Dates: October 21, 2026; February 23, 2027; and April 6, 2027 — three-session program
Time: 2:00–5:00 p.m. each day
Location: IDRIS Innovation Lab (TBA)

This three-session, hands-on program will bring together up to 30 undergraduate and master’s students to explore AI-enabled approaches to improving processes and solving problems. Led by technology leaders from Google, AWS, and other organizations, the program requires participants to attend all three sessions.

For this October 21st event, we are proud to host our keynote speaker Dr. Sanya Carley for her talk on AI Data Centers: Community and Sustainability Impacts. As demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing accelerates the growth of data centers, communities face pressing questions about electricity and water use, land development, local tax revenues, and quality of life. Dr. Sanya Carley will examine what current research reveals about these impacts, the policies guiding data-center development, and the critical questions that remain. She will also share early findings on how residents and local stakeholders are—or are not—being included in planning decisions.

Dr. Sanya Carley is Presidential Distinguished Professor of Energy Policy and City Planning at the University of Pennsylvania, where she also serves as Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action and Faculty Director of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. Her research examines energy decarbonization, affordability, energy justice, and public perceptions of emerging energy infrastructure and technologies.