Bowie State University and Howard University Partner on $4M Initiative to Build AI Literacy

(BOWIE, Md.) — Bowie State University is proud to announce a new cross-institutional partnership with Howard University through the ASCEND-AI Initiative to further artificial intelligence literacy, ethical use and innovation in higher education. As colleges and universities around the country navigate the expanding influence of AI on classrooms, research and workforce needs, the transformative project positions both universities at the forefront of responsible AI integration in teaching and learning.

“This grant allows us to give our students the skills, confidence and hands-on experience they need to thrive in an AI-enabled workforce,” said Dr. Mohamed Djerdjouri, dean of Bowie State University’s College of Business. “It also strengthens faculty capacity to integrate AI meaningfully into teaching, research and service.”

Supported by a U.S. Department of Education grant, the ASCEND-AI Initiative — also known as Advancing Student and Collaborative Educator Networks for Digital AI Integration — provides $1.6 million to Bowie State as part of a broader $4 million collaborative award.

The four-year effort advances Bowie State’s Boldly Forward FY26-29 Strategic Plan by aligning cutting edge technology education with the university’s longstanding mission to empower students, advance opportunity and transform lives through public higher education.

At Bowie State, initial implementation will focus on business and health sciences, building on existing strengths in the College of Business and health‑related academic programs. Howard’s efforts will emphasize humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, creating complementary areas of focus across the institutions.

The initiative is co-led at Bowie State by Dr. Azene Zenebe, professor and chair of the Department of Management Information Systems and Dr. Rand Obeidat, associate professor of analytics. Howard’s team is led by Dr. LaTanya Brown-Robertson, associate dean for academic innovation and student success in the College of Arts & Sciences. Dr. Brown-Robertson formerly served at Bowie State as special assistant for research and development.

“The ASCEND-AI Initiative represents a pivotal moment for Bowie State University,” said Dr. Obeidat. “This award not only accelerates our efforts to advance AI literacy and innovation across disciplines but also provides critical sustainability and expansion for the ongoing National Science Foundation’s EXPAND-AI grant at BSU. Through this work, we are building lasting institutional capacity that empowers our faculty and students to lead, innovate and thrive in an increasingly AI-driven world. I am honored to collaborate with Dr. Zenebe and our partners at Howard University on an initiative that will have enduring impact for our students, our community and higher education more broadly.”

Dr. Zenebe noted that over the 48-month period, the initiative will directly engage approximately 400 undergraduate and graduate students and 50 faculty members each year across both institutions. Participation will expand in years three and four to include an additional 40 secondary teachers and 250 high school students annually.

"The projected impact reaches far beyond the initial participants in higher education, advancing national efforts in AI literacy and responsible AI use,” said Dr. Zenebe.

ASCEND-AI is anchored in Bowie State’s Faculty Learning Community model, which fosters sustained faculty collaboration and innovation. Faculty participants will receive training and support to embed AI-focused modules into existing courses rather than treating AI as a standalone subject. The initiative also builds upon faculty expertise in the Department of Management Information Systems, whose programs emphasize data analytics, digital business, information security and emerging technologies.

Over the grant period, ASCEND-AI will focus on four areas of AI integration in higher education and at Bowie State, in particular:

• Maintaining academic integrity through responsible AI use
• Providing discipline-specific AI guidance and training rather than generic training in AI
• Developing skills to detect AI-generated misinformation and hallucinations
• Preventing overreliance on AI that could undermine students’ critical thinking by encouraging cognitive offloading and passive acceptance of machine-generated answers

ASCEND-AI will also host three annual collaborative workshops featuring AI use competitions that highlight innovative and responsible applications of AI in teaching, research and problem solving.

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About Bowie State University
Founded in 1865, Bowie State University is the first Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in Maryland and one of the ten oldest in the country. Bowie State has earned the ‘Research College and University’ designation in the 2025 Carnegie Research Activity Classification. As a leading institution of higher learning, Bowie State offers more than 65 bachelor's, master's, doctoral and certificate programs across arts and sciences, technology, business, education, healthcare and related disciplines. The university provides high-quality and affordable educational opportunities in a supportive environment that empowers students to think critically, make new discoveries, value differences and emerge as leaders in a highly technical, rapidly changing global society. For more information about Bowie State University, visit bowiestate.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Stacie Burgess, sburgess@bowiestate.edu, 301-860-4311