A new institute at Newman University aims to expand artificial intelligence education across Kansas while keeping human dignity, meaningful work and the common good at the center of how AI is taught and used.
The Newman University Board of Trustees approved the establishment of The Newman Institute for AI and the Common Good, along with initial financing through a third-party partner, at its June 12 meeting.
The need is real, and it’s growing. Nationally, 88% of organizations have adopted AI in some form, but fewer than 10% have integrated it into how work actually gets done, according to McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI report. A regional survey of Heartland employer decision-makers conducted in March found a similar gap close to home: 68% said they need AI training, 81% are already deploying or piloting AI tools and 74% expressed strong interest in a Newman-led training cohort. The institute is designed to close that gap.
“This is a meaningful step for Newman,” said Kathleen S. Jagger, Ph.D., MPH, president of Newman University. “We’ve spent the last several years building real strength in ethical and human-centered AI education here in Kansas, and this institute lets us put that strength to work for the whole state.”
The institute builds on work already underway at Newman, including its Master of Science in Applied AI program, undergraduate degrees and a series of AI bootcamps the university has hosted for regional industries.
Earlier this month, Jagger was in Rome with 20 presidents from the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) for a summit on Catholic higher education. A recurring theme throughout the visit was Pope Leo XIV’s recently released “Magnifica Humanitas,” which examines artificial intelligence and human dignity.
“I’m pleased that what Pope Leo shared in his encyclical, and also reinforced in our audience with him, aligns with how Newman has already been building its AI initiatives and degree programs,” Jagger said. “Ethical, human-first engagement with AI is the foundation of our new institute.”
Newman is already partnering with numerous regional industry leaders and is building the AI Education Alliance, a statewide network of Kansas higher education institutions. Garden City Community College has already committed to joining. U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran is supporting a request, submitted through his office, for $1.6 million in congressionally directed spending for fiscal year 2027 to support the institute’s work and statewide partner network.
David Cochran, Ph.D., will lead the new institute as director, overseeing its strategy, personnel and outcomes, as well as Newman’s internal AI development and support for faculty, staff and students. Cochran previously served as dean of the School of Business & Technology, where he taught data analysis, digital marketing and information systems and founded a digital marketing and web development company before returning his focus to teaching. Alongside his new role at the institute, Cochran will serve the university as dean of AI and Emerging Technologies.
“The future we want is not one where technology pushes people to the margins,” Cochran said. “It is one where AI helps students learn, helps workers grow and helps organizations serve their communities with more clarity, care and responsibility. Achieving these goals will require concerted effort. Newman’s institute will help lead that effort.”
“David has spent the past several years preparing students and faculty in the School of Business & Technology for exactly this moment,” said Alden Stout, vice president for academic affairs. “He understands both the academic side of AI and what employers actually need from it. He has also helped build a network of AI professionals who meet regularly on the Newman campus. That combination is rare, and it’s exactly what this institute needs in its first director and our university deserves in a dean leading education in emerging technologies.”
Beyond developing business partnerships and the education alliance, the institute will host regular AI user group meetings and launch a new Wichita AI Club, giving AI practitioners and learners across the community a place to gather.
Newman’s AI Institute for the Common Good website
Newman’s AI work is not waiting for a future launch. It is showing up in professional communities, bootcamps, conference panels, and practical conversations across the region.
