KINGSTON, R.I. – Sept. 11, 2025 – The University of Rhode Island has launched the Institute for AI & Computational Research (IACR), a new initiative designed to position URI as a leader in artificial intelligence (AI), data science, high-performance computing, and quantum computing.

Building on the foundation of the University’s Center for Computational Research established in 2023, this university-wide institute represents an expanded vision for interdisciplinary research, education, and regional collaboration. The Institute was envisioned by an interdisciplinary team of faculty members, including Yan Sun (College of Engineering), Matt Wei (Graduate School of Oceanography/GSO), Drew Zhang (College of Business), Ying Zhang (College of the Environment and Life Sciences), and Marco Alvarez, Victor Fay-Wolfe and Gaurav Khanna (College of Arts and Sciences).

“The Institute is a strategic investment in the digital and computational capabilities that will power the next era of research. It turns ambition into capacity. We are formalizing and broadening a proven offering and exceptional expertise that have already transformed outcomes, and equipping our faculty, students, and partners to lead in an AI-driven world,” says Gabriele Fariello, URI chief information officer and associate vice president for information technology.

The Institute for AI & Computational Research will:

• Support and operate advanced research computing infrastructure
• Foster collaborative research that bridges disciplines and connects URI to a national network of partners
• Expand educational and training programs to prepare future leaders in computational science

Bringing these priorities under one umbrella strengthens URI’s leadership in AI and computational research across Rhode Island and the Northeast.

The Institute will be led by Gaurav Khanna, URI assistant vice president for research computing and professor of physics. An interdisciplinary advisory committee — including Drew Zhang and Ying Zhang, with Jason Dwyer (Arts and Sciences) and Chris Kincaid (GSO) — will guide the Institute’s direction and ensure broad academic engagement. The Institute reports to the chief information officer of URI Information Technology Services. Institute activities will be organized by distinct committees on research, infrastructure, and outreach. Planned activities include research seminars, networking events, seed funding programs, workshops, and research consulting services.

The creation of the IACR comes thanks to the support of Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Wolfe, whose vision and encouragement have been instrumental in bringing the Institute to fruition, with added support and partnership from Vice President for Research and Economic Development Bethany Jenkins, the Faculty Senate, the University’s college deans, and President Marc Parlange.

Regional collaboration and impact

A cornerstone of the Institute’s work is its partnership with the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) — a collaboration among leading research universities such as UMass, MIT, Harvard, Boston University, Yale, and Northeastern. URI joined MGHPCC in 2021 as its first non-Massachusetts member, gaining access to state-of-the-art computing resources and regional collaborations. MGHPCC also leads the Massachusetts AI Hub’s AI Computational Resource project, which provides advanced AI computing resources to researchers across the Commonwealth. 

URI is helping expand AICR’s reach into Rhode Island and the broader region.

“The IACR provides a human interface for the URI research community to engage with state-of-the-art computational resources,” says Jenkins. “Dr. Khanna and his colleagues are commended for building and leading an inclusive ecosystem to support the needs of the URI research community that includes training across career stages and professional networking opportunities. The IACR is an invaluable resource that is essential for driving innovation across disciplines at URI.”