{"id":13645,"date":"2026-09-25T13:04:30","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T17:04:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/?p=13645"},"modified":"2026-09-28T10:27:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T14:27:55","slug":"saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/","title":{"rendered":"Saint Peter\u2019s University Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant to Expand AI Education and Career Readiness"},"content":{"rendered":"

JERSEY CITY, N.J. \u2013 September 25, 2026 <\/b>\u2013 <\/span>Saint Peter\u2019s University has been awarded <\/span>$3 million in federal funding over five years under the Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grant<\/b> from the Department of Education to advance artificial intelligence education, innovation and career readiness through a comprehensive initiative called <\/span>Peacock AI and Career Excellence for Success (PACES)<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The grant will support major investments in the University\u2019s academic programs and infrastructure as Saint Peter\u2019s expands opportunities for students to develop the knowledge and skills needed to navigate an increasingly AI-driven workforce. <\/span>Through PACES, the University will support the development of new AI-focused academic programs, expand faculty and staff development in AI, and establish AI Exploration Labs, an AI Teaching and Learning Center, and an AI Hub.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>In addition to expanding AI education, PACES is designed to strengthen student success across the University. Over the five-year grant period, the initiative aims to increase first-year retention and six-year graduation rates by giving students clearer pathways from their first semester through graduation and into their careers<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The AI Exploration Labs will provide students and faculty with access to advanced computing resources for coursework, applied projects and AI development, connecting classroom learning with real-world applications. The AI Hub will extend those capabilities through high-performance computing that can support research, collaborative projects and engagement with external partners. Together, these investments will emphasize the ethical, responsible and creative use of AI, reflecting Saint Peter\u2019s Jesuit mission and its commitment to educating students to use their knowledge and talents in service to others.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cArtificial intelligence is transforming virtually every field, and our students need more than an understanding of the technology \u2014 they need the ability to apply it thoughtfully, ethically, and effectively,\u201d said <\/span>Hubert Benitez, D.D.S., Ph.D., President of Saint Peter\u2019s University<\/b>. \u201cThis award will allow Saint Peter\u2019s to significantly expand what we can offer our students while preparing them to become leaders and innovators in an evolving workforce.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, the grant will strengthen career preparation across disciplines by expanding access to internships, micro-internships, and other experiential learning opportunities, helping students connect their academic experiences to the evolving needs of employers and prepare for meaningful careers in a changing economy. <\/span>A new Workforce Development Specialist will lead this effort, partnering with regional employers to identify in-demand skills and create internship and work-based learning opportunities for students. The specialist will also work directly with students, beginning in their first year, to explore career pathways and build plans that connect their academic experiences to the evolving needs of employers. These efforts will help students prepare for meaningful careers in a changing economy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Student success efforts will begin in the first year. Through Saint Peter’s Ignatian Seminar, every first-year student will build a personalized four-year academic and career plan.<\/span> Through PACES, Saint Peter\u2019s will continue building on its commitment to career preparation and upward mobility by integrating emerging technologies into the student experience. The initiative will strengthen connections among academic programs, workforce needs, and career development while giving students additional opportunities to develop AI literacy and skills that can complement their chosen fields of study.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"logo<\/a>\u201cPACES gives Saint Peter\u2019s and the School of Global Innovation and AI the resources to move from vision to implementation,\u201d said <\/span>Sharath Kumar Jagannathan, Ph.D., Interim Dean of the School of Global Innovation and AI and Chief AI Strategist for PACES<\/b>. \u201cWe will develop new AI and emerging-technology academic pathways, establish AI Exploration Labs and the AI Teaching and Learning Center, expand access to advanced computing, and help faculty integrate AI thoughtfully across disciplines. Just as importantly, we will connect these investments to workforce needs so that students learn not only how to use emerging technologies, but how to apply them ethically, creatively, and effectively in their professions.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The $3 million award represents a significant investment in Saint Peter\u2019s efforts to prepare students for a changing economy while ensuring that the benefits of emerging technologies are accessible to students across disciplines. By combining AI education with the University\u2019s liberal arts foundation and Jesuit tradition of reflection, discernment, and service, PACES will help students approach artificial intelligence not simply as a technology to be mastered, but as a powerful tool to be used responsibly in addressing the needs of their professions and communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

