SU’s iSchool readies new AI graduate program for 2025

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SYRACUSE — Syracuse University’s (SU) School of Information Studies (iSchool) says it plans to launch a new graduate-degree program in artificial intelligence (AI) in the fall semester of 2025. Beginning this fall, students can apply to earn a master’s degree in applied human-centered artificial intelligence, which SU says will prepare them to “leverage advanced generative […]

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SYRACUSE — Syracuse University’s (SU) School of Information Studies (iSchool) says it plans to launch a new graduate-degree program in artificial intelligence (AI) in the fall semester of 2025.

Beginning this fall, students can apply to earn a master’s degree in applied human-centered artificial intelligence, which SU says will prepare them to “leverage advanced generative AI models ethically and with a human-centered approach.”

“We decided to launch this new AI program to meet the growing demand from industry, where many companies, across diverse industries, need professionals capable of leveraging Generative AI. Furthermore, our students have shown significant interest in gaining expertise in AI, driven by the industry’s evolving requirements and opportunities,” Jeffrey Saltz, iSchool associate professor and program director of the school’s master’s degree in applied human-centered artificial intelligence, said in the school’s announcement.

Syracuse University cites Glassdoor.com as indicating artificial intelligence is the third fastest-growing field in the U.S., and those with expertise in AI command an average salary of $162,000. Popular jobs include GenAI developer, data scientist, AI product manager, and human-AI interaction designer.

The iSchool’s new program will include an emphasis on hands-on projects to showcase students’ practical expertise and knowledge in the field of AI.

Examples of such projects will include creating a customer-service chatbot using large language models (LLMs) that integrate with a company’s existing customer-service system and building a sentiment-analysis agent that analyzes social-media data for brand monitoring, SU said.

Other examples include developing a virtual assistant that schedules meetings and performs other tasks using public Gen AI application programming interface (API); examining the effectiveness and user experience of various human-AI interaction agents; and developing a medical diagnostic tool that assists doctors by analyzing medical images and patient data.

“The iSchool has been a pioneer in AI and data science education, and we were one of the first universities to offer an Applied Data Science program,” Saltz contended. “Recognizing the evolving landscape of technology and the increasing importance of AI, the iSchool saw a critical need to expand its offerings to include advanced AI education.”

SU went on to say that for the past five years, the iSchool has developed numerous courses to support the new AI program. Students can expect a curriculum covering foundational AI concepts, as well as how to apply those concepts within practical applications.

The program will include course titles such as Deep Learning in Practice; Natural Language Processing; Building Human-Centered AI Applications; Responsible AI; and Dynamics of Human-AI Interaction.

“The continuing enhancement of courses helps to ensure that the iSchool’s program is robust and comprehensive and can evolve as the field evolves,” SU contends.

Furthermore, the iSchool’s faculty will continue to research key questions around human-AI interactions and how to incorporate human and AI knowledge into organizations and society in general, per the SU announcement.

TTM to use $30 million federal award for DeWitt expansion project

Manufacturing & Engineering, Construction, Design & Real Estate, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

DeWITT — TTM Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: TTMI) will use a $30 million federal award to boost the expansion project at its site in DeWitt where the firm will manufacture advanced printed circuit boards (PCBs) “that are critical to America’s national security.” The U.S. Department of Defense awarded the funding that comes from the Defense Production

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The U.S. Department of Defense awarded the funding that comes from the Defense Production Act Title III program, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) announced Oct. 1.

TTM Technologies, Inc., a California–based firm with operations in DeWitt, has chosen the Syracuse suburb for an upcoming high-tech manufacturing facility that will create an estimated 400 jobs. The firm intends to invest up to $130 million to build the new plant, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Sen. Schumer said in announcing the project on Nov. 1, 2023.

Specifically, TTM will use the $30 million to acquire and install advanced-manufacturing equipment and develop prototype designs for its new, more than 200,000-square-foot facility.

The expansion will help TTM significantly increase domestic production of ultra-high density printed circuit boards and bolster supply-chain resilience, which is “in line with the 2024 National Defense Industrial Strategy,” Schumer’s office said.

