George Mason University will offer a master of science in artificial intelligence (AI) starting this fall, becoming Virginia’s first public university to offer a stand-alone master’s degree in this field.  

Recently approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), the degree will equip the next generation of AI innovators with a rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum blending foundational theory with real-world applications, ensuring graduates are prepared to address complex challenges in industry and government. 

Amarda Shehu, inaugural vice president and chief AI officer, associate dean for research in the College of Engineering and Computing, and professor in the Department of Computer Science, said, “Seeing this vision come to life has been incredibly rewarding, and I am deeply honored to have led this effort to create a program that will shape the future of AI talent in Virginia and beyond.” 

Courses will span core domains such as machine learning foundations and practice; planning and decision-making for intelligent agents; and deep learning fundamentals; providing students with the expertise to build, deploy, and evaluate AI systems across various computing platforms.

Weiwen Jiang, an assistant professor in the George Mason University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is an expert in quantum computing, having recently received nearly $1 million in National Science Foundation (NSF) funding to study “noise” that impacts quantum computing and to work on training the next generation of quantum experts. 

Jiang’s research is all about pushing the mysterious world of quantum computing into the mainstream. “We are at the quantum utility era, which means we are going to have computational applications that can be implemented with and utilize the power of quantum computing,” he said. But Jiang knows that researchers need a boost in understanding the full quantum capability.

In January he received an NSF CAREER award for $641,778 for his work on quantum-centric computing cyberinfrastructure (QuCI). A combination of quantum computers, classical computers, and AI accelerators, QuCI is set to revolutionize

Tim McAliley has navigated a successful career in IT by staying agile and embracing continuous learning. Now, he’s teaching a course at George Mason University to connect data analytics engineering students with challenges set forth by local technology companies, facilitating their professional development alongside their academic growth. 

McAliley’s journey from the Marine Corps to academia is a testament to his diverse experiences and dedication to continuous learning. Currently an adjunct professor at George Mason University, McAliley teaches a graduate capstone course in the Master’s in Data Analytics Engineering program, where his extensive real-world experience significantly enhances his teaching.

McAliley’s career began in the Marine Corps before he earned a degree in political science and military science from Florida State University (FSU), graduating in December 1994. In 1999, he transitioned into the information technology (IT) field, earning his Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer certification while working at FSU’s Center for Academic and Professional Development. This certification marked the beginning of a successful career in IT, which included roles in enterprise file storage, network printing, and cloud solutions. Since 2012, he has worked at Microsoft as a cloud solution architect. His role involves various aspects of cloud deployments, including Azure and hybrid solutions.

In addition to his professional career, McAliley has continued to pursue academic success, earning a master’s degree in information management systems from Harvard Extension School in 2023 and enrolling in George Mason’s Information Technology doctoral program this spring. He began teaching the data analytics engineering graduate capstone course in fall 2024. Balancing his full-time job at Microsoft, his teaching responsibilities, and his doctoral studies is no small feat, but McAliley approaches it with the same determination that has characterized his entire career.