The University of Texas at El Paso
TX · AI Readiness #156 of 227
AIREDEX™ Score: 6.0 /10
One of only three AI bachelor's degrees in Texas launched at UTEP in Spring 2025 under a newly created, university-wide Associate VP for Scientific Computing and AI, who oversees its growth across every department.
UTEP undergrads in the BS in Artificial Intelligence gain hands-on access to the Punakha and Hopper GPU clusters on campus, including NVIDIA H100 hardware, alongside TACC resources at UT Austin. The Woody L. Hunt College of Business rolled out a required AI course for nearly 4,000 undergrads beginning Fall 2026, extending AI learning well beyond engineering. The Institute for Applied AI Innovation, led by Cauam Cardoso and Ann Gates, anchors research and curriculum development, while the CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service connects AI and cybersecurity students to federal career pathways with stipends up to $37,000 per year.
Pillar grades
- Commitment: B
- Curriculum: D
- Partnerships: C+
- Research: A
A(I)ttitude™: neutral
Selected Highlights
- Dr. Salamah Salamah holds the title Associate Vice President for Scientific Computing and AI -- a university-wide senior administrative role with AI explicitly in the title, appointed January 2025.
- Institute for Applied AI Innovation (AAII), formerly AI-ICER, launched April 23, 2025, with named executive director Dr. Cauam Cardoso, head of research Dr. Ann Gates, and ~30 faculty from all university departments; funded by UT System Regents' Research Excellence Program.
- BS in Artificial Intelligence launched Spring 2025 -- only the third AI bachelor's degree in Texas; standalone degree in the Department of Computer Science.
- Institutional AI use guidelines published (InSPIRE/Provost-issued); 'Fall 2025 Teaching and Learning in an AI World' document; Microsoft Copilot designated as sole authorized AI tool (Feb. 2026) -- multiple named programs and ethical guidelines documented.
- Three named HPC clusters (JAKAR, PARO, PUNAKHA) plus the Hopper Cluster (NVIDIA H100 DGX node with 8 H100 GPUs); student academic allocation explicitly documented for JAKAR; TACC access also available.