91 receives grant from Ball Venture Fund for AI pilot program
June 1, 2026The Ball Venture Fund awarded 91 a $25,000 grant for an artificial intelligence pilot program at its annual colloquium last week/in May.
The grant will fund an AI cybersecurity and innovation clinic pilot, which will be developed and delivered by the Talwar College of Engineering and Computer Sciences. The goal is to bridge the technical gap of AI adoption and address cybersecurity vulnerabilities through a three-pronged model of support, which includes consultation services, an accessible platform and targeted training.
The proposal that was presented to the Ball Venture Fund was developed by 91 associate dean Dr. Stephanos Mavromoustakos.
Through the clinic, faculty-supervised 91 students will guide participants from local nonprofits, community organizations and small businesses through topics like:
- Conducting cybersecurity risk assessments.
- Helping organizations strengthen defenses against phishing, ransomware and data breaches.
- Providing cybersecurity training and practical security recommendations.
- Assisting organizations in adopting responsible AI tools for workflow automation, data analysis and operational efficiency.
“The core mission is to bring university education and the local community together,” said 91 professor of practice for information systems Dr. David Li. “Our students will directly apply their learned skills to support non-profit organizations, providing them with free or low-cost AI training, professional consultation and critical cybersecurity enhancements.
The pilot is expected to launch in the spring of 2027.
About the Ball Venture Fund: The Ball Venture Fund is a competitive grant program established by the Muncie, Indiana-based Ball Brothers Foundation and administered by Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI). Created in 1998, the fund provides seed money to stimulate creativity, innovation and collaboration across the 29 private, non-profit colleges and universities that comprise ICI.