At NC State’s College of Engineering, we have a bold vision to build on our strengths and become a preeminent center for Applied AI in engineering and computer science.

The AI revolution has the potential to fundamentally transform nearly every aspect of engineering and computer science. By integrating AI across teaching and research, we will elevate our research scholarship, transform our teaching, and better prepare our students for the careers and problem-solving of an increasingly AI-driven future.

Why Applied AI?

• The AI revolution is increasingly impacting all engineering disciplines, and it’s only the beginning
• Applied AI will enhance the education of our students, benefit our faculty who can apply these skills to their scholarly work, and enable our graduates to bring AI-related skills to their employers and industries
• We have exceptional strengths at the COE and are uniquely poised for enormous productivity, growth and leadership in this space

Our Approach

Organize Applied AI into COE-specific themes, leveraging our disciplinary strengths

Infuse all undergraduate and graduate degree programs with elements of Applied AI

Nucleate teams of researchers to lead AI work that will address the Engineering Grand Challenges and guide future generations to achieve that work

Our Think and Do Mindset: Putting AI to Work!

We want to equip our faculty and our graduates to become global leaders in developing AI solutions that empower decision-making in complex, real-world situations for individuals, organizations and communities.

COE Faculty Members Level Up in Applied AI

The first cohort of College of Engineering (COE) faculty members to receive funding from two new award programs launched in 2025 are expanding interdisciplinary research efforts and individual expertise in applied AI.

The Dean’s Applied AI Research Accelerator Award Program provides interdepartmental COE research teams with seed funding to initiate and grow novel research in applied AI.

The Dean’s Applied AI Faculty Scholarly Fellowship Program supports individual faculty members who want to broaden expertise and research capacity in applied AI.

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News and updates

More AI News and Updates

Teachers Tend to Help the Same Kids Repeatedly When Using AI-Powered Tutoring Tools

A new study finds teachers tend to provide assistance to similar subsets of students when using AI-powered educational tools, rather than touching base regularly with everyone in their classes.

Creating an AI Future for Biopharmaceuticals

NC State’s BTEC hosted its first symposium on applied AI in biomanufacturing.

New Approach Finds Privacy Vulnerability and Performance Are Intertwined in AI Neural Networks

The researchers used this new information to develop a technique that better balances performance and privacy protection in AI neural networks.

Researchers Pioneer New Technique to Stop LLMs from Giving Users Unsafe Responses

Researchers have identified key components in large language models (LLMs) that play a critical role in ensuring these AI systems provide safe responses to user queries.

Leading the Pack in Robotics at NC State

At NC State’s first annual Robotics Symposium, faculty envision the College of Engineering at the forefront of a rapidly growing field.

Using AI and Advanced Sensors To Transform Feed Production

A collaborative workshop hosted by the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative and the Food Animal Initiative sparks feed milling research for increased food animal health and productivity.

Latest videos

More AI Topical Videos

Applied AI Seminar: Craig Nowell ’03

Artificial intelligence is reshaping engineering and industry. Craig Nowell ’03 is helping organizations put it to work.

As vice president of Global AI go to market at Databricks, Nowell partners with companies around the world to harness their data and scale generative AI solutions.

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“AI Machine Learning Algorithms in the Transformer Industry” with Luiz Cheim

Luiz Cheim, Senior Principal R&D Engineer with ABB/Hitachi Energy presented the topic “AI Machine Learning Algorithms in the Transformer Industry”

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“Empowering Educators: Modern Teaching Resources with MATLAB and AI” with Noah Roberts

Noah Roberts Education Application Engineer with MathWorks presented the topic “Empowering Educators: Modern Teaching Resources with MATLAB and AI”

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“AI Education at NC State: Data Science and AI Academy” with David Stokes

David Stokes is the Director of Teaching and Learning at NC State University’s Data Science and AI Academy (https://datascienceacademy.ncsu.edu/).

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“AI for the Rest of Us” with IBM’s Phaedra Bionodiris

Phaedra Boinodiris, Fellow, Royal Society of Arts; Co-founder and lead, IBM Consulting’s Responsible AI Practice; Member, State of North Carolina AI Leadership Council presented the topic “AI for the Rest of Us”

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AI Industry Panel Discussion

On Monday, October 27th, 2025, the Applied AI in Engineering & Computer Science Symposium brought together industry leaders and NC State College of Engineering faculty, staff and students for discussion on our world’s AI-driven future and what the college can do now to ensure our students are prepared.

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Applied AI Futures Seminar: Sergei Kalinin

The College of Engineering at NC State continued its Applied AI Futures Seminar Series by welcoming Dr. Sergei Kalinin, Weston Fulton Chair Professor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK); Chief Scientist for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Physical Sciences, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

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Applied AI Futures Seminar: Maria Gini

Dr. Maria Gini, Engineering and Computer Science Distinguished Professor, University of Minnesota presents “Can I Trust My Teammates? Are They Friends or Foes?” where she proposed measuring trust using a model of trust that has been put forth in the agents’ community and presented preliminary results.

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Applied AI Futures Seminar: Markus J. Buehler

Following the success of the College’s Applied AI in Engineering and Computer Science symposium, we introduced the inaugural event in our Applied AI Futures Seminar Series. On November 4, 2024, we welcomed Dr. Markus J. Buehler, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT, to the College of Engineering.

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