Innovation and research in artificial intelligence took center stage at Augusta University’s School of Computer and Cyber Sciences during its first Artificial Intelligence in Research and Education (AIRE) Workshop. The event, held on November 21 at the Georgia Cyber Innovation & Training Center, brought together faculty, students, researchers, and community partners for a day focused on how AI is transforming multiple industries.
Hisham Daoud, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Cyber Systems and Engineering and chair of the event, explained the workshop’s goals: “The workshop gathered speakers from across the CSRA, including universities, institutions and research labs. We also invited students from across Augusta University to attend and learn from these conversations.”
The workshop supports efforts by the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences to establish a Center for AI in Research and Education. This initiative aims to encourage interdisciplinary research, promote innovation, and prepare students for an AI-driven workforce.
“This is the first time we’ve held this workshop, and it reflects our goal to build a strong foundation for AI research and education at Augusta University,” Daoud said.
Attendees included representatives from Savannah River National Laboratory, the University of South Carolina, local industry partners, as well as students and faculty from various colleges within Augusta University such as the Medical College of Georgia and the School of Public Health.
Four main sessions addressed key areas where artificial intelligence is making rapid progress: cybersecurity, education, health care, and applied intelligent systems. One panel discussion titled “AI in Healthcare: Perspectives and Challenges” brought together experts including physicians, statisticians, computer scientists, and AI researchers to discuss how AI is affecting patient care and data analysis.
Students were also given an opportunity to present their work during a poster session. Alex Brady, a graduate research assistant in the Computer and Cyber Sciences PhD Program who received the Best Poster Award for his work on energy-efficient spiking neural networks designed to predict epileptic seizures before they occur—work he conducted with Dr. Daoud—said: “For me, winning the Best Poster Award tells me I’m on the right track. It’s very encouraging to be reminded from time to time of the significance of the work that we’re doing.”
Jordan Pruner, a fourth-year undergraduate student in computer science who attended the event stated: “As both a student and a future educator, I’ve always had concerns about AI. Coming to this workshop eased some of the fears I had, but it also made me more aware of the areas where we need to be cautious,” Pruner said. “At the same time, it gave me new ideas for how I can use AI in my learning and eventually my teaching.”
George Dorton—a third-year cyber operations major—reflected on his experience: “The biggest benefit of this workshop was seeing how many real-world applications AI has,” Dorton said. “We use AI every day now, even for simple tasks, so gaining a deeper understanding of how it works — especially in fields like cybersecurity, education and health care — is extremely valuable.
“As a cyber operations student, I’m interested in building my own AI agents or using AI in future projects,” he continued. “This workshop showed me what’s possible and how AI can strengthen the work we do in cybersecurity.”
Alex Schwarzmann, PhD., dean of the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences commented on artificial intelligence’s expanding influence: “Artificial intelligence is reshaping the frontiers of knowledge, from accelerating discovery in the sciences to transforming how we teach and learn,” Schwarzmann said. “This workshop underscored both the promise and responsibility of AI. Our school is determined to advance AI research and education not only by integrating it into our curricula and scholarly work but by fostering collaborations that ensure these technologies serve society with integrity, innovation and impact.”
