Marist University and IBM announced a new Innovation Incubator. The incubator is the latest development in IBM and Marist’s more than 50-year partnership and includes an IBM z17 mainframe to provide AI computing power on campus for research projects involving students and faculty. The initiative is intended to prepare students across fields of study for a digital economy.
The Innovation Incubator is pursuing the following initial projects:
- AI in Marketing and Business: The Schools of Computer Science and Mathematics and Management plan to run controlled, synthetic marketing campaigns operated by autonomous AI agent teams to test whether built-in guardrails remain effective when agents pursue aggressive, deceptive, or unethical tactics and whether those guardrails can contain those failures.
- AI for Financial Management: The Schools of Management and Computer Science and Mathematics are jointly scoping a project that would use quantum optimization algorithms to analyze real-time financial data and generate optimal portfolio allocations.
- AI and Polling/Civic Engagement: A proposed project involving the Marist Poll and School of Computer Science and Mathematics would explore how AI could improve polling methodologies and survey design and better model voter participation trends.
While the partnership originally centered on enterprise computing and computer science education, Marist and IBM are broadening their collaboration into a university-wide effort focused on artificial intelligence, interdisciplinary research, and experiential learning opportunities for students across majors. The goal is to connect students with faculty researchers and IBM subject matter experts on projects addressing societal, business, and community challenges.
IBM z17 provides Marist students and faculty access to enterprise technology designed for the performance, security, and reliability needs of large organizations. IBM provided the system so students can develop and test applications while gaining practical experience.
Marist President Kevin Weinman said: "At Marist, we believe the future of higher education lies at the intersection of academic excellence and meaningful industry engagement. Our longstanding relationship with IBM has always distinguished Marist as a place where students gain access to cutting-edge technology and applied learning experiences. Today, we're building on that foundation to create new opportunities in artificial intelligence, research, and innovation that span the entire university."
Tina Tarquinio, Chief Product Officer for IBM Z and LinuxONE and IBM’s Senior Location Executive for the Mid-Hudson Valley, said: "Academic institutions have long been an important part of the IBM Z ecosystem, bringing new ideas and perspectives to the platform. I’m especially excited to see IBM and Marist, two longstanding leaders in the Mid-Hudson Valley community, build on this partnership. By combining IBM’s technology expertise with Marist’s commitment to innovation and student success, we’re creating new pathways for research, learning, and workforce development that prepare students for the future."
Marist’s work with IBM has focused on employer partnerships that provide students with industry skills and hands-on learning. IBM’s work in enterprise AI and quantum computing provides Marist students and faculty access to those technologies. The university announced a comprehensive AI strategy earlier this year with an emphasis on combining technical skills with ethical reflection so students in every major graduate AI-ready. Marist received recognition as one of The 15 Best Colleges Preparing Students for the AI Economy.
The initiatives treat AI and digital skills as a capability relevant to virtually every profession and field of study rather than solely a computer science discipline. The collaboration is designed to create impact across the university, including political science, communication, marketing, business, environmental science, library sciences, and other areas.
The partnership provides students with exposure to enterprise-scale technology, applied research, experiential learning opportunities and, where appropriate, IBM expertise relevant to specific projects.
