Siobahn Day Grady Wants Everyone to Be AI Literate
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the skills employers expect from new graduates. In response, universities are scrambling to launch new courses, research centers, and industry partnerships that prepare students for today's workforce. But building a cutting-edge AI curriculum demands funding and access to industry networks, resources that remain unevenly distributed across higher education.
Key Takeaways
- At North Carolina Central University, Siobahn Day Grady is trying to change that equation.
In January 2025, Grady, an associate professor in the NCCU School of Library and Information Sciences , launched the first AI research institute at a historically Black college or university, or HBCU.
- AI skills are no longer confined to computer science and engineering departments-and at NCCU, they can't be.
The university does not yet have a dedicated computer science program, though it is developing one alongside a new AI minor.
- org grant, the institute has engaged more than 2,800 students, faculty members, and community residents through research initiatives and training.
Now the challenge is sustaining that momentum to keep up with rising demand.
- After receiving her bachelor's degree in computer science and master's degrees in AI and information science, Grady pursued a Ph.
in computer science at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to dig into those questions.
- In 2020, she launched the Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research at NCCU, giving students opportunities to participate in hands-on projects and explore AI beyond the classroom.
Stats & Key Facts
- #Although HBCUs account for roughly 3 percent of four-year institutions in the United States, they receive less than 1 percent of federal research and development funding, according to a 2025 report by the Center for American Progress and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
- #The same report found that 17 of the 43 federal agencies that distributed research funding to universities in 2023 awarded no funding to HBCUs.
- #Backed by a US $1 million Google.
At North Carolina Central University, Siobahn Day Grady is trying to change that equation. In January 2025, Grady, an associate professor in the NCCU School of Library and Information Sciences , launched the first AI research institute at a historically Black college or university, or HBCU. The Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research (IAIER) aims in part to help students and faculty across the university develop the skills needed to navigate a labor market increasingly transformed by AI.
"There used to be a time where people could say, 'I don't do tech,' or 'That's not for me,'" Grady says. "But we're in a stage now where you do need digital skills. Now it's evolving into AI literacy.
" The approach reflects a broader shift in how many universities are thinking about AI education. AI skills are no longer confined to computer science and engineering departments-and at NCCU, they can't be. The university does not yet have a dedicated computer science program, though it is developing one alongside a new AI minor.
For more details please read the original article at IEEE Spectrum AI.
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