WYOMISSING, Pa. — Many people know what artificial intelligence is but not how it works. Christian Clarke has made it his mission to learn all about it, enrolling in Penn State after he already had one bachelor’s degree under his belt and had started a successful career. Clarke will graduate from Penn State Berks with a bachelor’s degree in information science at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 10, at the Santander Arena in Reading.
Born in the Bahamas and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Clarke originally earned a degree in business management with a minor in psychology from the University of the West Indies. He immediately found success in project management and marketing when one day he saw his friend using artificial intelligence in his programming code. Clarke was captivated, so much so that he wanted to learn more about it.
Clarke began to research various college programs and the one that immediately stood out to him was the Penn State’s artificial intelligence master’s degree program. Since a bachelor’s degree in a related field is required for admission, he decided to enroll at Penn State Berks with one goal: to earn an information technology bachelor’s degree so that he can pursue a master’s degree in AI.
While many IST majors have been coding since high school, this was Clarke’s first foray into the world of computing, but that did not discourage him.
“My time at Penn State Berks has equipped me to take on the rigors of graduate school as I continue in pursuit of the master’s in artificial intelligence. My goal is to become an AI specialist, helping to navigate the role of AI's integration into today's fast-paced world,” Clarke said.
He explained that the research he has conducted at the college has played a critical role in his growth. He published two papers with his faculty mentor, Abdullah Konak, distinguished professor of information sciences and technology. The first was titled “Augmenting critical thinking skills in programming education through leveraging Chat GPT: Analysis of Its opportunities and consequences.” The second, “The impact of AI use in programming courses on critical thinking skills,” has been downloaded more than 1,000 times to date.
When discussing his accomplishments, Clarke made it imperative to thank those who helped him throughout his college career. “The mentorship of my research adviser, Dr. Abdullah Konak, and my academic adviser, professor Tricia Clark, have been instrumental in shaping my journey from the very beginning. I also benefited greatly from the support of reference and instruction librarian Sarah Hartman-Caverly, whose guidance ensured access to the highest quality academic resources for my research,” commented Clarke.
Along with his research, Clarke participated in several AI competitions, one of which was a Bias-a-thon, an event that explores biases and confronts stereotypes perpetuated by current generative AI tools. Clarke evaluated the historical genocide in Rwanda and AI bias. He explained, “AI avoided information regarding the Belgium system of racial classification which was a driving force in the racial tensions that lead to the genocide in 1994.”
Clarke also presented his findings at a few research conferences, including the 2025 Higher Education Council of Berks County (HECBC) Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference, Global Careers Institute (GCI) conference, the Global Sustainability Conference, and the American Society for Engineering Education Conference in Princeton, New Jersey.
One of the highlights of his time at Penn State Berks was working with a team of students to develop an AI-powered filtration robot to remove microplastics, oil residues, toxic chemicals and heavy metals from water to help ensure the safety of wildlife and to protect clean water. The robot’s name is B.E.A.N., which stands for Bio Environmentally-friendly Aquatic Navigator. The team received the Business Innovation Idea Challenge Award presented by the Flemming CEED Center and the Nittany AI Challenge Award from the University.
Through it all, Clarke earned numerous awards including the Student Engagement Network Research Grant, which allowed him to travel to Jamaica and research AI bias about Jamaican history and culture. He also received the Penn State Berks 2025 Young Investigator Award for Excellence in Research.
Outside the classroom, Clarke engaged with several clubs on campus. He served as vice president and secretary of marketing for the college’s Coding Club and was also a member of the Berks Technology Club and Undergraduate Research Club. In addition, he also was an international student peer mentor on campus.
This spring Clarke joined Parella Health Law Firm for a six-month internship, where he will be working to incorporate AI into the firm’s projects.
After graduation, Clarke plans to continue his academic journey by pursuing a master’s degree in artificial intelligence at the Penn State Great Valley in the fall.