JERSEY CITY, N.J. \u2013 September 25, 2026 \u2013 Saint Peter\u2019s University has been awarded $3 million in federal funding over five years under the Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grant from the Department of Education to advance artificial intelligence education, innovation and career readiness through a comprehensive initiative called Peacock AI and Career Excellence for Success […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1293,"featured_media":13647,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3,5,2,6],"tags":[34],"class_list":["post-13645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-current-students","category-faculty-staff","category-future-students","category-press-release","tag-press"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSaint Peter\u2019s University Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant to Expand AI Education and Career Readiness - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Saint Peter's University welcomed its largest freshmen class in either years as the 25-26 year kicks off with Mass of the Holy Spirit.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"dbocchino\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"dbocchino\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/3911a54e5ade77498f635cc16e6fb64e\"},\"headline\":\"Saint Peter\u2019s University Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant to Expand AI Education and Career Readiness\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-25T17:04:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-28T14:27:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/\"},\"wordCount\":734,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/230\/files\/2026\/09\/AI-banner-image.png\",\"keywords\":[\"press\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Alumni\",\"Current Students\",\"Faculty Staff\",\"Future Students\",\"Press Release\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/\",\"name\":\"Saint Peter\u2019s University Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant to Expand AI Education and Career Readiness - News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/230\/files\/2026\/09\/AI-banner-image.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-25T17:04:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-28T14:27:55+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/3911a54e5ade77498f635cc16e6fb64e\"},\"description\":\"Saint Peter's University welcomed its largest freshmen class in either years as the 25-26 year kicks off with Mass of the Holy Spirit.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/230\/files\/2026\/09\/AI-banner-image.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/230\/files\/2026\/09\/AI-banner-image.png\",\"width\":1944,\"height\":809},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Saint Peter\u2019s University Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant to Expand AI Education and Career Readiness\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/\",\"name\":\"News\",\"description\":\"Go forth and change the world.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/3911a54e5ade77498f635cc16e6fb64e\",\"name\":\"dbocchino\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/27b97d7b6ab02fac704ad7fa2b54981bdf899d5f577f4942de499573931ae1d3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/27b97d7b6ab02fac704ad7fa2b54981bdf899d5f577f4942de499573931ae1d3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"dbocchino\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/author\/dbocchino\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Saint Peter\u2019s University Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant to Expand AI Education and Career Readiness - News","description":"Saint Peter's University welcomed its largest freshmen class in either years as the 25-26 year kicks off with Mass of the Holy Spirit.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"dbocchino","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/"},"author":{"name":"dbocchino","@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/3911a54e5ade77498f635cc16e6fb64e"},"headline":"Saint Peter\u2019s University Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant to Expand AI Education and Career Readiness","datePublished":"2026-09-25T17:04:30+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-28T14:27:55+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/"},"wordCount":734,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/230\/files\/2026\/09\/AI-banner-image.png","keywords":["press"],"articleSection":["Alumni","Current Students","Faculty Staff","Future Students","Press Release"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/","url":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/","name":"Saint Peter\u2019s University Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant to Expand AI Education and Career Readiness - News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/230\/files\/2026\/09\/AI-banner-image.png","datePublished":"2026-09-25T17:04:30+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-28T14:27:55+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/3911a54e5ade77498f635cc16e6fb64e"},"description":"Saint Peter's University welcomed its largest freshmen class in either years as the 25-26 year kicks off with Mass of the Holy Spirit.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/230\/files\/2026\/09\/AI-banner-image.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/230\/files\/2026\/09\/AI-banner-image.png","width":1944,"height":809},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/25\/saint-peters-university-awarded-3-million-federal-grant-to-expand-ai-education-and-career-readiness\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Saint Peter\u2019s University Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant to Expand AI Education and Career Readiness"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/","name":"News","description":"Go forth and change the world.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/3911a54e5ade77498f635cc16e6fb64e","name":"dbocchino","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/27b97d7b6ab02fac704ad7fa2b54981bdf899d5f577f4942de499573931ae1d3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/27b97d7b6ab02fac704ad7fa2b54981bdf899d5f577f4942de499573931ae1d3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"dbocchino"},"url":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/author\/dbocchino\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1293"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13645"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13645\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13651,"href":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13645\/revisions\/13651"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}