We’re thrilled to report that the former long-time member of the AI Lab, Madhukara Kekulandara, has successfully passed his PhD dissertation defense! Congratulations, Dr. Madhu Kekulandara!

The IACR’s AI Lab supported the student organizers of Hack@URI 2026 during the early stages of the event by assisting with planning and helping identify fundraising opportunities. The team, met regularly with the organizers to monitor progress and provide guidance. Indrani Mandal and students from the AI Lab — Callum Magarian, Patrick Sullivan, Liam McKenzie, […]

https://www.uri.edu/news/2026/02/computer-simulations-show-strong-ocean-currents-reduce-size-of-surface-waves/ Congratulations Dr. Ginis and team!

Indrani Mandal and Gaurav Khanna from the IACR along with CIO Gabriele Fariello were invited to present at the State House for a meeting of the Senate Committee on AI and Emerging Tech. The topics where: A full recording of the session is available here: https://capitoltvri.cablecast.tv/show/11713

LIGHTNING TALKS & NETWORKING AI & ADVANCED COMPUTATIONALLY ENHANCED RESEARCH APPROACHES MARCH 6. 2026. 11:15 am – 12:45 pm ANCHOR ROOM, URI WELCOME CENTER Contact: jpeckham@uri.edu Hosts:  Intended Audience: Faculty and graduate researchers. Hear from URI Researchers who have harnessed AI and Advanced Computation to enhance research in multiple disciplines. Included will be lightning talks […]

Rhode Island Governor’s AI Task Force has completed its work and has released a detailed report that highlights the recommended actions the state should take to leverage the advances in AI and protect against the potential downsides. The RI Current has a summary:  https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2026/01/28/rhode-island-releases-its-roadmap-for-ai-some-boundaries-have-yet-to-be-drawn/ Here is the whole 75-page document: https://etss.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur466/files/2026-01/Final-Rhode-Island-AI-Action-Plan-Report-2026-01-26.pdf

This summer camp introduces students to foundational concepts in AI and quantum computing through guided activities, demos, and discussions led by URI faculty and students. Details here: https://web.uri.edu/iacr/summer-camp-2026/

The details of our Spring ‘26 semester workshops appear below. These are open to faculty, staff, and students and are totally free. https://docs.unity.uri.edu/news/2026/01/uri-spring-26-workshops/You can also find these on the URI events calendar (and subscribe): https://events.uri.edu/group/ai This semester we have a new workshop on “Quantum Algorithms for Engineers and Scientists”.  PS: Previously recorded versions are available here: https://its.uri.edu/research-training/

The IACR is supporting a student-led Hackathon initiative. Additional information about the event is available here: https://hackaturi.com/. The IACR is actively seeking industry partners, mentors, and judges across the various tracks. We are also interested in identifying potential guest speakers who may be willing to participate. Please reach out to us if you’re interested.

We’re pleased to announce that starting in January ’26 we are adding 2 postdocs and a graduate student to help advance IACR activities. Details appear below. Dr. Adel Aly: new AI postdoc who will be broadly supporting our AI strategy; Dr. Nouman Butt: new quantum computing postdoc who will develop and run a new workshop […]