Education in Real Life: Applying a Human Lens to A.I. and Industry
Iona University launches new program bridging the gap between classroom and workplace
This initiative builds upon Iona’s commitment to pedagogical innovation in the age of AI.
As artificial intelligence reshapes knowledge work, higher education finds itself confronting an existential question: What is education for in the age of AI? And, just as importantly, a practical one: How can a college provide it?
Iona University’s Education in Real Life (EIRL) addresses both questions in a concrete way. Newly launched, the program gives students direct exposure to three key industries that are deeply human, rapidly evolving, and core to the future economy: energy, construction, and hospitality. At the same time, Iona is grounding its approach in the ideas and ways of thinking that deepen student understanding of the complex systems of human behavior and technological capacity on which both cultural and commercial flourishing depend.
“The goal is not simply to teach about jobs or AI, but to engage students in meaningful dialogue about how these key fields are evolving—and what role they might play within them,” said Iona President Seamus Carey, Ph.D. “It reflects a belief in the enduring power of education itself: that insights from intellectual and historical traditions can deepen understanding in any field.”
Each day begins with reflection and free writing, before moving between faculty-guided projects, collaborative work and real-world experiences. Students go from reading Italo Calvino’s “Invisible Cities” to mapping out AI-simulated systems; from touring an energy facility one day to dining with a legendary restaurateur the next; from screening Wes Anderson’s “Grand Budapest Hotel” and “White Lotus” to discussing Dickens and the ideas of Stewart Brand.
EIRL gives students direct exposure to key industries that are deeply human, rapidly evolving, and core to the future economy.
“In a short amount of time, EIRL has helped me adapt my understanding of AI,” said C.J. Moriarty ’28, an entrepreneurship major and AI minor. “I came in thinking about it mostly as a resource for productivity, but the readings and discussions pushed me to see it as a stimulus for broader thinking—something that influences how we create, interpret ideas and make decisions.”
EIRL partners include Eos Energy Enterprises; Consigli Construction Co., Inc; Union Square Hospitality Group; Wyndham Hotels and Resorts; and legendary Westchester restaurateur John Crabtree. Working alongside Iona faculty, these partners are central to the program, allowing participating students to:
- Explore real industries to understand their core demands and objectives as well as how AI can reconfigure strategy, systems and operations.
- Engage directly with industry professionals and faculty mentors, gaining clarity on the evolution of industries and the jobs that support them.
- Examine real-world career journeys and opportunities.
- Connect reading and reflection to the pursuit of personal and professional goals, linking lessons with technical and professional experience.
The initiative builds upon Iona’s commitment to pedagogical innovation in the age of AI. Since launching the Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning in 2024, Iona has been at the forefront of embracing AI to deepen the learning process. From awarding faculty fellowships and hosting internationally renowned speakers to organizing regional conferences and spearheading the AI@Iona outreach program to support K-12 schools, Iona continues to build on the momentum and redefine the future of higher education.
Students work collaboratively and link what they’ve learned with technical and professional experience.
"The goal is not simply to teach about jobs or AI, but to engage students in meaningful dialogue about how these key fields are evolving—and what role they might play within them." – Iona President Seamus Carey, Ph.D.
Each day begins with reflection and free writing, before moving between faculty-guided projects, collaborative work and real-world experiences.
"I came in thinking about [AI] mostly as a resource for productivity, but the readings and discussions pushed me to see it as a stimulus for broader thinking..."
As part of the program, students examine real-world career journeys and opportunities.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of over 4,000 students and an alumni base of 55,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 6 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review once again named Iona to its “Best Business Schools for 2025,” recognizing both its on-campus and online MBA programs. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.