Consortium Overview
The National Applied Artificial Intelligence Consortium (NAAIC) is a collaboration led by Miami Dade College (MDC), Houston Community College (HCC), and Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) to provide leadership, training, and guidance for community colleges and companies in the development and growth of AI professionals nationally.
The overall goal of NAAIC is to advance the education and training of a diverse and highly skilled technical workforce in the field of AI. The project has the support of an expansive network of industry partners like Intel, AWS, Microsoft, Dell, SeedAI, among others.
Objectives & Activities
NAAIC is focusing on the following objectives and key activities:
- Cultivate and engage a National AI Business & Industry Leadership Team (AI BILT) to identify, update, and disseminate the evolving and emerging requisite knowledge and skills that industry believes will be required of workforce-ready graduates from 2-year programs in applied AI.
- Support community colleges in the development and implementation of ethical and responsible technician-level AI courses, certificates, and degrees by:
- Providing personalized mentorship
- Creating a repository of applied AI courses and resources
- Advance the development of faculty qualified to teach AI within two-year colleges by:
- Providing faculty professional development in AI in collaboration with industry partners
- Establishing a vibrant community of practice for nationwide faculty to meet regularly, support each other, and share information
- Hosting an annual AI Summit to share best practices, train, and assist in building a strong network among educators, students, and industry
Leadership Team
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Miami Dade College developed the first Associate and Bachelor's degree in Applied AI in the State of Florida. The AI programs at MDC serve over 1,000 students every year. The leaders of NAAIC at MDC are:
- Eduardo Salcedo, (P.I.), AI Faculty
- Antonio Delgado, (Co-P.I.), VP of Innovation and Technology Partnerships
- Cynthia Pereda, Grant Director
For more information, visit MDC AI Programs.
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Houston Community College developed the first Bachelor's degree in AI at a community college in the nation. The students in the program are securing high-paying jobs in AI. The leaders of NAAIC at HCC are:
- Dr. G. Raymond Brown, (Co-P.I.), AI Faculty
- Samir Saber, Dean, Digital & Information Technology
- Michael Webster, President Campus
For more information, visit HCC AI Program.
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Chandler-Gilbert Community College, a member of the Maricopa County Community Colleges District, developed the first Associate degree in AI in the nation. The curriculum developed by CGCC faculty in collaboration with Intel is being used by hundreds of faculty. The leaders of NAAIC at MCCCD are:
- Habib Matar, (Co-P.I.), AI Faculty
- Meha Trivedi, AI Faculty
- Daniel Barajas, Chief Officer for Workforce & Economic Development
- Gabriela Rosu, Dean of Instruction
For more information, visit MCCCD AI Program.
Sponsor
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Full support for this work was provided by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program under Awards No.2350120 and No. 2433939. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.