AI Summer Research Intensive Connects Students Across SUNY Campuses

By Mike Nolan

ALBANY, N.Y. (June 25, 2026) — The University at Albany recently piloted a week-long summer research intensive that brought together students from three SUNY campuses to strengthen artificial intelligence teaching, learning and research across the region.

Held June 1–5 at ETEC, the AI & Society Summer Research Intensive 2026 offered 18 selected students from UAlbany, SUNY Cobleskill and Hudson Valley Community College hands-on research experiences, professional development opportunities and workshops designed to prepare them to work and lead in a world increasingly shaped by AI

The program was funded through SUNY's Empire AI Campus Partnership and organized by UAlbany's AI & Society Research Center, in collaboration with the Minerva Center for High-Impact Practices.

"We're living through the arrival of a truly transformative technology, something on a scale we haven't seen since the rise of the internet, and I suspect even bigger," said Eric Stern, director of the AI & Society Research Center. "Through programs like this, we're bringing together students and scholars across disciplines — and now institutions — to explore both the opportunities and the challenges that come with AI."

“Research experiences like these transform students’ lives,” said Kate Martineau, director of Experiential Education in the Minerva Center for High-Impact Practices. “By inviting students to participate in new discoveries, these opportunities help them develop a sense of purpose and connection to the world, along with the skills and confidence to navigate their future.”

Leading the Pack

Kicking off a year of experiential learning opportunities, the summer intensive challenged students to produce meaningful research in just 40 hours of closely faculty-supervised, project-based teamwork. 

Participants worked directly with the AI & Human Animal Systems Research Group, a collaboration between UAlbany's Mobile Sensor Lab, led by Eric Best of the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, and SUNY Cobleskill's Canine Training and Management program. 

One student team used computer vision technology to identify and track canine movements on a treadmill, with an eye to better monitor working dog condition and performance. A second team partnered with the New York State Police to develop an AI-powered tool capable of scoring firearms qualification targets from cellphone photographs—a very time-consuming and monotonous task for human scorers. 

Students also worked in UAlbany’s Makerspace to brand their projects, designing logos, creating 3D-printed prototypes, and producing team T-shirts showcased in their final presentations.  

“This week demonstrated the power of interdisciplinary learning," Best said. "Students from varied backgrounds came together and developed a thoughtful, shared perspective on the opportunities and challenges of using AI in physical research projects.”

A Pipeline for AI Researchers 

Organizers plan to build on the pilot by expanding the initiative into a year-long research and experiential learning program.

Students from the participating institutions, also including SUNY Oneonta, will rotate among the four campuses to take advantage of their unique AI research offerings before reconvening at UAlbany next summer for another intensive.

"I see this as a pipeline opportunity for all of these campuses," said Elizabeth Gray, associate director for operations, strategy and engagement at the AI & Society Research Center. " For community college students, the program provides exposure to UAlbany and helps students envision the transfer pathway to a four-year research institution. For all participating students we hope the experience will inspire them to consider pursuing graduate study and research careers."

The new Empire AI campus partnership program adds to a series of significant investments in artificial intelligence at UAlbany over the past several years. 

The University launched AI Plus in 2022, followed in 2023 by the $20 million UAlbany-IBM Center for Emerging Artificial Intelligence Systems, in 2024 by a new on-campus supercomputer and in 2025 by new Empire AI research projects led by UAlbany’s RNA Institute.  

Last year, UAlbany launched the SUNY-funded  AI & Society College and the AI & Society Research Center to expand interdisciplinary AI education and research with a specific focus on how artificial intelligence is shaping—and should be shaped in turn by —  society, the arts and sciences, policy and ethics.

In March, UAlbany hosted a three-day AI Plus Symposium focused on AI’s implications for the future of education.