Eleven high schools in Massachusetts have signed up to introduce Advanced Placement (AP) cybersecurity coursework as part of a new national pilot program, Mass. Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll said on March 20.

Houston-based Rice University has launched its Rice AI Venture Accelerator (RAVA) that aims to help AI start-up firms connect with major corporations and public sector organizations and address real-world challenges that can be solved with AI solutions.

Arielle Roth, the Trump administration’s pick to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), pledged to implement Biden-era bipartisan broadband expansion plans while vowing not to favor White House advisor Elon Musk’s Starlink as part of that process.

The New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) announced the appointment of Shreya Amin as the state’s first chief artificial intelligence (AI) officer. In her new role, Amin will play a pivotal role in shaping AI strategy for ITS, its partner agencies, and New York State.

The University of Hawaii is partnering with Google to provide free AI training to its students and employees across its 10-campus system.

The Chicago Office of the Mayor and the City of Chicago’s Office of Budget and Management (OBM) have launched the Workforce Vacancy Data Dashboard on OBM’s website. The new interactive tool provides an accessible, user-friendly way to explore and filter vacancy data across all city departments.

The state of Hawaii is piloting “Akamai Arrival,” a new program that will digitize the state’s Plants and Animals Declaration Form, with a goal of streamlining the process for travelers arriving in the islands.

Much like teams in the annual March Madness collegiate basketball tournament, higher education institutions must stay on their toes, anticipate their opponents’ moves, and execute a winning game plan to beat cyber attackers. Against an onslaught of cyber threats, IT leaders are deploying a full-court press to enhance institutional resilience, reduce vulnerabilities, and rebound from cyber incidents.

The North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) has recruited its first artificial intelligence (AI) governance and policy executive, a spokesperson for NCDIT told MeriTalk.

Illinois Chief Information Officer (CIO) Sanjay Gupta will step down later this month after serving as the CIO and director of the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) since 2023.