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University of Nebraska at Omaha Launches AI-CCORE Initiative to Expand AI Education and Community Collaboration
In a bold bid to turn Omaha into a regional AI hotspot, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) has inaugurated its Artificial Intelligence Center for Collaborative Outreach, Research and Education—AI‑CCORE. The new hub, backed by a grant from the Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund, began operating early last year and now offers bootcamps, master classes and a NextGen AI Studio that introduce high‑school and early‑college students to hands‑on AI projects.
"Having students dabble in both AI and entrepreneurship opens up new career pathways they may not otherwise consider," said Martha Garcia‑Murillo, dean of UNO’s College of Information Science and Technology. She added that the center’s community collaborations have been active since early last year and that the partnership model helps students meet future workforce demands.
The center’s first public showcase, the inaugural Mav AI Day, unfolded this month at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center. A ribbon‑cutting ceremony unveiled a new public exhibit, and local partners—including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, Farm Credit Services of America and SPARK CDI—delivered presentations on joint AI projects tailored to their industries.
"Since we are an educational institution and we are always on top of all trends, it’s our responsibility to always be on top of anything and everything," said Vishva Prasanth Srinivasan, an AI engineer on the AI‑CCORE team. He added that the center is open to any project or industry where stakeholders believe AI could be useful.
AI‑CCORE is part of UNO’s broader strategy to lower barriers to AI literacy. The university recently launched Nebraska’s first Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence and a cybersecurity training program called Nebraska Cyber MATRIX. Beyond campus, UNO participates in the NA’WI initiative, which brings AI education to rural communities, and is gearing up for the OMA x AI conference on June 30, with ticket sales closing on June 28.
The AI exhibit at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center opens to the public on Fridays. Garcia‑Murillo said the university hopes to expand the exhibit to the Kiewit Luminarium in the future.
At its core, AI‑CCORE relies on a collaborative model that unites UNO faculty, students and local businesses. Students can tackle capstone projects for companies, gaining real‑world experience while providing startups and established entities with idea workshops and solution development.
The launch of AI‑CCORE and the first Mav AI Day signal UNO’s commitment to positioning Nebraska as a hub for AI research, workforce development and industry partnership. The center’s programs, public exhibit and upcoming conference aim to broaden AI literacy across the state and support the growth of AI‑driven solutions in health, finance, agriculture and other sectors.
As UNO expands its AI offerings, the university will monitor the impact of its programs on student career outcomes, local business innovation and community engagement. The next steps include adding new industry collaborations, extending the public exhibit to additional locations and tracking the performance of students who complete AI‑CCORE bootcamps and master classes.
The AI‑CCORE initiative represents a structured effort by a public university to combine education, research and community outreach in the field of artificial intelligence, with the goal of creating a workforce equipped to meet evolving industry needs and fostering local innovation.
"Having students dabble in both AI and entrepreneurship opens up new career pathways they may not otherwise consider," said Martha Garcia‑Murillo, dean of UNO’s College of Information Science and Technology. She added that the center’s community collaborations have been active since early last year and that the partnership model helps students meet future workforce demands.
The center’s first public showcase, the inaugural Mav AI Day, unfolded this month at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center. A ribbon‑cutting ceremony unveiled a new public exhibit, and local partners—including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, Farm Credit Services of America and SPARK CDI—delivered presentations on joint AI projects tailored to their industries.
"Since we are an educational institution and we are always on top of all trends, it’s our responsibility to always be on top of anything and everything," said Vishva Prasanth Srinivasan, an AI engineer on the AI‑CCORE team. He added that the center is open to any project or industry where stakeholders believe AI could be useful.
AI‑CCORE is part of UNO’s broader strategy to lower barriers to AI literacy. The university recently launched Nebraska’s first Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence and a cybersecurity training program called Nebraska Cyber MATRIX. Beyond campus, UNO participates in the NA’WI initiative, which brings AI education to rural communities, and is gearing up for the OMA x AI conference on June 30, with ticket sales closing on June 28.
The AI exhibit at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center opens to the public on Fridays. Garcia‑Murillo said the university hopes to expand the exhibit to the Kiewit Luminarium in the future.
At its core, AI‑CCORE relies on a collaborative model that unites UNO faculty, students and local businesses. Students can tackle capstone projects for companies, gaining real‑world experience while providing startups and established entities with idea workshops and solution development.
The launch of AI‑CCORE and the first Mav AI Day signal UNO’s commitment to positioning Nebraska as a hub for AI research, workforce development and industry partnership. The center’s programs, public exhibit and upcoming conference aim to broaden AI literacy across the state and support the growth of AI‑driven solutions in health, finance, agriculture and other sectors.
As UNO expands its AI offerings, the university will monitor the impact of its programs on student career outcomes, local business innovation and community engagement. The next steps include adding new industry collaborations, extending the public exhibit to additional locations and tracking the performance of students who complete AI‑CCORE bootcamps and master classes.
The AI‑CCORE initiative represents a structured effort by a public university to combine education, research and community outreach in the field of artificial intelligence, with the goal of creating a workforce equipped to meet evolving industry needs and fostering local innovation.
