A University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) student represented his team at the Amazon Machine Learning University (MLU) Symposium on Sept. 26, 2025, at Amazon’s global headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. The AWS-MLU Symposium brought together students, faculty and leaders from across the nation to showcase innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).
Research conducted by UVI students Zeidan Bass, Lilian Alexander and Aushaun Brown was selected for presentation at the symposium in the form of abstract posters highlighting their applied learning and exploration in AI/ML. Bass represented the team on-site, where he joined peers from other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and institutions nationwide in technical sessions, networking opportunities, and collaborative discussions with Amazon Web Services (AWS) experts.
The selection of their work marks an important step in UVI’s advancement of AI/ML education through its membership in the Amazon Machine Learning University Educators Consortium, which the University announced in August.
“We are incredibly proud of our students for representing UVI and the U.S. Virgin Islands on a national stage,” said UVI President Dr. Safiya George. “Their involvement in this symposium reflects not only their hard work and talent, but also the University’s commitment to preparing students to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy.”
Bass commented, “This was an enriching and unmatched experience, and I am truly grateful to AWS for the opportunity. I would also like to extend my sincere appreciation to the College of Science and Mathematics at UVI, my research partners Aushaun Brown and Lillian Alexandar, my research mentor Dr. Marc Boumedine, and President Dr. Safiya George, for their unwavering support and dedication to creating transformative opportunities for students through partnerships like this.”
The AWS-MLU Symposium is part of the Amazon Machine Learning University Educator Enablement Program (MLU-EEP), which provides world-class training, curriculum resources and AWS cloud technology to 35 colleges and universities across the country. UVI is among a select group of institutions — and one of only a few HBCUs — chosen to participate.
“This opportunity gives our students direct access to cutting-edge AI/ML knowledge, industry experts and a national network of peers,” said Dr. Marc Boumedine, UVI Associate Professor of Computer Science, who accompanied Bass to the symposium. “It is exciting to see UVI students engage with the very technologies that are transforming industries around the globe.” The students also presented their findings at the fall Emerging Caribbean Scientists Research Symposium held on Sept. 28, on the Orville E. Kean Campus.
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