SIU’s Pontikes Center is unique analytics and AI training ground helping students, industry
SIU’s Pontikes Center is unique analytics and AI training ground helping students, industry
Publish Date: 2026-05-22 11:20:00
Source Domain: news.siu.edu
- The Pontikes Center for Advanced Analytics and Artificial Intelligence at Southern Illinois University Carbondale immerses students in hands-on experiences in research, AI, and analytics to produce “translators” who can analyze data for business decisions.
- The center has a diverse advisory board offering internships, mentoring students, and helping with real-world projects to bridge academics and industry needs.
- Students work on a variety of projects that tackle real-world issues, such as improving 911 call response times and analyzing childhood cancer treatment outcomes.
- The center emphasizes the importance of data analytics skills in combination with business knowledge, helping students become more employable and competitive.
- The Pontikes Center started in 1989 and has grown to offer various degrees and certificates in business analytics, focusing now on applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning in analytics.
- New plans are underway to create a dedicated Saluki Hub to facilitate integrated research and teaching in analytics and AI among students and faculty.
