MSU to launch AI initiative powered by Amazon Web Services
Mississippi State leads the SEC in adopting AWS technology to enhance student engagement
Contact: Sid Salter
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University (MSU) has announced a groundbreaking campus-wide AI initiative, powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), becoming the only university in Mississippi, and the first in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), to implement AWS’s artificial intelligence services to enhance engagement with prospective students, alumni, and supporters.
“As Mississippi’s leading research university, we take pride in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—along with high-performance computing, data science, cybersecurity studies, agriculture and forestry, and business,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “From that standpoint, this exciting partnership with a world-class organization like AWS is a great fit for the MSU community.”
Using the Higher Education AI platform from Quintilian, Inc. powered by AWS, a leading education data and technology firm, MSU will leverage machine learning models that optimize MSU’s data to streamline key focus areas, such as student recruitment and engagement, alumni relations, communications, and university operations. The initiative will operate seamlessly within MSU’s existing systems.
“This is a bold step forward in how we connect with present and future Bulldogs,” said MSU Vice President for Strategic Communications Sid Salter. “Using AWS’s AI services, we can personalize and streamline the initial contacts and experiences with MSU and make sure that every prospective student and every member of our university community feels appreciated and understood from their very first interaction with MSU.”
MSU’s Initiative is centered around building a dynamic, AI-powered application to better understand prospective student behavior, preferences, and needs. This will enable MSU to deliver more timely, personalized, and impactful communications while expanding access to underrepresented populations.
This will also enhance the ongoing Mississippi State digital marketing awareness campaign being led by Ad5. Ad5 brings major market sophistication paired with a deep understanding of Southern markets, businesses, and, most importantly, Southern people. With insights from the AI services, Ad5 will be able to sharpen messaging, target key demographics more effectively, and elevate MSU’s presence in both traditional and emerging media spaces.
“This collaboration using the Quintilian systems to create an AI environment using Amazon Web Services AI services will allow MSU to elevate their engagement of a wide range of constituents to build stronger, more meaningful relationships. Every area of the university’s operations can benefit,” said Gavan Corr, founder of Quintilian.
As part of the Initiative, Quintilian will offer two paid internships to Mississippi State students—providing direct, real-world experience working with AI, data science, and cloud technologies in the higher education space.
“At MSU, innovation is in our DNA,” said Thomas Broadus, MSU’s Chief Marketing Officer. “This opportunity reflects MSU’s commitment to staying ahead of the curve and using the best technology available to serve students across Mississippi and beyond.”
The project, powered by AWS and informed by the expertise of Quintilian’s data science team, is expected to set a new standard for how higher education institutions approach digital engagement and recruitment—using data ethically, securely, and strategically.
About Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University is the state’s leading research university, recognized nationally for excellence in education, research, and outreach. Dedicated to innovation and access, MSU is shaping the future of higher education through technology, partnerships, and student-focused initiatives. MSU offers the SEC’s first Bachelor of Science degree in Artificial Intelligence and operates a high-performance computing lab supporting advanced research with one of the fastest (4th fastest) super computers in US Academia. Learn more at www.msstate.edu or follow @msstate on social media.
About Quintilian
Quintilian is an AI and data science company specializing in higher education solutions. Through its proprietary platform, the company helps colleges and universities improve student engagement, enrollment strategies, and operational effectiveness. Founded by experts with decades of experience at companies like Google, The New York Stock Exchange, and Goldman Sachs, Quintilian delivers AI-powered tools that enable institutions to make smarter, data-driven decisions in a secure and compliant environment. Quintilian’s data scientists and software engineers will partner with Mississippi State to develop these AI-driven solutions. Learn more at www.quintilian.ai.
About Amazon Web Services
Since 2006, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud. AWS has been continually expanding its services to support virtually any workload, and it now has more than 240 fully featured services for compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, security, hybrid, media, and application development, deployment, and management from 117 Availability Zones within 37 geographic regions, with announced plans for 13 more Availability Zones and four more AWS Regions in Chile, New Zealand, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the AWS European Sovereign Cloud. Millions of customers—including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—trust AWS to power their infrastructure, become more agile, and lower costs. To learn more about AWS, visit www.aws.amazon.com.
About Ad5
Ad5 is a full-service marketing and branding firm that combines big-market strategy with a deep understanding of Southern culture, business, and communities. With expertise in digital strategy, media, branding, and creative execution, Ad5 partners with clients across the Southeast to deliver data-driven and AI-powered media campaigns that connect authentically and perform powerfully. Known for its tailored approach and cultural insight, Ad5 helps organizations tell their stories in ways that resonate with real people—especially across the Southern region. Learn more at www.ad5partners.com.
Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.