The recipient entity's physical address:
           6363 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118

The recipient entity's mailing address (if different):
           6363 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118

Type of Entity (for instance, a nonprofit corporation):  Non-Profit Corporation

If the entity is a corporation, list the names of the incorporators:
          

The last four digits of the entity's taxpayer ID number:  8946

What is the dollar amount of the request?  $2,200,345

What type of request is this?  General Appropriation

Is this entity in good standing with the Secretary of State?  Yes

Provide the name of each member of the recipient entity's governing board and officers:
           Toya Barnes-Teamer, 2601 Gentilly Boulevard New Orleans LA 70122
Lisa Baudot, 601 Poydras Street 28th Floor New Orleans LA 70130
Rev. John Brown, 4133 Banks Street New Orleans LA 70119
Rev. John Cecero, 441 E. Fordham Rd. Bronx NY 10458
Rev. Thomas Curran, 3333 Regis Boulevard M-12 Denver CO 80221
W. Penn Dawson, 1575 Calhoun Street New Orleans LA 70118
Rev. Andrew Downing, 3700 "O" St., NW Washington DC 20057
Benjamin Fields, 205 West 119 Street 2C New York NY 10026
Caroline Gonzalez, 95 Harbor Town Square no. 301 Memphis TN 38103
Sonja Greenbaum, 3927 Parian Ridge Road, NW Atlanta GA 30327
Ryan Haas, 8401 N. Central Expy. Suite 910 Dallas TX 75225
Nancy Hairston, PO 140560 Dallas TX 75214
Deborah Jones, 870 High Street Suite 2 Chestertown MD 21620
Dr. Rachel Kent, 60 Stonehedge Place Boxborough MA 1719
Dennis Lauscha, 5800 Airline Drive Metairie LA 70003
Rev. Brian Linnane, 1419 Salt Springs Road Syracuse NY 13214
Dr. Diana Pallais, 3617 Meridian Avenue N. Seattle WA 98103
Gregory Rattler, 3035 Octavia Street New Orleans LA 70125
Lisa Osborne Ross, 18911 New Hampshire Avenue Brinklow MD 20862
Christopher Schouest, 2901 Moss Street Lafayette LA 70501
Dr. Leonardo Seoane, 1514 Jefferson Highway, BH#523 New Orleans LA 70121
Tod Smith, 127 Pinehurst Drive New Orleans LA 70131
Cherrell Simms Taplin, 701 Poydras Street, Suite 5000 New Orleans LA 70139
Rev. John Thiede, 1345 West Wells Street Milwaukee WI 53233
Conrad "Duke" Williams, 614 Gravier Street New Orleans LA 70130
Xavier Cole, President, Office of the President, 6363 St. Charles Avenue 221 Marquette Hall New Orleans, LA 70118
Kyle Gregore, Director of Facilities, 6363 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA 70118-6143
Amy King, Director of Office for Accessible Education, Monroe Library 2nd Floor 6363 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA 70118

Provide a summary of the project or program:
           Loyola University New Orleans requests $2,200,345 in state funding for an integrated Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, and Cybersecurity initiative combining three complementary projects: a $1,000,000 Louisiana AI Innovation Studio; a $250,470 Cybersecurity and Data Analytics Lab; and a $949,875 three-year Cyber Defense Initiative. Together, the projects would expand responsible AI research and workforce training, provide hands-on cyber and data instruction, and protect the university systems and sensitive information on which these activities depend.

The Louisiana AI Innovation Studio would establish a secure cloud-based research environment with separate, controlled spaces for Loyola academic users and participating Louisiana nonprofits and small businesses. The project includes on-campus hardware, cloud services, software access, governance, compliance measures, partner onboarding, and training. The Studio is intended to help community organizations and employers use AI responsibly while protecting confidential and proprietary information. The Studio will also support an accessible, collaborative physical setting for faculty, staff, students, and community partners to conduct interdisciplinary instruction, demonstrations, prototype development, and applied projects. Higher-capacity servers, data storage, network connections, computing workstations, and associated training space will complement the secure cloud environment. Faculty-student-community teams may examine practical challenges in business, education, public services, communications, and organizational cybersecurity, with appropriate data-use and research safeguards.

