NSF Grant Projects
Jag-AI: AI Ready Institution Transforming Tomorrow's Research and Education with AI Focused on Health and Security, Award # 2334243
Jag-AI’s primary goal is to establish a robust Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure at Texas A&M University-San Antonio by enhancing the research capacity of the institution and developing AI-focused curricula and training. Jag-AI will achieve this goal through two initiatives:
- Foundational and Use-Inspired AI Research Initiative
- The goal of this initiative is to improve health care and quality of life, transform national defense security and effectively utilize cloud computing.
- AI for All Education and Training Initiative
- The goal of this initiative is to generate interest, increase awareness and advance careers in AI among underrepresented minority groups, including women, by developing curricula and providing training to faculty and researchers.
The integration of AI into research and academic programs will significantly enhance A&M-San Antonio's goal of becoming a national model for academic success — specifically regarding quality of life, national defense and security and lifelong education. Developments in AI will provide educational opportunities, encouragemulti-disciplinary research collaboration and foster partnerships with industry and government agencies to benefit economically disadvantaged students across Texas. Jag-AI strives to accelerate AI research, education and workforce development for the benefit of both A&M-San Antonio and the communities it serves.
SmartSAT project develops a customizable secure mobile app for SA public transit that provides users with enhanced, accurate information about transit service and enables data collection to evaluate the impact of poverty, race, and ethnicity on the experience of transit users. The resulting SmartSAT project will (1) provide riders real-time information of arrival times and bus capacity with limited seats available, (2) build an in feedback on-trip experiences, (3) utilize intelligent technology and conduct data-driven decision making when analyzing data, (4) provide reliable and accessible transit with convenient and equal access to get places, and (5) integrate SA community stakeholders into a future smart and connected city in the long run. Researchers and students from diverse disciplines (sociology, computer science, cyber security, & information science) work collaboratively to achieve project success. The outcomes of this project will primarily benefit low-income SA residents, especially the large Hispanic population. SmartSAT anticipates to ultimately improve SA mobile network infrastructure and to connect more workers to jobs and workforce training, more students to educational opportunities, and more residents to social and leisure activities.
Recruiting and Retaining Students into Computing, Award # 1832433
This project (RETAIN) uses a multipronged approach to inspire, increase, educate and retain a large, underrepresented pool to pursue degrees for careers in computing and cyber security, a discipline in which there is an acute national demand of professionals. The project RETAIN targets Hispanic students in rural and underrepresented areas who will be taught cyber security beginning with foundation courses, to increase their awareness and demand for this field. It builds a pipeline for underrepresented students who have social, economic, and education needs in computing and cyber security, by partnering with a rural community college (Laredo), an urban community college (San Antonio) and its own students. Building upon strong, collaborative relationships formed between the institutions will contribute to project effectiveness.