Georgia is now home to a first-of-its-kind AI degree program. According to a news release, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the launch of a bachelor’s degree in AI at Kennesaw State University (KSU), starting in fall 2026 on the KSU Marietta Campus and online through the College of Computing and Software Engineering. The degree will include a first-year experience course, a writing-intensive course geared toward computing, and an applied AI capstone that will also give students a chance to work with industry partners, the news release noted. There will also be internships and undergraduate research opportunities available for credit. The announcement arrives as the state prepares for a surge of 186,000 new STEM jobs over the next five years, per the news release. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, Atlanta ranks second among best cities for STEM professionals. Over the next decade, STEM professionals are projected to earn a median income of...

Southern University and A&M College marked a significant milestone in the construction of its $68 million science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) complex. In an Instagram post published Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, the Baton Rouge, LA-based Historically Black College and University ( HBCU ) shared plans that the state-of-the-art facility will be completed in 2027. “A major milestone is now in place,” the university shared in the post. “Today, Southern University celebrated the topping-off of the new STEM Complex, marking the placement of the final structural beam.” According to a news release, the project is funded through Louisiana’s Capital Outlay Act. Transforming STEM Education On Campus University officials believe the facility will transform STEM education on campus and beyond, positioning students to compete at the highest levels. “Our mission is to provide a transformative educational experience and opportunities to our students so they can become global...

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is strengthening medical education across several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). According to information on RWJF’s website, an estimated 70% of the nation’s Black doctors and dentists are educated at HBCUs. These professionals often return to work in underserved areas and conduct inclusive research, notes the website, adding further importance to the foundation’s investment in HBCU medical programs. Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine Awarded $1.75M In early February 2026, The foundation awarded a $1.75 million grant to the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine (XOCOM), supporting advancements in medical education and healthcare across the Gulf South and other regions, according to a news release. XOCOM leaders will receive support for development and engagement as they pursue preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education to become the “fifth allopathic HBCU medical school” in the nation, notes...

Howard University has introduced an AI course to prepare its students for leading-edge engineering roles, according to a press release shared with AFROTECH™. The Historically Black College and University (HBCU) is rolling out an Intro to Artificial Intelligence course in spring 2026, in partnership with CodePath and with the financial support of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF). Howard faculty and CodePath’s faculty network will work together on course instruction in areas including data structures, AI literacy, and agentic workflows, per the press release. “Our work is rooted in the idea that HBCUs are not only equipping students for coursework but also building skills vital to succeeding and leading in the workplace,” said Dr. Harry L. Williams, TMCF president and CEO, in the press release. “Through programs like this and professional development such as what our Innovation & Partnership arm provides, our HBCUs are elevating excellence and creating pathways to opportunity...

Omar Shaheed III stepped into unfamiliar territory in technology, and now he is setting an example after accomplishing a historical first. The 23-year-old graduated from Berkeley High School in 2020 and was offered an opportunity to apply to South Carolina State University’s mechatronics engineering program by Dr. Hasanul Basher, a professor and chairman of SC State’s Department of Engineering Technology, according to a press release shared with AFROTECH™. The program was in its infancy, and Shaheed was its first student. The program is geared toward equipping students in electronics, control systems, robotics, communications, computer technology, and power systems to work at companies such as Boeing, BMW, Eli Lilly, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, according to information on the program’s website. When Dr. Basher approached Shaheed, the program was still in development at the Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Shaheed admitted he was...

Students at Queens High School for the Sciences — the New York borough’s only specialized high school — are pushing to move to a brand-new building, relocating from the second floor of York College’s Jamaica building. Citing issues including overcrowding and the lack of a kitchen and auditorium, students hope to move into the new city-built school at 165-15 88th Ave., scheduled to open in fall 2026, ChalkBeat New York reports . Sophomore Vinny Dong has twice addressed the Panel for Educational Policy, the school board that handles school location proposals, about his school’s conditions. “We have a gym shared with a college that’s two blocks away, for 514 students. We have a library that’s also shared, even though it’s critical for our educational content and classes,” Dong told the panel in October 2025, per ChalkBeat. At least three of the seven parent boards in the borough, along with the citywide high school parent council, also support relocation or creating an entirely new...

Dr. RoDina L. Williams has made history as the first Black person in Illinois to earn a Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS). A mother, advocate, and scholar, Williams recently received her DCLS from the University of Texas Medical Branch but says it was her time at Illinois State University (ISU) that set her on the path to success. She first stepped into higher education at ISU, earning two bachelor’s degrees — in kinesiology and recreation and medical laboratory science, according to Illinois State University News. She currently serves as director of health sciences–medical laboratory programs at City Colleges of Chicago . “To stand as the first Black person in Illinois to have a Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science is a testament to every door our ancestors pushed open and every barrier we continue to dismantle,” Williams shared in an email to AFROTECH™. “This honor reminds me that representation isn’t just symbolic; it is a beacon. If my journey lights the path...

A new collaboration seeks to boost student pathways into healthcare and IT careers. eHBCU The first digital HBCU consortium in the U.S., eHBCU, was launched in July to ensure Black learners could obtain degrees, certifications, and mentorship, as well as expand their access to career pipelines, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. It launched with a coalition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), including P ensole Lewis College of Business & Design, D elaware State University, Southern University and A&M College (Baton Rouge, LA), Southern University at New Orleans, Southern University at Shreveport (LA), and Alabama State University. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, eHBCU launched with 10 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 35 certification programs created with “employer input,” per a press release, to ensure students are equipped for the workforce. Areas of learning include criminal justice administration, psychology, health information...

