Artificial Intelligence

ɫ��Ƶ Awarded Nearly $1M NSF Grant to Help Launch AI Career Pathways

lmadaus — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 17:29:26 +0000

ɫ��Ƶ Awarded Nearly $1M NSF Grant to Help Launch AI Career Pathways

lmadaus Wed, 10/22/2025 - 13:29

ɫ��Ƶ and t.Lab, a national leader in STEM-based experiential education, have been awarded a nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s ExLENT program to expand educational access to artificial intelligence (AI). The three-year project, Explorations: Bringing High School Students and GED Earners into Artificial Intelligence Career Pathways, focuses on workforce development, preparing learners from non-traditional backgrounds for the AI-driven industries of the future.

“This initiative goes beyond teaching students about AI; it’s about preparing them to lead in the global innovation economy,” said Dr. Clarence Nixon, Founder and CEO of t.Lab. “By equipping students with technical, academic and leadership skills, we are creating opportunities that will transform communities and industries for generations.”

Funded through NSF’s Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program, part of the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), the initiative supports the national goal of preparing a diverse and resilient workforce for rapidly evolving technology fields.

“Artificial intelligence is going to affect nearly every part of our lives, from manufacturing to mobility to HVAC, literally the air we breathe,” said Diane Peters, Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering at ɫ��Ƶ and principal investigator. “But right now, not everyone has equal access to learning about AI or exploring careers in it. This project is about opening doors for students who might never otherwise picture themselves in this space.”

The initiative combines academic preparation, hands-on projects and short industry-based internships to give high school students and GED earners both foundational knowledge and real-world experience. Unlike traditional college pipeline programs, this project is designed as a workforce development initiative led by ɫ��Ƶ faculty. Its focus is on preparing participants for a range of futures, whether that means pursuing a college degree, entering a technical or trade program, or gaining industry certifications that open doors to AI-related careers.

"This project really grew out of early conversations with t.Lab, who has been an integral partner from the very beginning,” Peters said. “At the same time, it built on discussions at a principal investigator meeting where we were challenged to think about how universities could align with industry needs. At ɫ��Ƶ, we already have deep strengths in areas like AI and computer science and this gave us the opportunity to connect that expertise with a clear, national priority."

The project will be evaluated through surveys and interviews, with results documented to create a replicable model for other institutions nationwide.

Peters emphasized the role of community partners in expanding the project’s reach. “From day one, Clarence Nixon and the team at t.Lab have been essential to shaping this vision. Their passion for preparing students for future careers and their deep experience working with high school learners bring tremendous value to the project.”

She also highlighted that the grant is the result of a true team effort. “I’m fortunate to be working alongside remarkable colleagues like Lisa Gandy and Jim Huggins. Each brings a unique area of expertise, and that diversity of strengths is what makes this project possible. A project of this size can’t succeed with clones. You need a team where everyone contributes something different, and that’s exactly what we have.”

Together, ɫ��Ƶ and t.Lab are breaking barriers to AI education, creating pathways that turn potential into possibility for students across every community.

About t.Lab

t.Lab is a high-performance learning laboratory and nonprofit organization, located in Garden City, Michigan, dedicated to transforming lives through educational excellence. Its mission is to equip students with the skills, knowledge and experiences required to thrive in a global economy. To learn more, visit www.tlab-global.org.

Computer Science

From Curious Kid to Leading Innovator: Kyle Mona’s Journey into Home Automation

rnorris — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 14:25:34 +0000

From Curious Kid to Leading Innovator: Kyle Mona’s Journey into Home Automation

Artificial Intelligence

Electrical Engineering

rnorris Mon, 01/13/2025 - 09:25

In an era where smart homes and automation dominate the tech landscape, Kyle Mona ’27 (Electrical Engineering) doesn’t just follow trends — he defines them. With a strong foundation in electronics, automation, and cybersecurity, Kyle is carving out a path that exemplifies what it means to lead the future of technology.

Kyle credits his family, especially his grandpa and dad, for nurturing his love of learning. “My grandpa used to bring me to my dad’s auto repair shop in the summer and showed me how to use tools and how things worked, which sparked my interest in engineering,” Kyle recalls. Kyle’s fascination with electronics began in high school, fueled by the burgeoning era of smartphone-controlled devices. He developed a deep interest in how automation could simplify daily life. This early intrigue laid the groundwork for his passion project: a home automation system.

When Kyle and his family moved into a new house with inadequate internet coverage, he saw an opportunity to apply his knowledge and skills. “I ran over 3,000 feet of Cat 6 wiring throughout the house and wired over 100 light switches," Kyle recalls, describing how he set up a comprehensive system to ensure robust internet coverage in every room. But his ambitions didn’t stop there. He built a sophisticated home automation system using open-source software. Kyle’s system integrates lighting, thermostats, cameras, surround sound, alarms, and sprinklers, all managed on a virtual machine via his local network. Kyle also hardwired tablets around the house to run his automation browser. The setup is meticulously organized, with each device and room clearly labeled for easy control.

When asked what his parents had to say about this technical home remodel, Kyle says they thought it was “very impressive, even though they needed some coaching on how to use it.”

