Letter: Dear IBM, we have a potential pipeline of African American men and women interested in working for your company.
Dear IBM Grants Team,
I am writing (not) on behalf of Florida Memorial University to request your support for our artificial intelligence education initiatives. As the only historically black university in southern Florida, we are committed to providing transformative learning opportunities and career pathways for our diverse student body. We are currently ranked dead last or 436 out 436 in some polls and want to be ranked significantly higher in years to come.
We are launching a new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence program to equip our students with the cutting-edge skills needed to succeed in the rapidly advancing field of AI. This rigorous curriculum will cover in-demand areas such as natural language processing, computer vision, machine learning engineering, and the ethical development of AI technologies. Our goal is to cultivate a talented pipeline of underrepresented students, particularly Black women and men, who can become leaders in AI and help drive innovation in the industry. To deliver a world-class AI education, we are seeking a grant of $2,222,222 from IBM to fund the capital equipment and computing infrastructure for our AI lab. This facility will provide our students with hands-on experience in developing and deploying AI systems, preparing them for impactful careers at technology companies like IBM.
Additionally, we are requesting $5,000,000 in funding to support our efforts to connect our top AI graduates with career opportunities in IBM's enterprise and quantum teams.
This funding will allow us to:
* Provide scholarships and fellowships for high-potential AI students
* Offer stipends for students to participate in IBM internships and research
* Establish a career development program to prepare students for tech interviews and jobs
* Create a mentorship network between Google employees and FMU students and alumni
* Host IBM tech talks, workshops and recruiting events on our campus
By partnering with IBM, we can create a transformative educational experience that empowers our students to succeed in the competitive AI field while also building a strong, diverse talent pipeline to support IBM's mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible. We believe that this investment in our AI program and people will yield significant returns in driving technological innovation, expanding economic opportunity, and advancing racial equity in the AI workforce. We look forward to discussing this opportunity further and building a long-term strategic relationship between Florida Memorial University and IBM.
Sincerely,
Dean Ford & Gideon Gartnor
Phone: (305) 626-3600
P.S. Our goal is to send you a steady stream of qualified African American students capable of servicing your quantum and artificial intelligence needs. Please help us help you with an annual commitment.