Arkansas State receives $2.1 million federal award for AI and steel research

Arkansas State University has received a $2.1 million federal award to add AI computing and steel-processing research equipment. Announced October 14, 2026, the funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology will support the university’s materials research center, pairing computing resources with equipment that can reproduce industrial steel-processing conditions.

The award goes to the Center for Advanced Materials and Steel Manufacturing, known as CAMSM. Robert (Drew) Fleming, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, leads the project. The university describes the investment as a way to strengthen its research infrastructure while supporting the region’s steel manufacturing sector.

Fleming’s co-principal investigators are Yeonsang Hwang, interim dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science; Rajesh Sharma, director of civil, mechanical and engineering technology programs; and Mohammadreza Daroonparvar, an assistant professor of materials engineering.

Computing, processing and alloy design

The university’s equipment plan covers three distinct parts of its research capabilities: computing for AI and machine learning, simulation of steel processing, and software for modeling materials. The award will fund:

• An on-premises high-performance computing cluster accelerated by graphics processing units, or GPUs. The system will provide computing resources at the university for artificial intelligence and machine-learning research.
• A Gleeble 3800 thermomechanical simulator. This equipment can replicate industrial steel-processing conditions, adding a physical simulation capability alongside the planned computing resources.
• Additional Thermo-Calc software libraries for thermodynamic modeling and AI-assisted alloy design. These extend the software resources available for the center’s materials research.

Faculty are expected to use the new resources for materials development, steel processing and data-driven manufacturing research. Those are intended research uses of the investment, rather than results delivered by the award itself.

We appreciate Rep. Rick Crawford’s support for this project and expect that it will help grow industrial partnerships across northeast Arkansas.

Robert (Drew) Fleming, project lead

Training engineers and working with manufacturers

The planned equipment also has a teaching role. Arkansas State says students will gain hands-on experience with technologies used in advanced manufacturing. Fleming connects the project to the college’s effort to train engineers with steel-industry knowledge who can work for regional employers and beyond.

For manufacturers and supply chain companies, the university anticipates more opportunities to work with its researchers on industry challenges. The announcement does not specify an installation schedule for the equipment or identify new industry partners, leaving those implementation details unresolved.