USF Receives $1.5 Million From ReliaQuest to Fund AI and Cybersecurity Professorship and Expand Labs Program

The University of South Florida announced a $1.5 million investment from ReliaQuest for its Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. Of the total, $1 million endows the university's first named professorship, the ReliaQuest AI and Cybersecurity Professorship, while $500,000 continues the ReliaQuest Labs program and adds a software engineering track covering areas such as prompt engineering. More than 300 USF students have graduated from ReliaQuest Labs since 2018, with most taking jobs at ReliaQuest or other cybersecurity employers.

The gift directly changes faculty staffing and curriculum direction in AI and cybersecurity education at a public university: the endowed professorship supports faculty retention, while the new software engineering and prompt engineering track brings generative AI skills into hands-on training. For AI education product builders, prompt engineering entering a university practicum signals possible demand for related tools and courses in higher education settings. No data is yet available on the professorship holder, enrollment scale or learning outcomes, so the practical effect remains to be seen. The college establishes its first endowed professorship, changing faculty recruitment and retention conditions. ReliaQuest Labs adds a software engineering and prompt engineering track, expanding student practice to AI-supported development.