{"id":2633,"date":"2026-03-31T08:25:59","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T12:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cypher\/?p=2633"},"modified":"2026-04-06T09:10:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:10:45","slug":"uri-day-highlights-student-research-and-the-future-of-ai-education-in-rhode-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cypher\/uri-day-highlights-student-research-and-the-future-of-ai-education-in-rhode-island\/","title":{"rendered":"URI Day Highlights Student Research and the Future of AI Education in Rhode Island"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

URI Day Highlights Student Research and the Future of AI Education in Rhode Island<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Rhode Island State House on March 26, the University of Rhode Island community gathered with state leaders to celebrate innovation, research, and statewide impact during the annual URI Day. The event featured interactive exhibits from across the University, offering legislators and visitors a firsthand look at how URI\u2019s work is shaping Rhode Island\u2019s future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the standout exhibits was the CYPHER Research Center, whose table drew steady attention throughout the afternoon. Students and faculty showcased cutting-edge cyber-physical systems research through hands-on demonstrations, including robotics, immersive technologies, and security-focused applications. The display highlighted CYPHER\u2019s interdisciplinary approach and its role in advancing workforce development and technological innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom robots to virtual reality, CYPHER showcased cutting-edge technology at the State House,\u201d said student Andrew Oxley. \u201cThe exhibit highlighted modern smart systems built with resilience in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to research demonstrations, the CYPHER team promoted the College of Engineering\u2019s newly approved artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI\/ML) certificate. Attendees were invited to participate in a one-question survey asking what the most important step the College of Engineering can take in 2026\u20132027 to advance AI\/ML education in Rhode Island\u2014encouraging direct engagement with policymakers and the public on the future of technology education in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team\u2014composed of students, faculty, and staff\u2014engaged directly with policymakers and attendees, explaining how their work contributes to both national security and real-world problem solving. Their presence reflected the broader mission of URI Day: to demonstrate the value of continued investment in research, education, and public impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luke Pepin, a CYPHER graduate student participant, reflected on the value of sharing the center\u2019s work with state leaders and the public. \u201cThe State House demonstrations highlighted the delicate balance of resiliency and connectivity, informing some of Rhode Island\u2019s most influential decision-makers about our indispensable work,\u201d he said. \u201cIt also provided insight into engaging new directions for communicating this work in fun and interesting ways, helping decision-makers of all backgrounds keep an eye on what CYPHER is doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe CYPHER table was dynamic, grabbing everyone\u2019s attention,\u201d said Mehmet Seckin, assistant teaching professor in electrical, computer, and biomedical engineering. \u201cI\u2019m proud to see this effort and confident that visitors left with \u2018CYPHER\u2019 etched in their minds. Great things happen when passion meets teamwork!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Held in the State House rotunda, the event underscored URI\u2019s role as the state\u2019s flagship research institution and reinforced the importance of collaboration between academia and government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo, from left: Chelsie Sullivan, Yan (Lindsay) Sun, Romesh Prasad, Ved Patel, Demtrios Petrou, Anissa Elias, Juan Lopez, Jack DeMarinis, Stephen Eacuello, Luke Pepin, Andrew Oxley, Mehmet Seckin<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

URI Day Highlights Student Research and the Future of AI Education in Rhode Island At the Rhode Island State House on March 26, the University of Rhode Island community gathered with state leaders to celebrate innovation, research, and statewide impact during the annual URI Day. The event featured interactive exhibits from across the University, offering […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5280,"featured_media":2635,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cypher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cypher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cypher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cypher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5280"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cypher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2633"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cypher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2642,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cypher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2633\/revisions\/2642"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cypher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cypher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cypher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cypher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}