! We love when people come to CES and get inspired by how technology is transforming the world, see new ideas, meet people, and network.

What advice would you give to George �鶹��Ƶ students who are about to graduate or fellow alumni who are already in the workforce?

First, align your work with something that you care about because that passion will carry you through challenges that you encounter in your professional career. Second, raise your hand for new opportunities in school or at your first job, even if they are outside of your comfort zone. When you are willing to say yes and try something that you wouldn’t naturally do, doors open. Third, seek out a mentor and don't be afraid to ask for constructive feedback. We all need it! It’s so important to get real feedback, because then you can identify what you're great at and where you have opportunities to improve and be the best version of yourself. Seeking out a good mentor is a great way to do that in the professional space.

In This Story

Kinsey Fabrizio, '04

Topics

Impact Fall 2025

Dean’s Advisory Council

Artificial Intelligence

Costello College of Business News

Costello College of Business Alumni

Costello College of Business Management Advisory Council

Alumni

Costello hosts first AI Symposium

Katelynn C Hipolito — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 16:30:55 +0000

Costello hosts first AI Symposium Katelynn C Hipolito Tue, 10/28/2025 - 12:30

On Wednesday, October 22, the Costello College of Business at �鶹��Ƶ welcomed students and members of the local business community to its first-ever Artificial Intelligence Symposium, held on the Fairfax Campus. Sponsored by NABA and Deloitte, the event featured two dynamic panel discussions focused on the evolving role of artificial intelligence in the workforce.

(Left to Right) Dean Ajay Vinzé, Patrick Soleymani, BS ’07, MBA ’09, Cheryl Druehl, Tasha Austin-Williams, James Suh, Amarda Shehu, Rajiv Shenoy, Guylaine Sainte Juste, BA ’94. Photo by Hannah Patterson/Costello College of Business.

As the lights dimmed, attendees were greeted by an AI-generated voice, setting the tone for the evening: “The future isn’t written by algorithms. It’s co-authored by people bold enough to lead them.”

Following the introduction, Patrick Soleymani, BS Management ’07, MBA ’09, associate dean for outreach and strategic engagement and emcee for the evening, framed the significance of the event. “Artificial intelligence is no longer an emerging concept—it's a transformative force shaping every industry, discipline, and leadership decision,” he said. “Tonight’s program brings together leading voices from academia and industry to discuss how AI is changing the way we work, learn, and lead.”

“Artificial intelligence is no longer an emerging concept—it's a transformative force shaping every industry, discipline, and leadership decision.”

— Patrick Soleymani, BS Management ‘07, MBA ‘09, associate dean for outreach and strategic engagement

The first panel focused on the technological implications of AI. Moderated by Cheryl Druehl, senior associate dean for faculty affairs and research, the discussion featured Rajiv Shenoy, partner and associate director at Boston Consulting Group; and James Suh, CTO/CIO of NABA, Inc. and CEO and co-founder of Nashville Analytics, LLC. Both Shenoy and Suh emphasized the importance of analyzing threats, challenges, and opportunities within the organization that AI would be addressing. “AI can’t compete with human creativity,” said Shenoy. However, he said, using AI is critical to upskilling, and those unwilling to embrace the technology will eventually be replaced. Suh shared that at NABA they strive to hire hyper curious employees.

“Now we turn our focus to the people, policy, and leadership implications of AI adoption,” said Ajay Vinzé, dean of the Costello College of Business, who moderated the second panel that featured Tasha Austin-Williams, principal at Deloitte; Guylaine Sainte Juste, BA International Relations ’94, president and CEO, NABA Inc.; and Amarda Shehu, inaugural vice president and chief AI officer, �鶹��Ƶ. Acknowledging that one person cannot be an expert at everything, Sainte Juste noted, “This technology will move us from a world of expertise to a world of adaptability.” Shehu shared that George �鶹��Ƶ has worked closely with students, faculty, and staff to provide access to AI tools in a secure and user-friendly environment, with a strong emphasis on innovative curriculum development.

The message of the evening was clear: The era of AI is here. Now is the time to embrace this transformative technology and integrate it into skillsets, leadership strategies, and educational frameworks. “Whether you’re in academia, business, or government, the future of AI requires bold thinking, inclusive design, and ongoing collaboration,” Soleymani said in closing. The Costello College of Business is committed to convening thought leaders and equipping students and faculty with the tools to not only keep pace with AI—but to lead with it.

(Left to Right) Rajiv Shenoy, Amarda Shehu, Dean Ajay Vinzé, Tasha Austin-Williams, Julia Coulter, Patrick Soleymani, Guylaine Sainte Juste, Cheryl Druehl, James Suh. Photo by Hannah Patterson/Costello College of Business.

Learn more about AI at George �鶹��Ƶ

In This Story

Patrick Soleymani

Cheryl Druehl

Ajay Vinzé, PhD

Topics

Artificial Intelligence

Costello College of Business News

George �鶹��Ƶ and King’s College London win Google Award to fight AI-driven romance scams targeting older adults

Nathan Kahl — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 23:23:41 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ and King’s College London win Google Award to fight AI-driven romance scams targeting older adults Nathan Kahl Sun, 10/26/2025 - 19:23

The term “catfishing” entered mainstream use with the release of the eponymous 2010 documentary investigating the practice of creating fake online personas, frequently to scam someone. Today, AI is pushing this practice to a frightening new level, with the prospect of older adults falling for what are called “romance scams.”

