SUU Professor Receives $367k Grant For AI And ML Certificate Program

Dr. Masoud Malekzadeh, assistant professor of civil engineering at Southern Utah University (SUU), has received a grant of $367,113 from the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE), awarded in collaboration with the Deep Technology Advisory Council and Talent Ready Utah. This grant will support the development of a stackable certificate in "Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Engineering Applications," designed to equip students with specialized skills in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and advanced sensing technologies (AST) for engineering careers.

Machine Learning is a branch of artificial intelligence that focuses on developing systems that can learn from data, identify patterns, and make decisions with minimal human intervention. At its core, ML enables computers to improve performance on specific tasks over time by learning from experience, much like humans do.

According to Dr. Jeffrey Miller, dean of the College of Engineering and Computational Sciences, this project is "timely" and will empower students to succeed in today's evolving technological landscape. Graduates of the program will benefit from partnerships with industry leaders such as SkyWest Airlines, Ram Aviation, and InnovaTech, providing internship opportunities and hands-on experience in applying AI, ML, and AST to real-world challenges.

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Dr. Malekzadeh expressed pride in the transformative potential of the program, stating that witnessing students develop into skilled professionals empowered with AI and ML expertise will be especially rewarding. He highlighted that the award reflects SUU’s growing reputation as a leader in cutting-edge AI and ML education.

Securing the grant was a testament to Dr. Malekzadeh's perseverance. After an initial proposal was not funded last year, he collaborated with Peter Reed from Talent Ready Utah and SUU’s Sponsored Programs, Agreements, Research, and Contracts (SPARC) office to revise his submission. His persistence led to this successful outcome, setting the stage for SUU students to gain valuable skills and a competitive edge in the job market.

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For further information on the new AI/ML certificate, contact Dr. Malekzadeh at malekzadeh@suu.edu.

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