SUNY Poly announces creation of 10 new research centers

MARCY, N.Y. — SUNY Polytechnic Institute recently unveiled its creation of 10 new research centers, which will serve the campus as hubs of innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration, made possible by $2.7 million in state funding. The centers will help support the sponsored programs at the college, which have grown 119 percent over the past three years. “These centers mark a transformative leap in our commitment to the innovation and societal impact, and I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our elected officials for their unwavering support and commitment to SUNY Poly,” Winston Soboyejo, SUNY Poly president, said during remarks at a campus event. The Artificial Intelligence Exploration (AIX) Center, led by Steven Schneider and William Thistleton, supports three programs — a lab for study of foundation models, an accelerator for applications development, and a studio for research in the user experience. The Center for Advanced Semiconductor Materials and Devices (CASMAD) will coordinate and facilitate SUNY Poly’s efforts to advance research, education, innovative technologies, and collaborations enabling semiconductor science to provide solutions to complex societal problems. Iulian Gherasoiu serves as director. The Center for Business and Applied Ethics, led by Jim Staihar, promotes research, teaching, and outreach in all areas of business and applied ethics. The Center for Design, Interdisciplinary Research, Electronic Technology, Art and Media (DREAM), led by Ana Jofre, creates a campus hub for the arts that will host guests, display faculty work, raise the college’s public profile, and hopefully attract off- campus visitors. The center also supports curriculum development in the arts as well as the integration of the arts into STEM education. It also fosters interdisciplinary research-creation collaborations. Led by Joanne Joseph, the Center for Health Innovations and Humanitarian Engineering works to advance knowledge and practice in mental, physical, community, and environmental health while also advancing technological innovations and applications in health fields. The Center for Safe and Secure AI Robotics (CESSAIR) will advance research and development in AI robotics with safety and security as the leading priority. Emilio Cobanera leads the center. With a focus on advancing innovative solutions for resilient, intelligent, and sustainable infrastructure systems, the Center for Smart Infrastructure and Sustainability (CSIS) will synthesize efforts across the university to advance research, education, and innovation. Zhanjie Li leads the center. The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Research Center, led by Byeongdon Oh, leads the college’s research, teaching, and outreach efforts toward DEIB. The Global Center for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (GCAMM) will engage an interdisciplinary team in cutting-edge research and education in advanced functional materials and manufacturing. Soboyejo leads the center. Led by Arjun Singh, the Wireless and Intelligent Next Generation Systems (WINGS) center aims to promote and sustainable and growing sphere of influence in wireless advancements required for next-generation systems, including the advent of terahertz and sub-terahertz communications. The new centers do not include the Semiconductor Processing to Packaging Research, Education, and Training Center, which is on track to open in the fall of 2026. “SUNY Poly is grateful for the continued investments that enhance research efforts and offer additional opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration, paving the way for pioneering solutions that will shape the future,” Provost Andy Russell said in a statement.