Sanchari Das, an assistant professor in �鶹��Ƶ’s Department of Information Sciences and Technology, and Ruba Abu-Salma, an associate professor in the department of computer science at King’s College London, received a $100,000 Google Academic Research Award to help keep older adults safe online. Their project, Scammed by Love: Toward Mitigating AI-Facilitated Romance Scams Against Older Adults Through Empirical and Cross-National Studies, will investigate the prevalence of such scams targeting older adults and will create educational tools to help them safely navigate dating apps.

The researchers will conduct a multi-national study spanning 13 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. Das, who has published research on older adults and their online dating habits, said, “We think about older adults in terms of health care needs, but we don't think about dating and romance. I learned that a majority of older-adult scams come from scam dating, and the victims cannot even share that it happened with their support networks, like their children, because it would be such a taboo and embarrassing thing to share.” Das added that an estimated $3 billion is lost each year in the United States to romance scams across all age groups, based on reported figures. “And that’s only what’s being reported.” Das is concerned that while romance scams are among the most prevalent forms of fraud affecting older adults, this population remains understudied in this context.

AI is making romance scams even harder to detect. iStock photo.

With roughly 12 percent of Americans over 70 having used a dating app or site, there is significant exposure for financial harm. Given the rapid advances in AI-generated images, video, audio, and simulated emotional expression, these attacks are increasing. One news story (of many) tells of a UK resident who scammed at least 10 female victims over 11 years out of 100,000 British pounds.

Abu-Salma, who has also published research on older adults and other at-risk groups, noted that according to a recent 2025 study by Lloyds Bank, “Individuals aged 55 to 64 are the most targeted age group, accounting for 20 percent of romance scam victims, followed by those aged 65 to 74, who represent18 percent of cases.”

In response to these risks, Das and Abu-Salma’s project will proceed in three phases. First, they will analyze data from focus groups and surveys of older adults in countries with high dating-app adoption. Second, they will develop educational safety materials. Third, they will hold in-person community workshops in the United States and the UK, partnering with older adult communities to refine and disseminate these materials. The team will work with organizations worldwide to share their findings online.

Das said she is excited about this collaboration and grateful to receive such highly competitive Google Academic Research Award in the Trust, Safety, Security, and Privacy research domain, noting, “We all know about deepfakes, but the bigger issue is that scammers are no longer just swapping faces. They are creating entirely new personas that feel real, so you may not even question whether the person you are talking to exists.” She added, “Our goal is to equip older adults with simple tools and support so they can connect online with confidence.”

In This Story

Sanchari Das

Topics

Cyber Security

Information Sciences and Technology Departmenat

Older Adults

Research

Google

Artificial Intelligence

$3 million National Institute on Aging grant will provide much-needed support to underserved dementia caregivers

Taylor Thomas — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 13:11:07 +0000

$3 million National Institute on Aging grant will provide much-needed support to underserved dementia caregivers Taylor Thomas Wed, 10/15/2025 - 09:11

More than 7 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), supported by 12 million unpaid family caregivers whose contributions are valued at $413 billion annually. As the U.S. population continues to age, the number of people with dementia and their caregivers will nearly triple by 2050. Innovative solutions to support family caregivers are urgently needed.

Y. Alicia Hong. Photo provided.

Now, with a $3 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), �鶹��Ƶ digital health intervention researcher Y. Alicia Hong is poised to change that. Hong led an interdisciplinary team to develop the Wellness Enhancement for Caregivers (WECARE) as a culturally tailored, digital health intervention to enhance caregiving skills and improve the well-being of dementia caregivers. The new grant will allow her team to further refine WECARE using artificial intelligence (AI) and evaluate it with a randomized controlled trial.

“WECARE is one of the first personalized digital interventions for dementia caregivers,” said Hong, a professor in the College of Public Health's Department of Health Administration and Policy. "Though it is designed for Chinese American dementia caregivers, it can be adapted for other groups and serve the growing demand for digital support for dementia caregivers in an aging society

The seven-week program will provide participants with informational ADRD multimedia content, quiz games, social networking with other caregivers, personalized feedback, and additional individualized resources. WECARE’s success will be evaluated by measuring the depressive symptoms reported by participants. The project also intends to identify barriers to and facilitators of WECARE’s adoption and long-term use.

This resource comes at a critical time as the aging population grows, and more people with ADRD require caregivers. Additionally, most family caregivers have chronic conditions due to prolonged and intensive dementia caregiving, causing an increased need for resources that sustain the health of family caregivers.

Hong’s grant titled “WECARE: A Personalized Intervention for Underserved Chinese American Dementia Caregivers” will take place from September 2025 to August 2030, for a total of $3,088,427. WECARE is directly responsive to NIA’s priority of effective interventions for ADRD-affected populations.

Hong studies the intersection of health services delivery and consumer informatics. Her work explores chronic care and self-care solutions through innovative digital technologies to improve patient-centered outcomes and enhance health care accessibility. Hong’s research focuses on implementation and dissemination science and leveraging digital technologies to enhance health services delivery.