Students in Gannon University’s Computing and Information Department will have more opportunities for hands-on experience with artificial intelligence (AI) technology thanks to a donation from AI researcher Sherif Cherfa, who specializes in local AI.
Last week, Cherfa, a world-renowned researcher, visited Gannon’s computing classes and donated two servers valued at approximately $10,000.
The servers will allow students to work directly with AI technology in their courses, helping them better understand how artificial intelligence works, how accessible it can be and how it can be used in everyday life.
Yunkai Liu, a professor of Computing and Information at Gannon University, said the donation comes at an important time as faculty members work to develop new courses.
“These two servers are coming right on time. Next semester, we already have some faculty working on trying to develop these courses, and once I shared that information with students, they were very excited because we have two servers and more room and flexibility,” Liu said.
The visit was made possible after a Gannon computing student became interested in Cherfa and his work and invited the researcher to the university to share his experience and expertise.