USI Romain College of Business constructing Center for Applied Business Technologies
March 11, 2026
The University of Southern Indiana Romain College of Business has announced the construction of a Center for Applied Business Technologies, a state-of-the-art facility designed to prepare students for careers at the intersection of business and emerging technologies, specifically Artificial Intelligence (AI). Over $1.3 million in charitable gifts have been made by alumni and friends of the University who see the Center as a worthy investment and understand its impact on students and programs. The Center, which will be located on the first floor of the Business and Engineering Center, is scheduled to open fall 2026.
Located adjacent to the building’s primary entrance, the Center will also bring a fresh look to the building’s interior and serve as a showpiece for visitors. The space will bring together cutting-edge labs, collaborative learning environments and industry-leading technology in a highly visible, modern learning space. It will provide both undergraduate and graduate students with early and ongoing access to advanced technologies that are reshaping businesses across every sector.
“The Center for Applied Business Technologies will be the crucible where innovation meets necessity, where data turns into actionable insights and where the future of business is forged,” said Sudesh Mujumdar, Dean of USI’s Romain College of Business. “We are not just building a new center—we are shaping tomorrow's leaders who will drive superior performance across all sectors of the economy.”
The Center for Applied Business Technologies will both consolidate and expand several of the College’s pre-existing labs as well as create new focus areas.
AI Café – An interactive, open-access area providing visitors, students and faculty with instant access to the most current artificial intelligence tools.
Biometrix Discovery Lab – This lab will feature biometric and emotion-based technologies such as eye-tracking, facial expression analysis, voice analytics and galvanic skin response tools.
Flex Lab – A technology-rich environment will ignite creativity and reshape how students view business challenges, opportunities and solutions.
Innovative Learning Space – A reimagined classroom with flexible design, smart-glass walls and immediate access to AI technologies will serve as a catalyst for innovative learning.
Textual Analytics and Publishing Lab (TAPLab) – This space will focus on sentiment analysis and thematic analysis of text-based data.
Students working in the Center will gain hands-on experience with platforms such as IBM Watsonx, NeuroBlu behavioral health analytics, Bloomberg Terminal, augmented and virtual reality tools, blockchain technologies and advanced data analytics software including Power BI and Alteryx.
Unlike many institutions where access to advanced analytics and AI tools is limited to graduate students or faculty, the Center for Applied Business Technologies is designed to introduce these programs and software early in a student’s undergraduate academic journey, helping them explore career paths and build market-ready skills.
The Center will also serve as an opportunity for collaboration between students, faculty and industry partners, supporting applied research, workforce development and professional growth. As businesses increasingly invest in AI, the Center is positioned to help address workforce talent gaps by producing graduates with multidisciplinary business and technology expertise.
By integrating AI and business into a central hub, the Romain College of Business continues to live up to its value proposition: “Leveraging technology in unique ways to build market-leading competencies in a personalized and co-created learning environment.”
To learn more about the USI Romain College and its offerings, visit USI.edu/business.