The 10-seat Cybersecurity and Data Analytics Lab would provide isolated, instructor-supervised practice environments, including student and instructor workstations, networking equipment, virtualization hosts, security software, and certification preparation. The separate Cyber Defense Initiative would establish around-the-clock managed detection and response, AI-assisted network monitoring, and endpoint protection across Loyola systems over three years. The laboratory will include ten student workstations and one instructor workstation, two virtualization hosts, managed networking and firewall equipment, storage and backup, and facility preparation for power, cabling, furniture, audiovisual equipment, badge access, and cameras. A three-year cyber range practice platform and instructional software will support supervised network defense, threat detection, incident response, data analytics, and responsible AI instruction. Offensive exercises will remain in an isolated environment without access to production systems or the internet; synthetic or public datasets, access agreements, activity logging, and faculty/IT oversight will be used.

This coordinated investment would serve Louisiana students, employers, community organizations, and the broader public by improving workforce readiness, supporting innovation and secure research, and strengthening the continuity and protection of educational services. Each component has a distinct budget and implementation period; expenditures will be managed to avoid duplication. Employer-informed workshops, short courses, applied projects, and community demonstrations will extend the educational benefits to Louisiana corporations, small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and other partners adapting to the AI economy.

What is the budget relative to the project for which funding is requested?:
          Salaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Professional Services. . . $0
          Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . $0
          Major Repairs . . . . . . . $0
          Operating Services. . . . $0
          Other Charges. . . . . . . $2,200,345

Does your organization have any outstanding audit issues or findings?  No

If 'Yes' is your organization working with the appropriate governmental agencies to resolve those issues or findings?
          

What is the entity's public purpose, sought to be achieved through the use of state monies?
          The requested investment serves the public purpose of strengthening Louisiana’s emerging-technology workforce, expanding responsible access to AI and cybersecurity education, and protecting sensitive information entrusted to institutions that serve Louisiana residents. Through a shared AI Innovation Studio and a dedicated instructional lab, students, faculty, nonprofits, and small businesses would gain access to resources and practical training that may otherwise be difficult to obtain. The proposed physical and cloud-based instructional resources will strengthen Louisiana workforce competitiveness and enable interdisciplinary learning, applied research, and practical collaboration with regional corporations, employers, public-serving organizations, and community partners.

The Studio would support secure, governed experimentation with AI for research, economic development, and community problem-solving. The laboratory would prepare students for employment through supervised exercises in network defense, incident response, data interpretation, and responsible AI use. Training and partner-access programs would extend the benefit beyond campus to Louisiana organizations adapting to new technologies. The lab will prepare two student cohorts for CompTIA Security+ and Network+ certification, support faculty training, and integrate controlled exercises into Computer Science coursework. Cyber range exercises will use university-owned systems and synthetic or public data, with technical separation from production networks and monitored access to licensed cloud platforms. Curriculum planning will reference the NIST NICE Workforce Framework, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, and NIST AI Risk Management Framework.

The Cyber Defense Initiative would protect university information systems and help maintain the continuity of instruction, financial-aid administration, research, and other essential services. Coordinating the three projects allows Loyola to advance innovation and workforce development while investing in the technical safeguards and oversight necessary for trusted use of emerging technologies.
The combined request is structured to preserve the separate objectives, cost estimates, and timelines of each initiative, with accountability measures for program access, training outcomes, security performance, and stewardship of public funds.

What are the goals and objectives for achieving such purpose?
          1. Establish the Louisiana AI Innovation Studio - $1,000,000 (first year). Create two segmented secure cloud environments: one for Loyola teaching and research and one for Louisiana nonprofits and small businesses, with each partner’s workspace separately controlled. Acquire supporting campus hardware, AI tools, cybersecurity and compliance services, and training resources. Establish governance, user authorization, data controls, and output review; onboard partners and train faculty and students in responsible AI use. Establish a collaborative on-campus Studio and supporting higher-capacity computing, data storage, network infrastructure, and physical learning spaces. Offer interdisciplinary demonstrations, prototype development, applied research, and partner-informed workshops and short courses. Document participation, completed projects, and demonstrable community and workforce outcomes.

