CAP: Physics-Based AI for Engineering at Texas A&M International University

The ExpandAI Capacity building project at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) establishes and expands artifical intelligence (AI)-related activities in southwest Texas. The project cultivates a diverse group of AI-trained engineers through interdisciplinary AI research and education that leverages collective expertise and resources. This growth extends the reach of AI technology throughout Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) and the surrounding community of Laredo, an underserved border area of southwest Texas. The project gives students from underrepresented groups and faculty generally unacquainted with AI comprehensive training and resources to utilize AI effectively. As such, this project broadens the application of AI technology by fostering advancements in scientific research and empowering underrepresented groups with marketable skills that enhance their job prospects. AI's ability to test the most complicated scientific theories has spurred its ubiquity across various STEM disciplines and job sectors. This project focuses on expanding the capacity for a robust AI-trained workforce and research by providing students with intersecting minority statuses (i.e., Hispanic, female, low-socioeconomic, etc.), as well as faculty and researchers, educational materials, and training to incorporate AI in their skillset. The project does so by establishing an AI center that provides physics-based AI application training to establish a strong foundation for the vital role of physics in leveraging AI capabilities to solve complicated engineering problems, in addition to training from faculty and industry professionals utilizing AI. Additionally, the project promotes AI capacity building by providing students with a 2-year certificate, culminating in a hands-on capstone experience. As such, the project empowers students and faculty with the skills and knowledge to leverage physics-based AI for research and engineering projects, thereby advancing faculty's capacity for more robust research through AI and providing underrepresented students the means to access and excel in various job sectors. The objectives of this project closely align with NSF's mission to advance scientific discovery and innovation. This project is co-funded by the Hispanic Serving Institutions Program (HSI), which provides awards to strengthen STEM undergraduate education and research at HSIs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.