Blue Turf Thinkers: the College of Engineering, an emerging AI powerhouse

At each Boise State home football game, the "Blue Turf Thinkers" series honors outstanding groups and initiatives on the world-renowned Blue Turf.

The Sept. 27 game's "Blue Turf Thinkers" included faculty from the College of Engineering's Department of Computer Science, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and newly formed School of Computing who are advancing artificial intelligence in Idaho and beyond.

Rooted in the college's commitment to innovation, collaboration and service, this recognition showcases how Boise State is translating its mission into action. In an age of rapid technological change, these Boise State faculty are anchoring new knowledge in real impact for Idaho.

The new School of Computing, established in 2024, has broadened the reach of computing education across disciplines and houses the university's fastest growing doctoral program. This fall, the College of Engineering launched its tenth undergraduate degree program empowering students to specialize in generative AI, computer vision and machine learning.

These new academic structures follow a string of major achievements as Boise State has launched several bold initiatives in artificial intelligence. Faculty in the college earned a National Science Foundation grant to lead graduate training in responsible AI in Idaho, ensuring that future researchers build ethical and human-centered technologies. This talent pipeline will aid the university in scaling AI infrastructure campus wide, supporting research in language models, efficiency in integrated circuits and more.

As of this fall, Boise State joined an elite group of universities nationwide with a new designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research, representing its national technical prowess and strengthening the connection between AI and secure computing. Boise State is one of only seven universities nationwide who hold GenCyber, CyberCorps Scholarship for Service, and Department of Defense Cyber Service Academy designations - and Boise State is the only school in Idaho to have all three.

From designing adaptive human-centered algorithms to shaping Idaho's tech talent pipeline, the College of Engineering's efforts embody its guiding values: equipping students for real challenges, pushing interdisciplinary boundaries and stewarding innovation responsibly.

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