2. Create a Cybersecurity and Data Analytics Lab - $250,470. Equip a dedicated 10-seat student lab plus instructor station with high-performance workstations, an isolated cyber range, networking equipment, instructional software, storage, and physical security. Provide faculty training and certification vouchers; integrate supervised practical exercises into coursework. The source proposal targets operational readiness within 12 months. Prepare a dedicated physical facility with power, cabling, furniture, audiovisual equipment, badge access, and cameras; install two cyber range virtualization servers, network security equipment, storage and backup, and a three-year licensed practice platform. Keep offensive exercises in a segregated cyber range; use synthetic or public datasets, acceptable-use and ethics agreements, logging, and faculty and IT oversight. Map instruction to applicable NIST frameworks, pilot lab exercises in months 7–9, prepare two student cohorts for Security+ and Network+ certifications, and report on enrollment, lab utilization, certification outcomes, and graduate placement. Loyola anticipates assuming licensing and operating costs after the funded three-year period.

3. Implement 24/7 Cyber Defense - $949,875 over three years. Procure managed detection and response, AI-assisted network detection, and endpoint protection, including deployment and contingency. The source proposal anticipates monitoring across approximately 5,000 network devices and endpoint coverage for approximately 1,200 computers and servers, subject to procurement and inventory verification. Establish incident response procedures, performance reporting, and tabletop testing.

4. Expand Louisiana workforce and community access. Deliver practical training for students, faculty, employers, nonprofits, and small businesses; support secure partner participation in the AI Studio; and track participation, lab utilization, certifications, and partner outcomes. Develop employer-informed workshops, short courses, demonstrations, and collaborative applied projects with Louisiana businesses, nonprofits, and public-serving organizations. Track participating partners, training attendance, project completion, and workforce outcomes.

5. Maintain separation of costs and implementation accountability. Manage the Studio, instructional lab, and enterprise security program as distinct workstreams within one $2,200,345 request; document purchases, procurement, milestones, and results to prevent overlap between shared infrastructure, teaching equipment, and operational cybersecurity services. Obtain final equipment and facility needs assessments, vendor quotes, appropriate procurement approvals, and a lifecycle and sustainability plan. Monitor Studio and lab utilization, student outcomes, partner participation, and cybersecurity performance. Any institutional in-kind contribution of laboratory space, IT staffing, or operations will be documented and valued before submission.

What is the proposed length of time estimated by the entity to accomplish the purpose?
           Phased implementation over three years: AI Innovation Studio first-year deployment; Cybersecurity and Data Analytics Lab operational within 12 months; Cyber Defense Initiative delivered and funded over three years, with initial monitoring targeted within 90 days of award. Detailed integrated schedule to be confirmed by project leads. Laboratory pilot coursework is targeted for months 7–9, with full operational readiness within 12 months. The Studio will be deployed in the first year, and the cyber defense services will be implemented and funded over three years. Loyola will assume post-award laboratory licensing and operating costs after the funded period, subject to institutional planning.

If any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official is an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the recipient entity who receives compensation or holds any ownership interest therein:
     (a) If an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of the official and the office held by such person:
                
    
     (b) If an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of such person; the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related; and the nature of the relationship:
                 Robert Thomas, 3216 N. Turnbull Drive Suite B Metairie, LA 70002.

Polly Thomas, 3216 N. Turnbull Drive Suite B Metairie, LA 70002, State Representative.

Husband and wife.

     (c) The percentage of the official's or immediate family member's ownership interest in the recipient entity, if any:
                

     (d) The position, if any, held by the official or immediate family member in the recipient entity:
                  Mr. Thomas is Professor and Director for the Center for Environmental Communication.

If the recipient entity has a contract with any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official or with the state or any political subdivision of the state:
(a) If the contract is with an elected or appointed state official, provide the name and address of the official and the office held by such person: 
               

(b) If the contract is with an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official:
          Provide the name and address of such person:
              

          Provide the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related:
               

          What is the nature of the relationship? 

(c) If the contract is with the state or a political subdivision of the state, provide the name and address of the state entity or political subdivision of the state:
                

(d) The nature of the contract, including a description of the goods or services provided or to be provided pursuant to the contract:
               


Contact Information
name:  Deidre Deculus Robert 
                                       address:  6363 St. Charles Avenue, Government and Legal Affairs, Suite 301, New Orleans, LA 70118
                                       phone:  504-865-3130 ext. 7082
                                       fax: 
                                       e-mail:  ddrober1@loyno.edu
                                       relationship to entity:  Vice President, General Counsel and Director of Government Affairs