PVAMU awarded $8 million for cutting-edge Ai, big data research project for DoD
HOUSTON /BDPA Houston/ — AFROTECH 2024, recently held in Houston, TX, was an exciting celebration of Black excellence in technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation. This year’s conference emphasized the importance of Black leadership in tech, with keynotes and panels focusing on ethical artificial intelligence (Ai), Cybersecurity (CS), inclusive technology policies, and equitable economic growth.
Every year, BDPA’s Host Chapters and BDPA Members participate in local BDPA Chapter engagements and HBCU or Community College site visits while attending annual technology events. This year, BDPA executives and SITES PMO program managers held planning meetings with BDPA Houston and Praire View A&M University (PVAMU) students on campus.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) awarded PVAMU an $8 million grant for a new research project focused on advanced data analysis and artificial intelligence. The project, titled “CREDIT+: Advancing Data Analysis for Mission-Critical Applications in the Era of Artificial Intelligence,” is led by Dr. Lijun Qian, an endowed professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at PVAMU’s Roy G. Perry College of Engineering.
Other BDPA Member experiences in Houston during this year’s AFROTECH conference included conversations and intimate discussions on Ai, cybersecurity, and innovation for business, ethical data practices, entrepreneurial journeys emphasizing resilience and resourcefulness, cultural impacts, community engagements, and professional networking.
Technical community-based associations such as National BDPA and its network of local chapters are force multipliers whereby new professional and student members continue to leverage “last mile” engagements with the Association’s local sponsors and international mission partners. These intersections of technology, culture, and social impacts are enhanced during national and regional BDPACONs, and AFROTECH conferences.
Upcoming international trade expos such as CES25 (BDPA West Region); SC24 (BDPA Atlanta), and SC25 (BDPA St. Louis) are in alignment with BDPA’s “TECH2030” tech-inclusion engagement strategies to further upskill local community digital workforces to meet and exceed our industrial base’s R&D, talent acquisition, and supplier development requirements.
Source and photos: BDPA Houston, BDPA Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), and bdpatoday®
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