“We cannot have the printed circuit boards our military and chip industry rely on overwhelmingly made overseas. This $30 million federal investment will ensure the future of this industry, that is vital to America’s national security, is made here in Central NY by the 400 new, good-paying jobs being created by TTM. TTM is the largest printed circuit board producer in the country. Their technology is state-of-the-art, and the DoD’s investment in Central NY-made advanced printed circuit boards will make our supply chains more secure,” Schumer said in the announcement. “With TTM recently breaking ground, this $30 million could not come at a better time to accelerate their growth and meet this pressing national security need.”

He went on to explain that printed circuit board manufacturing is currently “overwhelmingly” based in Asia, and the nation’s military and its semiconductor and broader microelectronics industries “need to onshore” printed circuit board manufacturing to “better protect our national security” and meet increased demand spurred by the CHIPS & Science Law.

“The $30 million announced today will help TTM accelerate its efforts to bring high-tech capabilities back to the U.S., creating a stable supply of secure, American-made, advanced printed circuit board and further positioning Upstate NY as an epicenter in the global microelectronics industry and Central NY and the I-90 Tech Hub as the heart of this growing industry,” Schumer said.

Schumer said American companies, including defense contractors providing critical products for the military, currently have a greater demand for ultra-high density interconnect (UHDI) PCBs than domestic producers can supply. The senator said this presents “national security risks, making it critical that the United States develop the capability to manufacture Ultra-HDI PCBs at-scale as soon as possible.”

TTM’s expanded Central New York facility will be one of the most technologically advanced and largest PCB manufacturing sites in North America, with a highly optimized process to allow for shorter lead times, faster delivery, and a significant increase in domestic capacity for Ultra-HDI PCBs, adding to TTM’s existing Central New York workforce of about 600 employees, per Schumer’s office.

Pathfinder Bancorp to pay Q3 dividend of 10 cents in early November

Banks & Credit Unions, Subscriber Only

OSWEGO — Pathfinder Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: PBHC), the bank holding company of Pathfinder Bank, has declared a cash dividend of 10 cents per share of its common stock. The third-quarter 2024 dividend is payable on Nov. 8 to all shareholders of record on Oct. 18, according to an announcement from James A. Dowd, president and

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NORDTECH consortium to use $27M in federal funds for projects

Small Business, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only, Technology

The Northeast Regional Defense Technology Hub (NORDTECH) will use $27 million in U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) funding for various projects, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) announced Sept. 18. NORDTECH describes itself as a regional consortium of government labs, defense companies, academic institutions, and technology-manufacturing organizations in New York state and one of

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NORDTECH describes itself as a regional consortium of government labs, defense companies, academic institutions, and technology-manufacturing organizations in New York state and one of eight hubs involved in the U.S. Microelectronics Commons program, per a separate announcement on Sept. 18.

NORDTECH’s five founding members — who comprise the hub’s leadership team and governance committee — include the New York Center for Research, Economic Advancement, Technology, Engineering, and Science (NY CREATES) in Albany; the University at Albany College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering (CNSE); Cornell University; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI); and IBM, as outlined in the NORDTECH announcement.

The funding will help NORDTECH to boost semiconductor and other technology research & development (R&D) and workforce training at upstate New York universities and research institutions, Schumer’s office noted.

This funding comes from the $2 billion CHIPS for America Defense Fund which Schumer helped establish in his CHIPS & Science Law. His office says the effort helped secure upstate’s spot in competing to become one of the first Microelectronic Commons Hubs last year.

Projects awarded funding

The U.S. Department of Defense selected four of NORDTECH’s projects based in New York that are focused on quantum research and development to receive federal funding.

Quantum Error Correction Qubit

They include the Superconducting Quantum Error Correction Qubit, which was awarded more than $8.5 million. NY CREATES is the lead research institution, and Cornell University, Syracuse University, New York University, and the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) are among the partner research institutions.

NY CREATES and partners in academia, industry, and government will co-develop technologies necessary to demonstrate scalable quantum-error correction, using new materials, innovative quantum circuits, and qubit control schemes.

Those involved will explore innovative processes that expand the limits of qubit performance at the academic labs, with a view to “hasten the lab-to-fab transition.” The Cornell Nanofabrication Facility will offer vetted processes on dedicated 100mm tools that researchers can utilize.

