University of Mount Olive to receive nearly $3M for AI-supported education initiative

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. (WNCN) — The University of Mount Olive will receive nearly $3 million in federal funding for an education initiative supported by artificial intelligence, officials said.

Read more Questions surround counterterror probe into US air base after suspects were freed on bail

According to officials, the university was awarded $1.46 million from the U.S. Department of Education to cover the first year of funding from Oct. 1, 2026, to Sept. 30, 2027. The full amount, totaling nearly $3 million, will be awarded for the rest of the years if its available and the university meets the DOE’s requirements for continued funding.

The initiative, known as “Rural Transformation: Building AI-Enabled Pathways to Student Success and Workforce Opportunity”, will be focused on helping students succeed, remain at the university, graduate, and be prepared for the workforce through an AI-enabled transformation. New and enhanced programs will seek to prepare students for fields such as cybersecurity, healthcare, agriculture, veterinary science, education, and business, according to officials.

Officials said the initiative will support AI literacy, staff development, and technology modernization, including smart classrooms, more Wi-Fi, improved networking infrastructure, AI/PC and cybersecurity laboratories, and enhanced learning environments for science and agriculture.

“This grant represents an investment in our students, faculty, communities, and the rural workforce we serve,” Vice President for Academic Affairs Burt Lewis said in a statement. “Integrating artificial intelligence into teaching, learning, student support, and workforce development creates opportunities for UMO to create new pathways and programs leading to achievement, innovation, and economic success.

Read more Crash with injury closes intersection of East Williams Street and Technology Drive in Apex: Police

“We are grateful for this opportunity to ensure our students are ready to lead and serve in an AI-driven economy across the communities we serve,” he continued in his statement.

Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Kim Bryant said in a statement, “This is an exciting opportunity to strengthen how we support both our students and faculty. By thoughtfully integrating AI into teaching, learning, and student support, we can prepare our students for success at UMO and in a rapidly changing workforce.”

Said Director of Information Technology Bill O’Hara in a statement, “This grant has the opportunity to be absolutely transformative for UMO. It builds a safer, more reliable network foundation upon which curricula, classroom instruction, and student experience can grow using new technologies and artificial intelligence.

“We hope to integrate these technologies with the strong tradition of academic excellence and spiritual focus that UMO is known for,” O’Hara continued in his statement. “We’re excited to begin a new era at UMO.”

Read more Hurricane Polo makes landfall in Baja California with forecast of ‘life-threatening’ winds