AI Forward Initiative
Neeley AI Forward
Building practical AI skills to lead, innovate and compete in the modern economy.
About the Initiative
Neeley Al Forward is embedding artificial intelligence into the core of the business school experience. The initiative advances curriculum development, faculty support, scholarly research, school operations, and our engagement with industry partners. Our goal is to drive schoolwide Al literacy while creating opportunities for students to become leading experts in applied Al.
AI Integration
Neeley AI Forward supports and expands opportunities for students to engage with AI as part of their business education. Rather than prescribing a single pathway, the initiative supports a flexible set of resources, programming and learning opportunities across courses, projects and co-curricular activities.
Where Leadership Meets AI
AI is approached as a co-pilot that complements the business leadership skills Neeley is known for developing, including communication, critical thinking, ethical reasoning and teamwork. Human judgment remains central, with technology used to enhance insight, creativity and execution.
Our Competitive Advantage
Employers see Neeley graduates as students who can communicate clearly, think critically, work effectively in teams and apply emerging technology with sound judgment. By combining Neeley’s holistic approach to leadership development with exposure to AI-enabled tools and ways of working, students have the opportunity to graduate prepared to contribute quickly and adapt as business continues to evolve.
The Neeley Advantage
Employers seek out Neeley graduates as they can communicate clearly, think critically, work effectively in teams, and use technology to overcome business challenges. By combining Neeley's holistic approach to leadership development with exposure to AI-enabled tools and ways of working, students have the opportunity to graduate prepared to contribute quickly in any organization.
Events & Engagement
We host industry panels, networking events and corporate engagements throughout the year.
Recognized as a National Exemplar
Neeley Al Forward was named an exemplar of Comprehensive Al Ecosystems and Infrastructure in Inspire Higher Ed's national report on Al in business education. Drawing on submissions from 84 schools, the report highlights Neeley's five-pillar, school-wide approach spanning students, faculty, research, community and operations.
The Student Experience
Neeley has introduced targeted courses like Marketing Automation and Technology Entrepreneurship and embedded AI concepts across the core curriculum. Many capstone projects now require proficiency in AI tools. To ensure industry readiness, students earn certifications from leaders like Google and Anthropic, while those in specialized majors gain hands-on experience with enterprise automation platforms like Automation Anywhere.
Beyond the classroom, students travel alongside faculty to major industry events across Texas and the country, learning firsthand from business and technology leaders about the future of AI. We also prepare students to participate in TCU expos, where they showcase their original AI research and applied innovations to corporate partners.
Neeley AI Leadership Club
Our goal is to help students learn to use generative AI strategically. The club emphasizes AI augmentation over substitution, exploring how AI can amplify human capabilities rather than replace them.
The Vision
Together, we're building a future where every Horned Frog has access to AI tools and training. See how TCU is investing in the future of education and business through AI.
Training the Next Generation
Get an inside look at the TCU Neeley Business Innovation Academy. See students collaborate, tackle real-world business challenges and pitch innovative AI-powered solutions while experiencing life on TCU's campus. Discover how the academy inspires the next generation of business leaders through hands-on learning, collaboration and innovation.
How Neeley AI Forward Operates
Neeley AI Forward is organized through five connected pillars that support thoughtful
AI integration across the school.
- Student: Supports opportunities for student learning and engagement with AI.
- Faculty: Provides resources and community for teaching innovation around AI.
- Research: Advances AI-enabled scholarship and research support.
- Operations & Infrastructure: Strengthens platforms, policies and systems that enable responsible AI use.
- External: Connects Neeley with industry partners, events and real-world applications.
Connect with an Initiative Leader
Neeley AI Forward is led by a cross-disciplinary leadership team and partner group with decades of experience spanning technology, AI, business, entrepreneurship and education.
Assistant Chair of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Associate Director, Neeley AI Forward
817-257-7534
eric.arseneau@tcu.edu
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Director, Business Innovation Academy
Assistant Director, Neeley AI Forward
817-257-5485
elijah.clark@tcu.edu
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Department Chair
Director of Neeley AI Forward
Dean's Advisor on AI & Digital Innovation
817-257-6543
w.drover@tcu.edu
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- Zain Ali
Board Chair
Associate Professor of Professional Practice
TCU - Scarlett Jazesf
Board Co-Chair
Vice President HR Business Partner
Dell Inc. - Babar Bhatti
Co-Founder & Executive VP, Dallas AI
Chief AI Officer, Prism - Robby Dally
Senior Director, Business Modernization
McKesson - Lauren Edwards
Head of Strategy
Point B - Parrish Gunnels
Chief Information Security Officer
MVB Financial Corp. - John Nichols
Responsible AI Leader
PwC - Jackie Njoroge
Vice President, Digital Transformation & Operational Excellence
McKesson - John Porter
Corporate VP, Finance—Supply Chain Transformation
Albertsons - Deepak Seth
Director Analyst/Expert—Data, Analytics & AI
Gartner
- Madhurri Battu
Senior Manager (Director), Software Engineering
Accenture - Jon Campisi
Head of Strategy Operations
Google Data Centers - Zoya Fenn
Mergers and Acquisitions Technology Integration Lead
Alcon - David Garcia
Sr. Enterprise Architecture
CBRE - Lorena Tomás
CEO & Co-Founder
Bitboundaire - Erin Ostenson
President & Founder
Altero Group - Akhtar Saeed
Independent Consultant
Qaabil Associates