Cortland partners in new AI initiative

https://www2.cortland.edu/news/cortland-partners-in-new-ai-initiative

Publish Date: 2026-02-10 11:29:00

02/10/2026

New opportunities are coming to SUNY Cortland thanks to the university’s partnership in a statewide Advancing AI for the Public Good Initiative.

Cortland will work with lead institution Binghamton University and SUNY Broome, SUNY Delhi, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Oneonta and Tompkins Cortland Community College to find the best ethical and effective uses for the growing artificial intelligence field within academics and research.

Part of New York’s Empire AI program, the initiative will introduce students to more information on the topic, including workforce applications and ethical considerations, and allow the partnered schools to work together and create a free noncredit AI Prep for Careers microcredential.

The microcredential will be developed this spring and is expected to be ready for students by the fall semester.

Professor Chris Badurek, chair of the Geography Department and co-coordinator of the university’s Computer Applications Program (CAP), was approached by colleagues at Binghamton to bring Cortland into the group. He described the new initiative as a great opportunity for students in CAP, an interdisciplinary minor designed to provide computing skills. The curriculum will see updates through the partnership’s new resources.

“One of the required courses in the minor used to be called CAP 104: Computers in Society, but we’re changing the name and the thrust of that course to AI, Technology and Society,” said Badurek, who also co-directs the SUNY Cortland Regional Geographic Information Systems Laboratory. “The emphasis is going to be more aligned with the curricular conversations that are part of the AI for Public Good Initiative. We’re having that going on right now and it’s an immediate campus impact.”

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