Jax State faculty awarded multiple grants to study career-based applications for AI
09/02/2025
By Brett Buckner
Jacksonville State University's Dr. Jianping Huang, Dr. Mark Sciuchetti, and Jodi Poe received grants from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) for Artificial Intelligence research.
Dr. Huang, associate professor of marketing, and Dr. Sciuchetti, senior director of honors and associate professor of Geography, received a $5,000 grant to establish the Geo AI and Marketing Academy within the Lyons Department of Management and Marketing at Jax State's College of Business and Industry.
The Academy is aligned with ACHE's All in Alabama initiative, which prepares students for high-growth careers vital to Alabama's economic development. This includes advanced manufacturing, logistics, and technology.
The ACHE grant is designed to bring together the studies of geography and marketing, areas that are rarely taught side by side but are increasingly interconnected in the workforce. Artificial intelligence is steadily changing how businesses understand consumers, make decisions, and use data. Dr. Sciuchetti explained that the Geo AI and Marketing Academy micro-credential grant will allow students to keep pace with industry changes and become leaders in careers where AI is an integral part of our growing world.
"Personally, it is rewarding to know that students at Jax State will gain access to cutting-edge Generative AI, Geospatial, and Marketing technologies in a way that directly connects their education to career opportunities here in Alabama," he said. "Our goal with this grant is to prepare students for careers by embedding AI skills into existing courses in geography and marketing."
Students will learn to use tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, ArcGIS AI, and Smart Eye-tracking software to solve real business problems. They will practice applying these tools in projects that simulate challenges faced by Alabama industries, from retail site selection and logistics planning to consumer behavior research and social media strategy.
"Ultimately, this grant will help JSU students graduate with a credential that makes them stand out to employers, while also contributing to the state's broader goal of aligning education with workforce needs," Dr. Sciuchetti said. "The microcredential will help connect our students to industry by involving local businesses and agencies through projects, case studies, and internships to prepare them for jobs in Alabama, thus supporting Alabama's Economic Development."
The Academy offers a stackable, credit-bearing credential by integrating AI training into the existing courses, GY208, MKT301, and MKT378. Students who complete the program earn a Jax State digital badge and transcript certification in Geo AI and Marketing.
"I really enjoy teaching students new skills in AI, GIS, and Eye Tracking," Dr. Huang said, "as I believe these give them an advantage that students at many other schools don't have."
Poe, who is head of library services at Houston Cole Library, was also awarded a $5,000 grant from the ACHE in AI, expanding Jax State's interdisciplinary AI Literacy Microcredential by extending its availability to students.
The library began offering a nine-hour Artificial Intelligence Literacy Microcredential in the fall. "We hope to use the grant to expand our AI Literacy microcredential by partnering with departments in high-demand fields with the goal of offering more courses to help build AI competencies in those areas," Poe said.
Library faculty will collaborate with Applied Engineering, Criminal Justice, Forensic Investigation, Finance, Nursing, and Respiratory Therapy to develop electives tailored to each discipline using relevant AI tools. Curriculum development is planned for the 2025–2026 academic year, with implementation in the 2026–2027 Undergraduate Catalog. This initiative supports ACHE's mission to align academic training with Alabama's workforce needs by equipping students with field-specific AI competencies.
The Office of Sponsored Programs collaborates with Jax State faculty and staff. "Through sponsored programs and funded projects, we help empower students to pursue their ambitions, explore their curiosity, and transform their passions into meaningful futures, said. Patty Daigle, assistant director for the Office of Sponsored Programs. "These initiatives not only enhance educational opportunities but also prepare students for success beyond graduation."
Coco Huang
Mark Sciuchetti
Jodi Poe