TCU’s Neely School of Business opens Neely AI ForwardFeatures of Hands-on experience with AI, including workshops, clubs, industry advisory boards, student newsletters, and more.
“We want all Neely students to graduate truly prepared for the AI-driven world of business. Not just aware of AI, but capable of leading with AI,” said Professor Will Drover.Associate Professor, Neeley AI Forward Director.
Zain Ali will lead an industry advisory board that includes executives from companies such as Dell and Alcon. Board members are expected to advise from behind the scenes, mentor students, host workshops, and bring in speakers.
Neeley AI Forward is planning a student newsletter featuring access to selected tools, news, and career-focused developments. The newsletter aims to provide students with the latest information on AI-related content.
Many business students have already begun to take advantage of potential leadership opportunities.
Neely students Blake Steensland, a sophomore double major in accounting and finance with an emphasis in real estate, and Chase Merrell, a junior finance major. profitGenerative AI in finance and networking provides students with the skills and confidence to enter the job market.
“We wanted to create a club that would give students a competitive edge in recruiting by helping them learn basic AI skills within large-scale language models,” Steensland says.
This organization recently rebranded nail, The Neeley Artificial Intelligence Leadership Club is designed to better align with Neeley’s AI initiative, which funded the organization through TCU’s $10 million AI grant and provided resources to host high-impact workshops, events, and executive speakers.
“The rebrand and merger with the Neeley AI Forward initiative was a natural progression,” Steensland said. “They believed in our mission and I felt that there was a possibility of further expanding the scale through institutional support. ”
The partnership between Neeley AI Forward and NAIL will allow students to hear from senior leaders and executives who are integrating AI into real-world business workflows, Merrell said.
“The ability to hear directly from and connect with executives about how AI is shaping their companies bridges the gap between classroom learning and professional application,” Merrell said.
Drover said Neeley AI Forward is an evolving portfolio of experiences that grow in complexity over time. Each semester offers new opportunities so students can emerge as business leaders who critically understand how to use and evaluate AI.
“What makes this moment unique is the collaboration between students and faculty,” Merrell said. “When student autonomy meets institutional support, the conversation becomes more intentional and proactive. Rather than reacting to AI, we are actively shaping how AI is integrated into business education at Neely.”
