SDSU announces a massive grant of over $6 million that will provide funding for the Al Center at College of Business and also student athletes.
The university confirmed the news this week, specifying the $5 million of funding heading to the artificial intelligence center on campus and the $1 million funding for a career development program of SDSU student athletes.
SDSU AI Lab Director and Associate Professor Aaron Elkins says that this monumental grant will advance the qualities of their department by up to 15 years at the very least.
“The education in AI and MIS (management information systems) at SDSU has always been top-notch, but to (recruit) those students who are really tops in their field, you need more than just the education,” said Elkins. “They want resources, connections, and collaborations. Now we can connect with some of these larger research centers as peers, which will allow us to do so much more.”
The Associate Professor also says that this level of funding will help the university come off more attractive to future students who want to do research in the field of artificial intelligence. With this funding, the departure says it will go from having the common 10 to 15 research students, to now an additional 20 students. Elkins also says that this fund support will also help the university connect with other institutions of artificial intelligence, and increase their overall networking.
And as for student-athletes, this $1 million grant will be funding the athletics department's Aztec Going Pro, which will provide immense support regarding skill-enhancing for Aztecs wanting to expand their athletic horizons. The grant will be designated for any program needs.
“This grant helps validate that Aztecs Going Pro is the type of program that resonates with people like Jim and Marilyn Brown who care about San Diego State Athletics, but who also care about the individual,” Wicker said. “They see the value of what we do and their contributions allow us to provide better programming and more support for our student-athletes.”