The team will deliver a superconducting process design kit (PDK), leveraging the tightly controlled fabrication processes at the 300mm wafer scale. This project will “democratize access to scalable, high performance qubit fabrication, enabling faster innovation by the broader community,” as described in the Schumer announcement.

NITRIDER

They also include the Nitride RF Next-Generation Technology (NITRIDER) project, which was awarded more than $8.1 million. Cornell University is the lead research institution, and RPI is among the partner research institutions.

High-speed gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have “revolutionized” defense radar and communication systems, despite delivering only 1/10th of the radio frequency (RF) output power for which this semiconductor family is capable.

In this project, Cornell University and its team will unleash the dormant 90 percent output power using novel and patented nitride HEMTs and aluminum nitride (AlN) substrates.

While taking these two next-generation nitride RF transistor technologies from lab-to-fab, the NITRIDER program will employ specially constructed workforce-development modules to develop large signal models, new processes, and research design kits (RDKs) for E-Band and C- Band (radio frequencies from 60GHz-90GHz and 2.4GHz-5GHz, respectively) MMICs, or monolithic microwave integrated circuits which perform functions such as power amplification, to improve radar and communication systems.

QUPICS

In addition, more than $8.2 million was awarded to the Quantum Ultra-broadband Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (QUPICS) project. AIM Photonics and Cornell University are the lead research institutions, and Cornell, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Columbia, and AFRL are among the partner research institutions.

The QUPICS team, led by the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM Photonics) and Cornell University, will develop the first 300mm foundry fabrication platform for quantum technologies which will span from the ultraviolet to the infrared.

QUPICS will specially address the foundry gap for trapped atom/ion and neutral ion quantum technologies incorporating electrical, broadband photonic and electro-optic devices into a single broadly available technology offering.

QUPICS will develop and incorporate passive photonics, active components, and laser sources from the ultraviolet to the infrared geared to the use of quantum technologies. Integrated systems spanning this broad wavelength range are critical for a variety of photonics-heavy quantum systems for commercial and DoD priority applications in quantum sensing, networking, computation and position navigation and timing (PNT).

In later years, QUPICS will open to multi project wafer (MPW) runs and will be actively searching for partners from government laboratories, academia, and businesses.

HQN

The federal government also awarded more than $2.4 million for the heterogeneous quantum networking project. RIT is the lead research institution, and the partner research institutions include AFRL Information Directorate, Yale University, Duke University, AIM Photonics, and NY CREATES.

The Rochester Institute of Technology and partners plan to realize a heterogeneous quantum network (HQN) that connects ion-based qubits with superconducting and photonic-based qubits.

Qubits are quantum bits that relay more information than the binary 1s and 0s of today’s computer chips. Enabling the networking of non-identical qubit types expands the usefulness of remote quantum entanglement, which is currently based on homogeneous qubit types.

With a heterogeneous network, different qubit types can be used for different applications (storage, sensing, and/or processing) while still being interconnected. Such a network would advance the warfighter’s access to position, navigation, timing, communications, and computational information.

SUNY Poly names director of career services, experiential learning

Education & Training, Mohawk Valley, Subscriber Only, Technology

MARCY — SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) recently promoted Michael Badolato to director of career services and experiential learning. In this new role, Badolato, who previously served as the university’s career services coordinator, will develop a model in which students participate with employers in project-based and experiential learning opportunities, according to a SUNY Poly release.

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Lockheed Martin’s suburban Syracuse plant wins $60M Navy contract that includes cyber test work

Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only, Technology

SALINA — Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems in Salina recently won a more than $60 million contract from the U.S. Navy. This pact provides for the production, integration, testing, inspection, fleet introduction, and fielding of four operational-test program sets (OTPS), as well as associated non-recurring engineering, program management, logistics, and engineering development models to

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AIS names business director of mission solutions

Technology, Mohawk Valley, Subscriber Only

ROME — Assured Information Security (AIS) — a Rome–based provider of critical cyber and information-security services, products, and operations to commercial and government customers — recently appointed Robert Westerman as business director of mission solutions. In this position, Westerman leads the direction, growth, and operational effectiveness of AIS in the greater Washington, D.C. area. His

