Clark Atlanta University (CAU) is strengthening its artificial intelligence programs through AIHUB@CAU, an initiative supported by a $2.79 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant and developed in collaboration with Georgia Tech’s NSF AI Institute for Advances in Optimization (AI4OPT).
As part of NSF's ExpandAI program, AIHUB@CAU is designed to strengthen the university's capacity for AI education, research, and workforce development. The partnership connects CAU’s academic programs with Georgia Tech’s expertise in artificial intelligence, mathematical optimization and interdisciplinary research.
Led by Charles Pierre, associate professor in CAU’s Department of Mathematical Sciences and principal investigator (PI) for AIHUB@CAU, the initiative brings together faculty expertise in mathematical sciences, cyber-physical systems and business administration.
Expanding Academic Pathways in AI
A central part of the initiative is developing academic pathways that prepare students for opportunities in AI, from industry careers to advanced research.
During a Sept. 22 meeting at CAU's Thomas W. Cole Jr. Research Center for Science and Technology, Pierre shared updates on the university's undergraduate AI minors and master's-level AI programs. Students from some of the program's early cohorts also attended the meeting, reflecting the academic community taking shape around the initiative.
Dr. Roy George, chair of CAU's Cyber-Physical Systems Program and co-PI of AIHUB@CAU, discussed progress on further integrating AI into the university's doctoral offerings. Once these efforts are completed, the doctoral program will provide an additional pathway for students interested in pursuing AI research at the highest academic levels while strengthening CAU's long-term capacity in the field.
By connecting AI with mathematical sciences, business and cyber-physical systems, the programs aim to help students apply technical knowledge to challenges across disciplines and industries.
Expanding Faculty Expertise and Research Opportunities
Building sustainable AI programs requires faculty expertise, research capacity, and opportunities for collaboration. AIHUB@CAU's partnership with AI4OPT complements the institute's broader educational efforts, including faculty training programs that help educators develop skills in data science, artificial intelligence, and optimization. These experiences support the development of new coursework, strengthen institutional expertise, and help faculty bring emerging AI knowledge into their classrooms and research programs.
The collaboration also connects CAU to AI4OPT’s research in artificial intelligence and mathematical optimization. Based at Georgia Tech, the institute develops methods to improve complex decision-making in areas such as energy, logistics, supply chains and manufacturing. These collaborations create opportunities for interdisciplinary research while helping connect classroom learning to real-world applications.
About NSF AI4OPT
NSF Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Institute for Advances in Optimization, or AI4OPT, aims to deliver a paradigm shift in automated decision-making at massive scales by fusing AI and Mathematical Optimization (MO) to achieve breakthroughs that neither field can achieve independently.
The Institute is driven by societal challenges in supply chains, manufacturing, and energy systems. To address the widening gap in job opportunities, the Institute delivers an innovative longitudinal education and workforce development program.
About Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is one of the top public research universities in the U.S., developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.
The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees, as well as professional development and K-12 programs for fostering success at every stage of life. Its more than 56,000 undergraduate and graduate students represent 54 U.S. states and territories and more than 146 countries. They study at the main campus in Atlanta, at instructional sites around the world, and through distance and online learning.
As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.
About Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University was formed with the consolidation of Atlanta University and Clark College. Atlanta University, established in 1865 by the American Missionary Association, was the nation’s first institution to award graduate degrees to African Americans. Established four years later in 1869, Clark College was the nation’s first four-year liberal arts college to serve a primarily African American student population. Today, with nearly 4,000 students, CAU is the largest of the four institutions that comprise the Atlanta University Center Consortium. It is also the largest of the 37-member United Negro College Fund (UNCF) institutions. To learn more about Clark Atlanta University, visit www.cau.edu.
