April 12, 2022

SEC Provosts Focus on Artificial Intelligence in Recent Meeting

By: SEC Staff
SECU (Twitter: @TheSECU)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The chief academic officers of the Southeastern Conference met April 11-12 at the University of Florida, and a central discussion within the group was the new SEC Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Consortium, which launched in November 2021.

The two-day meeting began with a tour of Florida’s HiperGator Artificial Intelligence Supercomputer. The machine is the most powerful university-owned supercomputer in the U.S., and it was gifted to the university by NVIDIA and NVIDIA co-founder and UF alum Chris Malachowsky.

After the tour, the SEC Provosts discussed how SEC universities might together build collaborations in artificial intelligence, including shared curriculum opportunities, research and AI in a range of disciplines, which was itself considered more broadly during a virtual academic conference on April 8.

“The southeastern United States can be a strong leader in the application of AI to many disciplines,” said Dr. David Reed, Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives at Florida. “Universities in the SEC are already teaching AI across a broad array of disciplines. They are creating cross-cutting and interdisciplinary new degree programs and creating new centers to support such activities.”

In addition to artificial intelligence, the SEC Provosts discussed post-pandemic operations, organizational structures and connecting faculty in similar disciplines across the SEC. The group also discussed strategies for increasing student success and a range of faculty matters.

Specific to the Conference, the SEC Provosts reviewed the SEC Emerging Scholars Program and the SEC Faculty Achievement Awards. They also administer the SEC Academic Leadership Development Program and the SEC Faculty Travel Program, and they will continue monthly virtual meetings while gathering in-person next spring at the University of Georgia.