A NASA program to build a skilled aerospace workforce has selected an Arizona initiative that will provide $300,000 in funding to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to create curricula and project-based learning experiences that prepare students for aerospace careers in the era of artificial intelligence.

The Embry-Riddle funding is part of a $600,000 NASA grant to the Arizona Space Grant Consortium, a coalition that promotes research, training and education in the space industry. The NASA grant funds a three-year initiative, called the Arizona Artificial Intelligence Workforce Development Cooperative, and is administered by the University of Arizona.

“Incorporating AI education into aerospace engineering is essential to preparing students for the changing workforce, and this collaboration between Embry-Riddle and the Arizona Space Grant Consortium shows that leaders in Arizona are responding to this need,” said Dr. Jeffrey Miller, dean of Embry-Riddle’s College of Engineering on the Prescott Campus.

Dr. Elliott Bryner, associate professor and chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department, will lead Embry-Riddle’s involvement and serve as its liaison with other participating institutions.

"This project puts Embry-Riddle on the leading edge of AI curriculum and training development and allows us to shape the direction of the efforts in Arizona to have a modern, highly trained and prepared workforce in the age of AI," Bryner said.

Embry-Riddle’s work on the project is expected to begin in Fall 2026.

Preparing Students for Evolving Career Needs in AI

The Arizona Artificial Intelligence Workforce Development Cooperative was one of 13 national proposals selected for NASA’s Space Grant Award Augmentation 2026 (AI Workforce Development) competition. According to NASA’s selection letter, the review panel praised the proposal for its collaborative approach, experiential components and focus on filling workforce gaps.

The project will bring aerospace companies, universities, community colleges and students together to help shape AI workforce preparation across the state, said Dr. Timothy Swindle, director of the Arizona Space Grant Consortium and the initiative’s principal investigator.

“Arizona has a thriving aerospace ecosystem, and it’s not just the big companies, and it’s not just in the big cities,” Swindle said. “AI is changing the landscape so fast that we have to make sure that we are providing Arizona students with the skills they need to work in Arizona aerospace.”

As part of the project, Embry-Riddle will pair paid undergraduate students with faculty mentors. The students will provide faculty with a perspective on technology, clarity and usefulness of instruction.

Michelle Coe, program manager for the Arizona NASA Space Grant Consortium, said involving students in the development and refinement of AI curricula distinguishes Embry-Riddle’s role in the initiative.

“Having the students who will take these courses and benefit from this information be a part of these efforts is unique,” Coe said. “I hope it creates a clear pathway for students to understand how to use AI effectively and ethically.”

From a Prescott Pilot to a Statewide Model

Embry-Riddle will also help develop a laboratory for hands-on education in robotics, cybersecurity, data science and other fields demanding AI knowledge.

“The environment that our students will find themselves in when they join the workforce will be more multidisciplinary than ever,” Bryner said. “We need to make sure they are ready.”

Three Embry-Riddle faculty members will collaborate with Bryner on the project: Dr. Jon Haass of the College of Business, Security and Intelligence; Dr. Mehran Andalibi of the College of Engineering; and Dr. Rahman AlMomani of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The broader initiative will also convene recurring workforce-alignment workshops that bring together educators, students, project leaders and industry to identify AI workforce gaps. The ultimate goal of the project is to share its modules, credentials, faculty training resources and project-based learning laboratory with other schools.

“The bottom line is that what we’re really trying to do is make sure that as all the state’s universities and community colleges institute the programs that we all know we need, there is enough communication between groups,” said Swindle, the Arizona Space Grant Consortium director.

Ultimately, the project will prepare students for high-wage, high-tech careers in Arizona’s competitive aerospace ecosystem at a time when AI is changing the workforce on a grand scale.

“Our efforts are to help students and graduates understand AI, its capabilities, and its role in their work and lives,” Bryner said.