Dr. and Mrs. Louis B. Weiner have donated $143,814.88 to The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) for a new Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) lab, which will be named in their honor.
The Dr. Louis B. Weiner AI/Machine Learning Lab is just one of the state-of-the-art research and collaborative teaching facilities that will be offered in the new Raymond B. Jones Engineering Building, which is currently under construction. The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees approved the gift at its meeting on April 4, 2025. UAH is part of The University of Alabama System.
“Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are transforming the way engineers solve problems,” says Dr. Shankar Mahalingam, Dean of the College of Engineering at UAH. “Whether it’s optimizing designs, improving efficiency, or analyzing data to gain insight, these technologies help engineers work faster and more effectively. Interdisciplinary research carried out in this lab will examine trustworthiness of AI systems, and also understand the role of human/machine decision making in more complex environments, which could be of relevance, for example to the U.S. Army.”
The Weiners are longtime supporters of UAH. As co-founder and president of Delta Research, a defense contractor in Huntsville, Dr. Louis Weiner has often sought UAH engineers to join his ranks. “Over the years, I have taken on interns and hired graduates of UAH, and have always been very impressed by the programs and the work that the students do,” he says. After more than 63 years in the defense sector, Louis continues to work full time and serve on the UAH College of Engineering advisory board, a position he has held for more than 20 years.
Beverly Weiner, now retired, worked for 26 years as a teacher and librarian in the neighboring Limestone County public school system. The couple understands the importance of supporting students in their educational pursuits. Over the years, their wide-ranging support of UAH has included donations to the College of Engineering; College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, as well as the Last-Mile Fund, a program that provides crucial funding to students nearing graduation.
“We decided to take our support a step further and donate a naming gift,” says Louis, noting their choice to donate to the new AI/ML lab – a cutting-edge facility that will better prepare UAH engineers for the needs of the future.
“Driven by his own professional experience, educational background, and modest beginning, he is committed to paying forward, by enabling our next generation of UAH engineering graduates to achieve their fullest potential,” says Mahalingam. “We are humbled and honored that Dr. and Mrs. Weiner have chosen to make this gift as a lasting legacy of the impact Dr. Weiner has had on the College of Engineering at UAH.”
About the Raymond B. Jones Engineering Building
The university broke ground on the new 76,000-square-foot engineering facility in 2024. It will be named in memory of Raymond B. Jones, long-time business and community leader and past chairman of the UAH Foundation. The facility, which received initial approval by The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees in April 2022, will provide cutting-edge resources to support the largest college at UAH, comprising more than 2,850 students, as well as 90 faculty and staff.
As a high-tech hub and the fastest-growing region in the state, the Huntsville and North Alabama area has a constant demand for a highly skilled STEM workforce. The Raymond B. Jones Engineering Building will offer research and collaborative teaching facilities to ensure that UAH remains a leader in meeting the state's workforce needs.
For more information on naming opportunities in the Raymond B. Jones Engineering Building, contact Mallie Hale, Vice President for University Advancement and Executive Director of UAH Foundation via Mallie.Hale@uah.edu or (256) 824-6501.