University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
WI · AI Readiness #102 of 227
AIREDEX™ Score: 7.3 /10
The first manufacturing-focused Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab on any college campus opened at UWM in 2025, where undergrads can pair that access with a standalone B.S. in Data Analytics and Applied AI or one of four open AI certificates.
UWM undergrads across every discipline can add the Multidisciplinary Data Analytics and Applied AI certificate to their degree, or pursue the full B.S. through Letters and Science. The Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab, opened in June 2025, gives students a live prototyping environment where Wisconsin manufacturers test real AI solutions, and the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute has funded 100-plus semester-long student research projects since fall 2023. The Anu and Satya Nadella Scholarship, backed by a $4 million gift from the UWM alumnus and Microsoft CEO, provides full-ride support for Milwaukee students entering computer science and data science.
Pillar grades
- Commitment: B
- Curriculum: B-
- Partnerships: A
- Research: A
A(I)ttitude™: progressive
Selected Highlights
- Scott Genung (CIO) explicitly co-chairs the university-wide AI Taskforce per official UWM announcement -- qualifies for Q2 score of 3.
- AI Taskforce confirmed with named co-chairs (Genung and Papatla), 50 cross-campus members, 6 workgroups, and public guidance output at uwm.edu/ai/taskforce/ within past 2 years.
- uwm.edu/ai/guidance/ addresses governance commitments, ethical guidelines, and named programs -- meets 2+ criteria for full 5 pts.
- Two cross-disciplinary AI hubs confirmed with named directors: CSI/Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab (Joe Hamann) drawing from Engineering, CS, and industry; NMDSI (Purush Papatla) spanning UWM, Marquette, MSOE, MCW, and WCTC. Active programming confirmed 2024-2026.
- 'Data Analytics and Applied Artificial Intelligence, BS' confirmed as standalone undergraduate degree through College of Letters and Science and School of Information Studies.