ASU School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence

🌟 NEWSLETTER SPECIAL EDITION: THE AI LEADERSHIP REPORT
From the foundations of AI to the technologies shaping tomorrow, explore how SCAI researchers, alumni and industry partners are driving innovation, advancing responsible AI and leading the next chapter of artificial intelligence. 🚀🤖🔒

Special edition: The AI Leadership Report Artificial intelligence, or AI, is evolving at an unprecedented pace, reshaping industries, accelerating discovery and raising important questions about how these technologies should be developed and deployed. In the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, or SCAI, leadership in AI means mor

Many of today’s AI systems waste enormous computational resources repeating the same work.

Jia Zou, an assistant professor in SCAI, is developing new ways to make AI dramatically more efficient by rethinking how databases and AI models work together. Her team’s projects, InferF and CactusBD, reduce redundant computation, minimize unnecessary data movement and speed up AI processing.

The research was presented at major international conferences including the IEEE International Conference on Data Engineering and the ACM SIGMOD/PODS Conference.

As systems consume growing amounts of energy and infrastructure resources, Zou’s work highlights an increasingly important challenge for the future of AI: not just building better models but building systems efficient enough to scale sustainably in the real world.

Read more:
https://news.engineering.asu.edu/2026/06/the-hidden-waste-inside-ai/

Fulton Schools alumnus Lei Yu returned to SCAI this spring to help answer one of the biggest questions facing higher education and industry alike: What skills will engineers need in the age of AI?

Now vice president of AI and data at General Dynamics Information Technology, Yu joined ’s “Future of Computer Science” brainstorming session to discuss trusted AI adoption, hybrid human-AI workforces and the importance of communication, curiosity and computational thinking.

The story also traces Yu’s journey from being ASU Regents Professor Huan Liu’s first doctoral student to becoming a nationally respected AI leader. It’s a path guided by the lasting lesson that “Slow is fast.”

Read more:
https://news.engineering.asu.edu/2026/06/ai-leader-lei-yu-returns-to-asu-to-help-shape-the-future/

New Arizona State University certificate lets students add AI expertise to any major ‼️ AI is reshaping nearly every industry, and students across all disciplines are looking for ways to build relevant technical skills.

Our new Foundations of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Certificate gives undergraduate students from non-computer science majors the opportunity to gain practical experience in programming, data literacy and AI concepts, while completing a hands-on capstone project they can showcase to future employers.

In this Q&A, Allison Curran, associate director of academic services in , explains how the certificate helps students complement majors ranging from business and communications to health care and engineering with foundational computing and AI knowledge.

Read more about the program and how students can get involved:
https://asu.campusesp.com/posts/5879

🎮🚀 Calling all future game designers and AI creators! 🎮🚀 This summer, SCAI is hosting its Game and AI Camp, where middle and high school students (grades 7–10) will learn how to build their own interactive 2D games using GameMaker, a beginner-friendly game development platform.

Through hands-on activities, campers will design characters, create game mechanics and bring their ideas to life. They’ll also explore cutting-edge AI tools that can generate images, sound effects and music, giving their games a unique creative edge.

📅 June 15–26, 2026
📍 ASU Brickyard Engineering Building, Downtown Tempe

Know a student who loves gaming, coding, art or technology? Share this opportunity and help inspire the next generation of innovators.

Learn more and register:
scai.engineering.asu.edu/summer-camps/

From wearable devices to electronic records, the health care system is generating more data than ever. But much of it remains fragmented and underused.

In SCAI, Bing Si, an associate professor of industrial engineering, is working to change that.

Using artificial intelligence and systems engineering, Si is designing tools that turn complex health data into actionable insights for clinicians. Her work spans everything from automating sleep apnea diagnosis to identifying hidden cardiovascular risks in teens, helping providers catch problems earlier and make more informed decisions.

Rather than focusing on individual data points, Si’s research looks at the bigger picture: how information flows through the health care system and how it can be used more effectively.

The goal is better systems, better decisions and ultimately, better patient outcomes.

Read more:
https://news.engineering.asu.edu/2026/05/solving-health-cares-growing-data-problem/

What happens when data is accurate but still misleading? At the fourth annual Douglas C. Montgomery Distinguished Lecture, Purdue University’s Yuehwern Yih challenged students and faculty members in SCAI to rethink how data is used in complex systems.

From health care to humanitarian aid, Yih highlighted how gaps between digital records and real-world conditions can lead to flawed decisions, even when the data appears reliable.

Her message: Better outcomes don’t always require more data, but rather better system design and a deeper understanding of how data is collected, interpreted and applied.

ASU Regents Professor and global systems engineering pioneer Douglas C. Montgomery created the lecture series to bring leading experts to ASU, explore the most pressing challenges in industrial engineering and inspire the next generation of problem-solvers.

Read more:
https://news.engineering.asu.edu/2026/05/lecture-asks-what-happens-when-data-tells-the-wrong-story/

And that’s a wrap!! Congrats to our amazing graduate students and their families 🎉

On stage now:

Convocation speaker: Abhirup Vijay Gunakar

“Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the conquest of fear,” he says.

At ASU, he found that adversity creates strength and encouraged fellow grads to prepare to be leaders.

Almost time!! Where’s Sparky?