Pennsylvania State University Park – Pennsylvania State Information Science and Technology (IST) has been a member of the Computing Research Association (CRA) since 2017. Last month, the university sent leader and faculty conditions to the CRA Summit to explore ways in which artificial intelligence (AI) can reshape computing research, educational development and workforce development.
It was IST's first official trip to Silicon Valley and proved to be a winning experience, according to Andrea Tapia, dean of IST University.
The CRA represents a computing research community with more than 300 members of academia, industry, government and related professional societies, according to its website. The main theme of the 2025 CRA Summit, held in San Francisco from July 28th to 31st, was artificial intelligence. One of the days was dedicated to undergraduate AI education.
“The timing of this was perfect for IST,” Tapia said. “We had just started our Bachelor of Science program in AI and we left the meeting with confidence that we were on the right track.”
Hadi Hosseini, an associate professor at IST University, was one of the participants.
“Universities and institutions of all sizes recognize the importance of AI education,” he said. “The summit discussed AI majors, minors and roadmap for developing certificates, and IST is currently solid in this field.
According to Lisa Lenze, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at IST, the CRA Summit was important for engaging in national dialogue on AI and undergraduate curricula.
“Faculty and industry leaders focused on education and employment opportunities,” Renze said. “The industry wants academia to teach AI across all curricula. 100% of new employees must be knowledgeable AI users.”
Rodericklee, an affiliate factory and program coordinator for the AI degree in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, said the conference is extremely important for interacting with national leaders shaping the future of AI.
“I especially benefited from the practical strategies shared to build scalable AI education pathways, promote comprehensive access and success for historically underrepresented students, and equip graduates with the skills needed to excel in an AI-driven workforce.”
For victory
The summit was characterized by the global wrestling simulation “CRA Curriculum Smackdown,” where people asked questions. How should we prepare for future generations? The event pitted the AI degree program against the Computer Science degree program. Vasant Honavar, a professor at IST University, called Smackdown's “causal thunder,” and claimed his degree in AI.
