Denison University has been named one of just 25 organizations on the inaugural AI25 Companies & Organizations list, joining Google, Meta, Nationwide, JobsOhio, and other leaders recognized for shaping Ohio’s rapidly growing artificial intelligence economy.
Selected by Ohio Tech News and OhioX, the AI25 recognizes organizations making the state’s most significant contributions to artificial intelligence through innovation, workforce development, research, and responsible adoption. For Denison, the recognition validates years of investment in preparing students to thrive in a world where AI, data, and emerging technologies are transforming nearly every profession.
“Artificial intelligence is changing the way people learn, work, and solve problems. At Denison, we believe the rise of AI makes the liberal arts more important, not less,” said Liv Gjestvang, Denison vice president and chief information officer. “We’re preparing students not only to use these technologies, but to bring the judgment, creativity, curiosity, and human connection needed to shape how they are used.”
The recognition comes as Denison has launched Dale and Tina Knobel Hall and the Emily Hauser King and Robert E. King Center for Data & Innovation, one of the university’s most significant academic investments in recent history.
Following a transformative renovation and expansion, Knobel Hall is the liberal arts’ first dedicated hub for integrating data throughout the curriculum. More than a home for computer science and data analytics, the building is designed to bring together students and faculty from every discipline to explore how data, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies can address real-world challenges.
Through AI and robotics laboratories, data visualization studios, collaborative classrooms, and flexible innovation spaces, the King Center will help students apply technology in fields ranging from the humanities and social sciences to business, the natural sciences, and the arts.
The AI25 recognition also reinforces Denison’s broader national reputation for preparing students for success after graduation. The university is home to the nation’s No. 3-ranked career center, according to The Princeton Review, and has earned national recognition for innovation, undergraduate teaching, and student experience.
Denison has expanded opportunities for students and faculty to explore artificial intelligence across the curriculum, convened educators from across Ohio to develop responsible approaches to AI in K-12 education, and continues to build partnerships that connect emerging technologies with workforce preparation. Rather than treating AI as a standalone discipline, the university is integrating it into a liberal arts education grounded in critical thinking, ethical reasoning, communication, creativity, and interdisciplinary problem-solving.
The AI25 Companies & Organizations list was created by Ohio Tech News and OhioX to recognize organizations advancing Ohio’s leadership in artificial intelligence. Honorees span technology, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, higher education, government, and economic development, reflecting the breadth of AI innovation taking place across the state.