Bowie State University (BSU) in Prince George’s County, MD, has received a nearly $1 million, three-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch the Computing Experiential Hub (CEH). According to a news release shared with AFROTECH™, the CEH combines classroom learning with real-world experience to prepare students for careers in AI and emerging technologies. The initiative will establish new partnerships with leading tech companies, startups, and entrepreneurial ventures — including IBM — to support its goal. “With the Computing Experiential Hub, BSU is taking a bold step to ensure our students are not just learning about artificial intelligence but actively applying it through real-world projects and industry partnerships,” Dr. Rose Shumba, who chairs the computer science department and serves as principal investigator for the CEH, said in the press release. Dr. Shumba added that the CEH will “expand diversity in the AI workforce and position BSU as a national...

Tiger Woods brought his commitment to education to West Philadelphia on Sept. 8 as he unveiled the Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab. The education center is part of a $150 million renovation of the historic Cobbs Creek Golf Course, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. Cobbs Creek Golf Club, which opened in 1916, was one of the first courses in the region to welcome golfers of all races. It was also the home course of Charlie Sifford, the first Black golfer to earn a PGA Tour card, per the Philadelphia Business Journal. Woods, who calls Sifford “the grandfather he never had,” even named his son Charlie in his honor. The 30,000-square-foot facility, a collaboration between the TGR Foundation, the Cobbs Creek Foundation, and the Smilow Foundation, is designed to do far more than teach golf. Students from grades one through 12 will have free, year-round access to programs in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, along with college prep and career readiness...

Shadeira Nesmith is helping youth break into STEAM fields. The software development instructor and Caldwell University graduate has taught since 2018 at institutions such as the Library Science Center, Black Girls Code, and Coding Black Females. Nesmith shared with AFROTECH™ that her foray as a Black woman in tech was molded by opportunities and challenges. “I’ve often been one of the few people who look like me in certain spaces, which has pushed me to not only grow but also to lead with purpose. Being a tech educator has shown me how eager people are to learn from me and how excited they are to see what’s possible for themselves. This has changed how I lead and create,” Nesmith said. Stacked Up Academy In 2021, she established Stacked Up Academy, which, as its website mentions, energizes K-12 interest in computer science, graphic design, and financial literacy through custom curricula, workshops, and educational products. The organization aims to increase participation among...

Ten-year-old Sean Atitsogbe is a genius. With an IQ similar to Albert Einstein’s, Atitsogbe already understands concepts such as neuroplasticity, cryogenics and psychoneuroimmunology. He even created his own theory , the Graviton Quantum Sponge, which he explained in an interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN. “It describes the origins of the universe and tries to unify quantum mechanics and relativity. It basically says that the universe has little holes in it. These holes represent dimensions, and it’s still a work in progress. So any physicists out there don’t get any bright ideas,” he told the outlet. Learning has always been fun for Atitsogbe. In his interview with Dr. Gupta he compared it to the scale of how most children view video games. His love for learning sparked his curiosity about the world of science. Furthermore, Atitsogbe’s intelligence showed when he was just nine months old, and by age three, his mother had already enrolled him in High Achievers Education Center...

A program is underway to grow the number of Black women in the clean energy sector. Diamond Spratling, founder of Girl + Environment, is a climate and social justice leader who has made tackling environmental issues her life’s work. Much of her work focuses specifically on how environmental injustice disproportionately impacts Black, brown, and Indigenous communities. Spratling herself was impacted by a BioLab explosion while residing in Atlanta. According to The Bitter Southerner, Spratling’s upbringing in industrial Detroit and Southwest Atlanta has familiarized her with how industry, environment, and public health affect the quality of life for people of color. In 2019, she examined environmental policies and recognized that Black women’s participation was lacking, according to Essence. “Why weren’t we in these rooms?” Spratling questioned, per Essence. Girl + Environment That same year, Spratling launched Girl + Environment, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free resources and...

Federal funding for Tuskegee University (TU) has created a historic opportunity for one of its students. In 2024, the HBCU received $6.7 million in federal funding to launch a flight program that would establish a bachelor’s degree in aviation science, according to AL.com. The program offers training in aerodynamics, aircraft structures and meteorology, AL.com reports. The program also incorporates hands-on education, including flight training, to prepare students for private and commercial pilot certificates. “This program will create opportunities for young aviators who dream of spending their lives soaring through the skies — here and around the world,” Charlotte P. Morris, former president of Tuskegee University, said in a 2024 news release, according to AL.com. The outlet also notes that the school hopes to honor and continue the excellence of the Tuskegee Airmen, who fought in World War II and made history as the first Black flying units in the U.S. military. According to the...

Adult learners in Roanoke, VA, are getting a second chance. According to a news release shared with AFROTECH™, history was made on Aug. 25 with the opening of The Excel Center, the first adult high school in the state. The Excel Center, operated by the Goodwill Industries of the Valleys , is a tuition-free, accredited high school that allows adults to earn a high school diploma, not a GED, as its website states. The Roanoke location aims to address poverty in the area. The center will offer Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses that prepare students with hands-on training and skills applicable to industry-wide jobs, according to its website. “A high school diploma is more than a piece of paper; it opens doors to jobs, future education, and life opportunities,” said Kelley Weems, senior director of community impact at Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, in a news release. Weems added that The Excel Center will support its students by offering childcare, transportation, life...