Vanderbilt Partners with USCGA and USNA to Train Faculty in Resilient and Secure AI Systems

Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Software Integrated recently led a week-long training workshop at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), focused on advancing research and education in trustworthy and resilient AI. The workshop combined technical depth with practical applications, providing USCGA and USNA faculty with tools and knowledge to tackle emerging challenges in developing, assuring, and securely operating AI-enabled autonomous systems.

Each day, the institute team led a four-hour tutorial blending expert presentations with hands-on experiments, helping participants explore foundational concepts and state-of-the-art techniques while applying them in scenarios ranging from pedantic to operational. The collaborative research project was initiated by Prof. Xenofon Koutsoukos, and the training was delivered by a dedicated team of instructors. 

The workshop schedule included:
·   Day 1: Overview of Trustworthy AI – Instructor: Prof. Sandeep Neema
·   Day 2: Resilient Collaborative ML – Instructor: Chandreyee Bhowmick
·   Day 3: Basics of Graph Machine Learning – Instructor: Anwar Said
·   Day 4: Expander Graphs – Instructor: Anwar Said
·   Day 5: ALC Toolchain – Instructor: Nagabhushan (Nag) Mahadevan

Mary Metelko provided essential support by assembling the workshop materials. This emerging collaboration with the academy reflects a shared commitment to building resilient, forward-looking AI capabilities through hands-on training in state-of-the-art and advanced research techniques.