Tech’s MInDS fuels AI innovation and partnerships
(From Eagle Drive magazine, February 2025)
The first year of Tennessee Tech’s MInDS (Machine Intelligence and Data Science) Center was marked by advancements in the role of artificial intelligence on campus and beyond.
Since its launch in the fall of 2023, the center, led by co-directing computer science professors Doug Talbert, Ph.D., and Bill Eberle, Ph.D., has united faculty, students and researchers from diverse disciplines to collaborate on research and educational opportunities across a broad range of applications while also addressing the national need for workforce development in emerging AI technologies.
Here are some of the MInDS center’s first-year highlights:
AI4A collaboration: Hosted event with Vanderbilt University to kick off multi-university partnership through Mid-TN AI for Interdisciplinary Imaging Interpretation Alliance in October 2023.
AI Corps: Piloted workforce development scholarship program to address national demand for highly trained AI professionals. Student scholars led outreach events throughout the year at area schools, introducing various AI activities.
MInDS kickoff: Shared updates on AI education, workforce development and campus-wide research with Tech community in April 2024.
FLAIRS: Attended Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society conference, where more than 20 Tech students and faculty engaged with researchers on latest AI advancements in May 2024. MInDS also hosted 12 students from all over the country through a National Science Foundation grant.
AI Across Tennessee Symposium: Hosted more than 60 attendees (in-person and virtually) from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Memphis, East Tennessee State University, Tennessee State University and Austin Peay State University in July 2024 to jumpstart a National Science Foundation proposal to support AI research and collaborations among public universities in Tennessee.
“We are happy that MInDS and the College of Engineering were able to host, along with UTK, this statewide symposium, and we are excited about the opportunity for Tennessee Tech, through MInDS, to contribute to and benefit from this collaboration,” Talbert said. “The symposium provided a forum for AI and technology leaders from public universities to share ideas about how to increase AI educational and research opportunities for students and faculty across Tennessee – especially for large-scale AI collaborations.”
AI summer school: Supported travel for Tech students to attend Vanderbilt University program in August 2024.
MInDS External Advisory Board: Discussed the state of MInDS and potential directions with representatives from industry (Microsoft, NVidia, Oxy, SAS), defense (SAIC, U.S. government) and academia (University of Hartford) in October 2024.
Center approval: MInDS was fully approved as a university center by President Phil Oldham in November 2024.
New lab: Moved into new lab, co-located with iCube in Volpe Library, in January 2025.
To learn more about MInDS, visit www.tntech.edu/minds.