NASA-Funded Initiative Puts Embry-Riddle at the Front of AI Workforce Development

Arizona's aerospace sector is getting a direct line between industry demand and classroom output. An Arizona initiative selected by NASA will deliver $300,000 in funding to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to build AI-focused curricula and project-based learning experiences aimed at preparing students for aerospace careers.

The Embry-Riddle award is part of a $600,000 NASA grant to the Arizona NASA Space Grant Consortium. The funding supports a three-year initiative, the Arizona Artificial Intelligence Workforce Development Cooperative, administered by the University of Arizona. The cooperative was one of 13 national proposals selected in 2026.

Why it matters for aerospace engineering education

The initiative targets a gap that engineering educators increasingly can't ignore: AI is reshaping technical roles faster than curricula can adapt. Dr. Jeffrey Miller, dean of Embry-Riddle's College of Engineering, framed the collaboration as a response to that pressure.

"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."

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."

Students embedded in curriculum development

One element sets Embry-Riddle's role apart: paid undergraduate students will be paired with faculty mentors, giving faculty direct feedback on the technology, clarity, and usefulness of instruction — from the people who will actually take the courses.

Michelle Coe, program manager for the Arizona NASA Space Grant Consortium, said involving students in developing and refining AI curricula distinguishes the university's contribution.

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

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. We need to make sure they are ready," Bryner said.

Three faculty members will collaborate with Bryner: 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. That cross-college structure mirrors the multidisciplinary point Bryner is making.

A statewide alignment effort

The broader initiative, directed by principal investigator Dr. Timothy Swindle, director of the Arizona Space Grant Consortium, will bring aerospace companies, universities, community colleges, and students together, with recurring workforce-alignment workshops to identify AI workforce gaps.

"Arizona has a thriving aerospace ecosystem, and it's not just the big companies, and it's not just in the big cities. 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."

The project's outputs — modules, credentials, faculty training resources, and the project-based learning laboratory — are intended to be shared 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," Swindle said.

Embry-Riddle's work is expected to begin in Fall 2026. The university has residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona.

For manufacturing and engineering professionals, the takeaway is straightforward: the pipeline problem is being addressed at the curriculum level, with industry in the room.

"Our efforts are to help students and graduates understand AI, its capabilities, and its role in their work and lives."