AI Lab

New AI Innovation Lab Will Expand Technology Resources for the Bristol Community

As an educational leader in preparing students to meet the workforce demands of a shifting digital economy, Bristol Community College is proud to be recognized as a National Security Agency (NSA)- designated Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cybersecurity. To expand its capacity as a regional hub for AI and emerging technology education, Bristol is constructing a state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence Innovation Laboratory (AI Lab) on its Fall River Campus that will advance tech career pathways for students and support workforce development across the South Coast.

– Dr. Steven Frechette

Lead faculty for Computer Information Services and Cybersecurity

Steven Frechette, D. Sc., lead faculty for Computer Information Services and Cybersecurity, said Bristol’s goal for the new space is to create a “community-driven center” that fosters dynamic AI learning through both teaching and hands-on exploration. Bristol’s AI Lab will offer students and collaborating community partners equitable access to emerging technologies so that they can build the AI skills needed for career success.

Bristol’s AI Lab will feature two integrated zones designed to facilitate academic instruction, community training, and public demonstrations. Its AI Learning and Collaboration Zone will be equipped with 24 AI workstations for machine learning, data analytics, and cybersecurity simulations, as well as state-of-the- art audiovisual systems to support hybrid learning and interactive demonstrations. The Virtual and Applied Technology Zone will house a Virtual Reality (VR) suite offering immersive learning across multiple disciplines – from nursing and anatomy to HVAC and plumbing – and dedicated spaces for cybersecurity and networking simulations. A frosted glass partition will allow the lab to function as a single open event space or two distinct instructional areas.

Located in the Fall River Campus’s Engineering Building, the new lab will strengthen experiential learning across the college’s diverse academic disciplines by allowing students to engage with real-time data, AI modeling, and automation tools used in industry. The AI Lab will also fill identified gaps in the region’s workforce development by providing critically needed AI training to collaborating employers. Through K-12 school partnerships, lab programming will also introduce prospective students to academic pathways for pursuing technology careers, and infusing AI-literate talent into the local workforce.

Once open, Bristol’s AI Lab will be a magnetic educational hub, offering learners the technology resources that will prepare them for success in a digital-first workforce.