Iowa Engineering helped create HawkAI to enhance campus AI literacy.
Professors of electrical and computer engineering (ECE) at the University of Iowa are pivotal contributors to an educational initiative aimed at demystifying artificial intelligence (AI) for faculty, staff, and students across the campus. Named HawkAI, this two-year, provost-funded class series provides fundamental knowledge and practical use cases of AI.
To date, HawkAI has engaged over 1,693 unique participants in its educational short courses, with 854 individuals earning certificates. “The AI genie is out of the bottle, no question about it,” stated Milan Sonka, Lowell G. Battershell Chair in Biomedical Engineering, ECE professor, and director of the Iowa Initiative for Artificial Intelligence (IIAI).
HawkAI features three levels of courses, progressing from beginner to advanced applications of AI. Level one encompasses the history of AI, basic AI and machine learning principles, an overview of AI platforms, ethical considerations, and various hands-on uses tailored to different campus roles. Participants receive a “Certificate in Artificial Intelligence Proficiency” upon completing four out of seven courses. Levels two and three focus on research applications and methodological training, respectively.
“The practical AI knowledge gained from the HawkAI level one courses enables users to immediately apply these skills in their everyday work,” said Manda Marshall, AI support team manager.
Tyler Bell, ECE associate professor who developed several HawkAI classes, commented, “The HawkAI program has helped fill gaps in AI education and awareness on campus, moving beyond specialized, domain-specific AI work to providing a more holistic, laddered approach for the broader campus community.”
Feedback highlights the program's benefits. One participant remarked, “This has been the most helpful AI training I have taken so far.” Participants have used their training to take meeting notes and summarize email messages, and one person developed a training program for custodial equipment preventive maintenance.
HawkAI is led by IIAI and Information Technology Services and supported by an interdisciplinary team of faculty and staff. The program builds upon the work of ECE faculty and existing ECE courses. Program leaders believe this AI literacy initiative is unique among peer institutions in its breadth, depth, and extensive reach.
Delivering cutting-edge AI literacy education is challenging given the rapid pace of change but increasingly important as AI becomes more widespread, according to Sonka. HawkAI is funded for the university community through summer 2026, and program leaders are exploring ways to offer it to industry and the private sector.
“We hope these courses will serve as an entry point for everyone to appreciate the potential of AI,” said Steve Fleagle, chief information officer at the University of Iowa.