ASU School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence

10/05/2026

What does AI literacy look like without reliable access to computers, internet or even books?

For ASU Mastercard Foundation Scholar Martin Mwangi Ndegwa, that question reshaped a summer project in Kenya. Ndegwa, a master’s student in data science, analytics and engineering in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of , returned home planning to teach students about AI and data literacy. But after visiting rural schools, he adapted the project to meet a more immediate need.

Working with local partners and ASU’s Data Mining and Reinforcement Learning Group, led by Fulton Schools’ Assistant Professor Hua Wei, Ndegwa helped establish reading clubs and develop AI-assisted storybooks that teach students to ask better questions, verify information and think critically before they ever log on.

The result is a grounded model for AI education: start with the learner, listen to the field and build from there.

Read more:

An ASU Mastercard Foundation Scholar’s Kenya pilot teaches AI literacy through storybooks and reading clubs.

10/01/2026

October is National Energy Awareness Month. ⚡We’re exploring a question at the center of tomorrow’s infrastructure: What happens when the best choice for one household or business creates new challenges for the public utility systems that everyone still depends on?

researchers Margaret Garcia, an associate professor of civil engineering in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, and Paul Grogan, an associate professor of industrial engineering in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, are using civil engineering and game theory to study how decentralized technologies, including rooftop solar, batteries and onsite water reuse, could reshape shared water and power infrastructure.

Their new project, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, will model how private decisions interact with public systems, and how utilities might design rates, rules and incentives that preserve reliability, affordability and access as infrastructure becomes more hybrid.

Civil engineering can show where the pressure points are. Game theory can show why people may not act in ways that protect the whole system.

09/29/2026

Tomorrow at 10:00 am AZ, join us for From Concept to Completion: Mastering the Project Life Cycle, a FREE Arizona State University Master Class led by Ali Kucuk, PhD, CPEM, SAP PP, associate teaching professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence.

This session introduces the fundamentals of project management through a practical, real-world challenge: organizing a campus technical symposium. Participants will explore the IPEMCC framework and key planning tools including Statements of Work, Work Breakdown Structures and PERT planning.

A great opportunity for anyone looking to better understand how strong project planning turns ideas into outcomes.

Register here:

Discover the fundamentals of project management through the real-world challenge of organizing a campus technical symposium. Using practical examples, this ASU Master Class introduces the IPEMCC framework and essential tools such as Statements of Work (SoW), Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), and PERT...

09/25/2026

We’re proud to share that SCAI continues to place among the top public university programs in the latest U.S. News & World Report undergraduate rankings.

These recognitions reflect the hard work, creativity and commitment of our students, faculty and staff, and they build on ASU’s continued recognition as No. 1 in innovation for the 12th year in a row.

SCAI ranked in the top 20 among public universities in several undergraduate areas:
• No. 9 for computer science-computer systems
• No. 12 for cybersecurity
• No. 12 for industrial/manufacturing engineering
• No. 13 for computer engineering

Congratulations to everyone across SCAI and ASU whose work continues to move our programs, students and research forward.

https://news.asu.edu/20260921-university-news-asu-no-1-innovation-12th-year

09/11/2026

As World Quantum Readiness Day approaches, ASU researcher Michel Kinsy explains why preparing for quantum-era cybersecurity cannot wait.

Large-scale quantum computers are not here yet, but organizations already need to understand where encryption protects their software, hardware, devices and supply chains. As Kinsy notes, attackers can capture encrypted data now and potentially decrypt it later, once quantum technology advances.

In this Q&A, Kinsy discusses post-quantum cryptography, AI’s role in the security landscape and how ASU students are gaining hands-on experience with the systems organizations will need to protect in the years ahead.

Read more:

Most people trust that the passwords, bank accounts, medical records and private messages they use every day are protected by encryption. But as quantum computing advances, some of today’s most widely used security tools could eventually become breakable. That means information stolen now could po...

09/09/2026

As artificial intelligence reshapes the future of work, students in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of , are finding ways to step into the opportunities it creates.

This fall, Sanskar Srivastava is returning to the classroom as an accelerated master’s student in computer science while continuing an engineering internship at Microchip Technology. In his role, he applies AI and machine learning skills in a semiconductor industry setting, gaining professional experience while continuing his education.

His path reflects how ASU students are turning coursework, research experience and faculty mentorship into career momentum. For Srivastava, AI might be changing the job market. But it is also helping him find his way into it.

Read more:
https://news.engineering.asu.edu/2026/09/back-to-school-back-to-work/

09/02/2026

Congratulations to Sethuraman Panchanathan, our founding chair and University Professor of Technology and Innovation at Arizona State University, on receiving the National Academy of Engineering’s 2026 Arthur M. Bueche Award. This extraordinary honor recognizes Panchanathan’s visionary leadership in science, technology and policy, as well as his lifelong commitment to advancing research that benefits society.

As the first Indian American and first Arizonan to receive the award, Panchanathan continues to make history while expanding opportunity for future generations of innovators. We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of a leader whose impact spans ASU, the National Science Foundation, Arizona and the world. We continue to honor his remarkable contributions through our own ongoing commitment to innovation, discovery and impact.

Read more:
https://news.asu.edu/20260901-university-news-national-academy-engineering-honors-panchanathan-arthur-m-bueche-award

08/29/2026

New faculty announcement: 📣 Please join us in welcoming Rumena Begum to the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.

Begum joins ASU as an assistant teaching professor of industrial engineering after earning her doctorate in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Louisville. Her research brings together artificial intelligence, human factors, systems engineering and virtual reality to study how people and intelligent technologies work together in manufacturing environments. Through her work, Begum aims to help engineers design safer, smarter systems while improving how future engineers are trained. In the classroom, she hopes students build confidence, curiosity and a problem-solving mindset they can carry into an evolving engineering workforce.

Read the full profile:

Rumena Begum spends a lot of time in factories that don’t really exist. They’re virtual reality environments where she studies how people and…

08/28/2026

New faculty announcement: 📣 Please join us in welcoming Zihan Zhang to the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.

Zhang joins ASU as an assistant professor of industrial engineering after earning her doctoral degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research uses artificial intelligence, machine learning, high-dimensional data analytics and digital twins to help make complex systems more reliable, efficient and resilient, with applications in manufacturing, electronics, health care and agriculture. In the classroom, Zhang hopes to help students build confidence, curiosity and a sense of purpose they can carry into their careers and communities.

Read the full profile:

Zihan Zhang wants to build things people can depend on. That mission shapes both her research and her teaching. In the lab, she develops artificial…

08/27/2026

“Computer science is having a bit of an identity crisis at the moment.”

Professor Emeritus William E. Lewis has seen this before.

Lewis joined Arizona State University in 1965, when computer science was still emerging as an academic discipline. In 1980, he became the founding chair of ASU’s Department of Computer Science, helping build what would eventually become the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of .

Along the way, he watched punch cards give way to personal computers, the internet, mobile computing and now generative AI. Each transformation brought questions about jobs, technology and what computer science would become next.

After more than four decades at ASU, Lewis learned not to mistake disruption for decline. In computer science, the moments that look like endings often turn out to be beginnings.

Read more:

How the founding chair of ASU's computer science department sees today's AI upheaval as another beginning.