CSUCI Associate Professor of Computer Science Scott Feister. Photo courtesy of Cal State Channel Islands (CSUCI).
CAMARILLO — Cal State Channel Islands (CSUCI) is part of a research team selected for Phase I funding through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Genesis Mission, a national initiative that brings together artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and scientific research to accelerate discoveries in energy, national security and other critical fields.
CSUCI Associate Professor of Computer Science Scott Feister is serving as a co-investigator on the project, extending the University’s growing role in artificial intelligence and high-performance scientific computing. The DOE announced the first Genesis Mission projects in July as part of a national portfolio designed to develop AI-enabled approaches for scientific discovery.
“It is especially exciting to win a place for CSUCI in a fiercely competitive grant sought after by our nation’s greatest science institutions. Only 5% of applications were selected for funding,” said Feister. “This honor is a testament to the strength of the research being done at CSUCI and the expertise of our faculty. We may be a small institution, but we’re doing research that can make a meaningful contribution to some of the nation’s most ambitious scientific and technological efforts.”
CSUCI brings AI expertise to next-generation scientific research
The Genesis Mission is designed to connect advanced AI systems with supercomputers, scientific instruments and large-scale research data. DOE describes the effort as a national platform for accelerating scientific discovery by bringing together national laboratories, universities and industry.
For CSUCI, participation builds on a growing body of research in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, autonomous systems and scientific computing. Feister’s research connects computer science with high-power laser physics and has included collaborations with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and other research institutions. His work has explored machine learning, automated control systems and the use of computing to make sophisticated scientific experiments faster and more capable.
The University has also been expanding opportunities for students to engage directly with advanced computing and AI. CSUCI students have participated in national high-performance computing competitions and research projects involving national laboratories, giving undergraduate students experience with technologies increasingly central to scientific and industrial innovation.
Project aims to make scientific experiments more intelligent and autonomous
Feister’s Genesis Mission work will focus on applying AI and advanced computing to scientific experimentation, with an emphasis on making complex experiments more automated, responsive and efficient.
A key area of Feister’s research is the development of AI-enabled control and autonomous laboratory systems for high-power laser experiments. These systems combine experimental data, machine learning and computer-controlled equipment so that researchers can analyze results rapidly and use those results to guide subsequent experiments. Recent collaborative research involving Feister demonstrated machine-learning control of laser-driven plasma states and identified autonomous experimentation as a pathway toward accelerating scientific discovery.
The broader Genesis Mission seeks to extend this kind of approach across scientific disciplines – pairing researchers with AI systems capable of helping analyze data, run simulations, generate hypotheses and guide experiments. DOE’s Phase I awards support nine-month projects, with successful teams positioned to compete for larger Phase II awards.
For CSUCI, the project represents another opportunity to bring nationally significant research to Ventura County while giving students a direct connection to the rapidly developing field of AI for science.
“At CSUCI, students don’t just use AI or learn about AI – they can work with their professors to become leaders at the cutting edge of AI, science, and technology,” Feister said.
About Cal State Channel Islands
Cal State Channel Islands (CSUCI) is Ventura County’s only public university. Opened in 2002, CSUCI is part of the California State University — the nation’s largest and most diverse four-year public university system. Located near Camarillo, the campus serves more than 4,800 students across more than 90 academic programs. A proud Hispanic-Serving Institution, CSUCI is recognized by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education for its commitment to excellence and opportunity. Learn more at www.csuci.edu.