UTRGV powers up AI expansion

With the purchase of two new Lambda Station supercomputers and a growing number of research labs, UTRGV is laying the groundwork for an expansion into artificial intelligence.

Under the ExpandAI Program, which aims to broaden participation in AI research, education and workforce development, the university was awarded a $2.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation, according to the UTRGV Newsroom in a March 21 news release.

Constantine Tarawneh, a professor of mechanical engineering, said it is essential for staying competitive in science and engineering education.

“We just bought two Lambda Station supercomputers,” Tarawneh said. “Each one costs $30,00o. Without the grant, we would not have been able to get those.”

He is also the principal investigator and director of the National Science Foundation Crest Center and the Artificial Intelligence Research in Innovation for Smart Environments (ARISE) project.

One of the supercomputers is already fueling research in Multiple Autonomous Robot Systems (MARS) in the Interdisciplinary Engineering & Academic Building on the Edinburg campus, where students are running algorithms that would otherwise take much longer to process, according to the professor.

“The priority will be for the people in the grant, but anybody else can use it,” Tarawneh said. “So, whatever capacity we’re building is here to stay.”

He emphasized the long-term impact of the supercomputers.

“Even when the grant finishes, that capacity is going to be here for other students,” Tarawneh said.

He added as doctoral students complete their research, incoming master’s and undergraduate students can step into those roles as the expansion is not just about technology, it is about readiness. 

“Pretty much AI has been in everything anyway,” Tarawneh said. “You can’t really do research in STEM without AI being a part of it.”

He cited examples from the university’s own work, including sensors that collect terabytes of data from railcars.

“It’s very hard to have a simple algorithm look at trends,” Tarawneh explained. “AI is the next stage of the evolution of this research.”

Yumiko Balotro, a computer science senior, said she has not taken AI-specific courses but has witnessed the growing interest and expertise on campus. 

“There’s a lot of people who are heavily involved in AI here,” Balotro said. “And they tend to give lectures or talks so, even if it’s not in coursework, it’s present.”

She said she believes the expansion will help put UTRGV on the map.

“We’re a smaller institution people might overlook, but I think we have a lot of talent,” Balotro said. “Resources achieved through this kind of grant give us a competitive edge.”

Computer science senior Diana Diaz said, as Al continues to grow, it will be a great tool to “use when we need to understand something in a different way.”

“Al has helped students in understanding topics they have trouble with,” Diaz said. “A student might want a different approach to explain a topic and Al can help them explain and process it in various ways.”

Tarawneh said the leap into AI is also about positioning UTRGV among nationally recognized research institutions.

“How do you attract faculty if students don’t have the capability?” he said. “How do you attract faculty if you don’t have the facilities?”

Tarawneh said he believes it’s a timely shift. 

“Students want to do what’s hot,” he said, comparing the current AI boom to earlier waves in nanotech and unmanned aerial vehicles. “If you don’t keep pace with the trends, eventually you’re not going to be able to recruit the students. If you don’t offer AI, they’ll go to Georgia Tech, MIT, UT Austin or A&M.”