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OPINION: New York Must Address the Chaos at our Northern Border

Opinion, Subscriber Only

Having safe, secure borders is a right every American deserves. The idea that we should be aware of who enters the country has somehow been deemed as negotiable in recent years. It is not, and the rhetoric surrounding these concepts has become dangerous. Recently, the issue has taken on new significance in New York state

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Recently, the issue has taken on new significance in New York state as an influx of illegal immigrants coming across the northern border with Canada has complicated existing issues in upstate communities already dealing with those bused into New York City from the southern border with Mexico. Border Patrol tallied 19,000 migrant encounters in August at the Canada-U.S. border, with just about half entering through New York alone. As such, recent reports indicated confusion and uncertainty as the border remains virtually open, and the problem has not shown any indication it will resolve itself any time soon.

For this reason, members of the Assembly Minority Conference have introduced legislation to repeal the state’s “Green Light Law,” which is contributing to the problems at the border. Assemblyman Scott Gray (R–Watertown), Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C–Black River), and Sen. Dan Stec (R,C–Queensbury) recently stood with law-enforcement officials representing St. Lawrence, Clinton, Franklin, and Jefferson counties to discuss ways to improve border security, including repealing Green Light in border counties.

Current law prohibits the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) from sharing departmental records with any agency that primarily enforces immigration law and requires those who have access, including state and local law enforcement, to certify that the use of such records will not be used for civil-immigration purposes or be shared with agencies that primarily enforce immigration law. Our proposal would restore that cooperation, which never should have been inhibited in the first place.

There are many deficiencies with the Green Light Law, aside from it hindering cooperation between law-enforcement agencies. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, the law creates an avenue for those with “nefarious intentions” to obtain a “legitimate, state-issued document for identification,” calls for the state to issue such instruments relying on information solely from a foreign government, and it creates many conflicting law-enforcement relationships that hinder public safety and immigration enforcement. In fact, we have been saying this for years.

As a nation, we have always welcomed those looking for a better life. We will continue to do so, but we must also consider the needs of those who live here, pay taxes, and use public services. Right now, Americans do not feel secure, and that is unacceptable. We have always been, and will always be, a beacon of freedom, and the best way to continue to do so is by simply following the laws put in place intended to keep us all safe — immigrants included.

William (Will) A. Barclay, 55, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.

OPINION: Trump was right about violent criminals being released into the U.S.

Opinion, Subscriber Only

“I say, I told you so.” That was former President Donald Trump’s reaction at a Michigan rally on Sept. 27 [speaking about the new report showing] tens of thousands of violent, convicted criminals being let into the U.S. by the Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security. That’s according to the latest data from Immigration and Customs

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“I say, I told you so.”

That was former President Donald Trump’s reaction at a Michigan rally on Sept. 27 [speaking about the new report showing] tens of thousands of violent, convicted criminals being let into the U.S. by the Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security. That’s according to the latest data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released on Sept. 25 via Congressional oversight by U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R–Texas).

The numbers were breathtaking: 13,376 convicted murderers; 16,120 convicted of sexual assault; 64,579 convicted of assault; 43,546 convicted of burglary, larceny or robbery; 13,876 convicted of weapons offenses; 2,606 convicted of kidnapping; and 2,218 convicted of commercialized sexual offenses — all before they ever came to America and were released into the country by the federal government.

According to the House Homeland Security Committee release on Sept. 27, “they had previously been encountered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), turned over to ICE, had their criminal history documented, and then were released into the United States.”

The vast majority of these convicted criminals — 151,851 out of 156,521, or 97 percent — were not currently detained by ICE, with only 4,670 in detention and subject to removal. Of the convicted murderers, the numbers are even worse: only 277 are in detention, or just 2.2 percent.

The rest are apparently just roaming around. But now Harris is promising that when she is in office — apparently heedless that she has already been in office for almost four years — to complete her border visit checkbox photo opportunity, posted on X on Sept. 29, “As president, I will secure our border, disrupt the flow of fentanyl coming into the United States, and work to fix our broken system of immigration,” Harris said.

But one of the things “broken” is the Biden-Harris administration’s propensity to release convicted criminals into the U.S., simply out of incompetence or worse, on purpose.