“My dad uses it to change all the thermostats and lighting because the house has five thermostats and over 100 light switches,” Kyle says. “So you'd have to go through the whole house to ensure everything is off or at a certain temperature, and it's easier for him just to click one button. He's got everything right in front of him. So he's starting to really like it now. And then I also integrated surround sound so he can select any music he wants right from the panel to anywhere in the house.”

Like any significant project, Kyle’s endeavor was not without its challenges. One notable obstacle was time synchronization errors between the camera server and his computer. This issue required extensive troubleshooting, which Kyle tackled with characteristic persistence. “Once a problem comes my way, it’s hard for me to back down from it. I get really invested in it. I have to figure it out. I cannot go to sleep unless I figure it out,” Kyle says.

Kyle is applying that problem-solving attitude during his Co-op term at Wixom, Michigan-based LightGuide Systems. LightGuide provides an augmented reality (AR) platform to help companies improve manufacturing and assembly processes. Recently, Kyle’s work came full circle as he delivered and installed a TrainAR Workstation donated by LightGuide in ɫ��Ƶ’s new Industry 4.0 Manufacturing Lab.

Looking ahead, Kyle envisions expanding his system outdoors to include more access points and to enhance connectivity in areas like the backyard. He’s also working to add motion-sensing floodlights to his system, improving security around the house. Kyle’s end goal is to integrate the alarm system so that all lights in the house flash if the alarm is triggered.

Kyle also sees potential in turning his passion for home automation into a business. “I could see myself setting up similar systems for other people,” he says. Kyle says his brother shares his passion for cybersecurity and believes they could one day start a company that combines their expertise.

Kyle’s advice to other ɫ��Ƶ students looking to take on their own challenging projects is clear: “Don’t hold yourself back. Even if you’re unsure at first, once you start with the right tools, you’ll find you can do it.”

Computer Science

Electrical Engineering

ɫ��Ƶ Partners with Navistar to Make Buses Safer

eoboyle — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 18:52:15 +0000

ɫ��Ƶ Partners with Navistar to Make Buses Safer

Mobility Research Center

Artificial Intelligence

Undergraduate

eoboyle Fri, 12/16/2022 - 13:52

ɫ��Ƶ students are working on ways to make school buses safer.

The team is in the fourth year of a five-year project with Navistar, an Illinois-based manufacturer of school buses and semi trucks. This year, the ɫ��Ƶ team is developing the automation of vehicle sensing behavior capabilities to classify human transient behavior to detect when a child and/or an article of a child’s clothing is pinched in the bus door, to automate passenger counting, and to detect bullying and other dangerous passenger situations.

Students are using artificial intelligence, algorithms, and models to develop a low-cost platform to take photos of the children and keep a count to report to the driver, ensuring the drivers don’t leave students on the bus when they park and leave the garage for the day. Other artificial intelligence-based software will detect if a child and/or their backpack or clothing is in the danger zone of getting pinched in the door.

So far, Navistar is pleased with the students’ work.

“This is thinking outside of the box,” said Dr. Teik-Khoon Tan, Navistar Senior Technical Specialist. “We need innovation, so our strategy is to partner with universities. Without it, we lack other innovative perspectives. ɫ��Ƶ students, the learning and growth are very high. I’m very impressed.”

He praised Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Dr. Mehrdad Zadeh for his “high emotional quotient” or ability to understand others’ emotions.

“[Zadeh] listens, and [the students] can learn what our customer really needs,” Tan said. “Listen to what our pain points are so we can be in a good marriage. This is a perfect marriage. I’m very glad.”

In the first three years of the partnership, students worked on autonomous sensors and video, segmentation and behavioral learning.

“All of this is part of artificial intelligence, and now we’re getting into behavioral learning when you step into the bus. They will know who you are, when you’re bullying kids,” Tan said, noting the system will know this behavior is inappropriate.

Instead of using computers, the team uses recycled cell phones to capture the data, which is a cost-efficient way to provide customers with the safety applications they need.

“This is important for production because we don’t have to redevelop everything off the shelf,” Tan said.

He and Noah Wilson, advanced technology engineer at Navistar, have been working with the team.

“The students are very bright and clearly hardworking,” Wilson said. “Pretty much all of the work has been done by the students. We’ve been in more of an advisory role.”

Amanuel Weldemichael (‘23, CE) has been working on the automatic passenger counter portion of the project.

“I am interested in [Advanced Driver Assistance Systems] ADAS and autonomous vehicle solutions,” he said.

His biggest challenge has been using well-known models on edge devices for real-time applications.

School of Foundational Studies

Computer Science

Artificial Intelligence

ɫ����Ƶ Awarded Nearly $1M NSF Grant to Help Launch AI Career Pathways

From Curious Kid to Leading Innovator: Kyle Mona’s Journey into Home Automation

ɫ����Ƶ Partners with Navistar to Make Buses Safer

ɫ��Ƶ Awarded Nearly $1M NSF Grant to Help Launch AI Career Pathways

ɫ��Ƶ Partners with Navistar to Make Buses Safer