Trusted Innovation in AI

Red graphic with icons and the word AI in the center

In Iowa State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, our researchers advance the foundations of AI, use AI to accelerate discovery across a wide range of disciplines, and examine its ethical and human dimensions. Our Trusted Innovation in AI initiative brings together this broad expertise from across the college to foster collaboration, accelerate interdisciplinary research, and advance AI that is innovative, reliable, and trustworthy.

The initiative also highlights and connects existing AI-related research strengths across LAS, including the Dependable Data-Driven Discovery National Research Traineeship (D4 NRT), the Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE), and the Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology, while creating new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.

Explore the research themes that showcase AI research across LAS, learn about recent funding, and stay up to date on news and events that highlight the college’s growing AI research community.

Research themes

AI Foundations and Methods

Developing the mathematical, statistical, and computational foundations that enable reliable and trustworthy AI.

Representative research topics: Machine learning • Statistical inference • AI systems • Explainability • AI security

Example Faculty

AI for Scientific Discovery

Applying AI to accelerate discovery across the biological, physical, environmental, and computational sciences.

Representative research topics: Scientific machine learning • Omics • Materials discovery • Modeling • Data integration

Example Faculty

 

Human and Societal Dimensions of AI

Exploring the ethical, philosophical, psychological, cultural, and societal dimensions of AI, including human-AI interaction, intelligence, governance, and trust.

Representative research topics: Ethics • Governance • Cognition • Human-AI Interaction • Language • Trust

Example Faculty

Dean Benjamin C Withers

By bringing LAS disciplines together, we can help ensure that AI systems are not only innovative, but also transparent, accountable, and worthy of public trust.”

Benjamin Withers, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Recent funding in artificial intelligence research

  • 50+

    LAS faculty engaged in AI-related research

  • 15

    LAS departments participating in AI-related research

  • > $8.9M

    in active AI-related research funding in July 2026

  • 100+

    AI-related scholarly outputs since 2025

A Spatial Generative Bayesian Computation Framework for Inferring Turbulence-Microphysics Interactions  

PI: Pulong Ma, Statistics
Funding agency: US Department of Energy
Budget: $450,000

Development of Online Transfer Learning System for Real-time Decision Making

PI: Jae-Kwang Kim, Statistics
Funding agency: Hyundai Information Technology Co Ltd.
Budget: $365,000

Understanding the impact of offloading with AI on exam performance and assessment validity

PI: Jason Chan, Psychology
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Budget: $797,886

Dependable, Explainable, Reusable, AI-Driven Computational Biology

PI: Myra Beth Cohen, Computer Science
Funding Agency: US Department of Energy
Budget: $993,384

Latest AI research news

Upcoming events

events
Date Description Location
Oct 15-16, 2026 Technology for Second Language Learning Conference Online and Iowa State University
Nov 9, 2026: 10 AM – 12:30 PM AI Student Research Symposium Student Innovation Center

Recent and past events

events
Date Description
May 21, 2026 Building an AI research community in LAS luncheon
March 12, 2026 and March 13, 2025 Advancing AI and Tech Ethics
Nov 7, 2025 Responsible AI student research symposium
Sep 12-14, 2025 ISU-NISS Conference on AI and Statistics
Oct 24-26, 2024 and Nov 5-8, 2025 Technology for Second Language Learning Conference
March 21-22, 2024 AI and the Arts and Humanities Symposium

Contact

Geetu Tuteja
Interim Assistant Dean for Strategic Research Initiatives
geetu@iastate.edu