Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) has been awarded a $100,000 grant to develop an innovative framework that evaluates how generative AI can be used in the classroom to strengthen students’ critical thinking, metacognition, and self-efficacy, reimagining higher education for the AI-driven future. This award is part of a broader $1+ million investment from Google.org, supporting collaborative research across Empire AI institutions, a group of 11 public and private universities in New York State. Together, these universities are exploring how colleges and universities can better prepare students for a workforce increasingly defined by AI technologies. The initiative is led by the City University of New York (CUNY). 

At RPI, the faculty research team is designing new approaches to assessing coursework that thoughtfully integrates generative AI. “This is not just about improving instruction,” said Lydia Manikonda, Assistant Professor of Analytics and Web Science and Principal Investigator on the project. “It is about building tools that support learning today while preparing students for the AI-driven workplace they’ll enter after graduation.” Mei Si, Kristin Bennett, and Oshani Seneviratne serve as Co-Principal Investigators. According to Joshua Brumberg, President of the CUNY Graduate Center, the initiative aims to understand whether these AI-powered educational interventions can scale across different degree programs, institutions, and disciplines. 

Empire AI brings together the CUNY Graduate Center, Columbia University, Cornell University, Icahn School of Medicine, New York University, Rochester Institute of Technology, RPI, SUNY, University at Buffalo, and the University of Rochester. United by a shared vision, these institutions are working to ensure that students across New York, from associate degree programs to PhDs, are equipped with the skills and confidence needed to thrive in AI-enabled careers.