University of Rhode Island
RI · AI Readiness #159 of 227
AIREDEX™ Score: 5.9 /10
URI launched the Institute for AI and Computational Research in 2025 and added three new undergraduate AI certificates in 2026, giving students across engineering and business direct pathways into AI coursework alongside a standalone B.S. in Business Analytics and AI.
URI undergrads can pursue the Business Analytics and AI degree in the College of Business, or stack credentials through the new Applied Artificial Intelligence and Business Analytics certificate and the College of Engineering's AI and machine learning certificate, both available starting fall 2026. The Institute for AI and Computational Research, led by Gaurav Khanna, connects students to HPC resources including the Unity cluster at MGHPCC and the SeaWulf cluster available for classroom use. Federal investment reinforces the research environment, anchored by an $8 million NSF EPSCoR grant that URI leads.
Pillar grades
- Commitment: C+
- Curriculum: C-
- Partnerships: C
- Research: A
A(I)ttitude™: cautious
Selected Highlights
- IACR launched September 2025 with named director Gaurav Khanna, multi-school founding faculty from Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Business, CELS, and GSO, and active programming including seed grants and the HackaURI hackathon.
- Standalone B.S. in Business Analytics and AI (B.A.I.) confirmed as an active undergraduate degree in the College of Business.
- Provost's 'AI at URI' initiative page plus ITS Responsible Use of AI page together constitute a published institutional AI framework with stated goals, ethical guidelines, and named programs.
- Three distinct undergraduate AI certificates confirmed for 2026-27: Engineering AI/ML certificate, Applied AI and Business Analytics certificate (online + on-campus), and a second Business AI/analytics specialization certificate -- all open to students outside CS/engineering.
- SeaWulf cluster explicitly documented as available for educational/classroom use with GPU nodes; Unity cluster (MGHPCC partnership) also accessible to URI researchers including students.