The other thing “broken” is public perception that the current Democratic administration even gives a whit about the problem, with Harris upside down on immigration versus Trump. For example, the latest national Quinnipiac poll taken Sept. 19 to Sept. 22, found 53 percent of likely voters saying Trump would do a better job handling immigration and 45 percent saying Harris. That’s consistent across almost all national polls taken the entire election cycle. If the election comes down to immigration, the border, and illegal alien criminals, it might not be close.

Trump found it curious that the numbers were released at all — the letter from ICE as Vice President Kamala Harris made her visit to the U.S. southern border since 2021, stating, “So, these numbers just came out — nobody’s ever seen these numbers for years, nobody’s ever seen them — and probably some patriot in ICE or somebody just did something, they just said the country is going bad, you can’t have a country like that. We have think of it murderers — convicted murderers — imprisoned for life, many get the electric chair or they get whatever their form of death penalty. These are convicted people for life are… now in our country and I can finally look at them and see.”

Allowing unrestricted illegal immigration — since February 2021, there have been 8.3 million encounters by the CBP on the southwest border, the most in recorded U.S. history — will allow a certain percentage of proven criminals, including violent criminals, into the U.S.

So, according to the report, 156,521 out of 8.3 million illegal immigrants — that’s a 1.87 percent violent crime rate — let into the country, are convicted, violent criminals. That’s five times the national violent crime rate — which includes murder, manslaughter, rape and robbery — of 0.36 percent.

Perhaps Kamala Harris does not need to visit the southern border to find out why this is happening, but instead visit the Oval Office, the Department of Homeland Security, and look in the mirror.

Robert Romano is the VP of public policy at Americans for Limited Government, a conservative 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that says it is dedicated to restoring constitutionally limited government, allowing individuals to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

VIEWPOINT: Ask Rusty: Should my Husband File and then Suspend His SS Benefits?

Business Mentors, Subscriber Only

Dear Rusty: My financial advisor recently used a computer program that told my husband to take his Social Security (SS) at age 68, then suspend it after a few months. What I understood was if my husband started and then stopped taking distributions, he would earn delayed retirement credits (DRCs) and thus get more at

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Dear Rusty: My financial advisor recently used a computer program that told my husband to take his Social Security (SS) at age 68, then suspend it after a few months. What I understood was if my husband started and then stopped taking distributions, he would earn delayed retirement credits (DRCs) and thus get more at age 70. I know waiting increases SS amounts, by 8 percent a year, but does purposely starting and then stopping SS increase distributions even more?

Signed: Confused

Dear Confused: Suspending receipt of one’s SS benefits after his full retirement age (FRA) — as in your husband’s case — does result in him earning DRCs, but the DRCs earned accumulate at the same rate as if he simply waited longer to claim his SS benefit in the first place. DRCs are earned up to 70 years of age, at which point your husband’s maximum SS benefit is attained (FYI, DRCs earn 0.667 percent of additional benefit for each month benefits are delayed or suspended, or 8 percent per year). But I see no advantage to your husband starting his benefits now (at age 68) and then suspending them several months later to earn DRCs — the number of DRCs earned are the same in either case, so he could simply wait to apply for his Social Security benefits until he is 70 to get his maximum amount.

The only rationale reason I can think of to claim benefits and then suspend after doing so is to get a few months of his benefit payments before suspending. But the few months in which your husband received benefits before suspending will be considered when he later unsuspends his benefit. So, his total payment amount will be a bit less at age 70 than it would otherwise be if he simply waits longer to claim SS. And, just for information, he can’t “file and suspend” his benefits so that you can receive a spousal benefit from him. That option (to file and suspend, enabling a spouse to receive benefits) was eliminated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 — while your husband’s benefits are suspended, you cannot receive a spousal benefit from him.

So, frankly, I see no advantage to your husband claiming his benefit now and then suspending them a few months later. If his goal is to maximize his SS benefit, then the best way to do that is simply wait longer to claim.

Russell Gloor is a national Social Security advisor at the AMAC Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC). The 2.4-million-member AMAC says it is a senior advocacy organization. Send your questions to: ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.

Author’s note: This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained, and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). The NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity.

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