Two Iona University Alumni Earn Prestigious Grant from The Cosmos Institute for Innovative AI Research
From Left: Juan Cadile ’23 and Danny Potocki ’06
New Rochelle, N.Y. - Iona University alumni Juan Cadile ’23 and Danny Potocki ’06 have been awarded a prestigious grant from the Cosmos Institute’s Cosmos Ventures initiative.
This accolade places them among a select group of global innovators advancing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to promote human flourishing. Grantees include award-winning philosophers, category theorists, existential psychologists, poets, national champion debate coaches, computer scientists and Silicon Valley veterans.
Cadile and Potocki’s project, titled, “Developing a Framework for Cultivating Virtuous Disposition in AI Systems,” seeks to develop Artificial Virtuous Agents (AVA) that prioritize fundamental values of human experience to ensure a sustainable future for humanity, most especially youth. Their vision seeks to advance human-computer and computer-computer interactions to ensure a sustainable future.
“This award underscores the significance of our work, which aligns perfectly with the Cosmos mission,” said Potocki, Harvard Divinity School graduate and former inaugural entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR) at Iona’s Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. “Our goal is to ensure AI supports human values and helps individuals and communities thrive.”
The Cosmos Institute, a key partner with leading institutions such as Oxford University’s HAI Lab and Stanford University, supports groundbreaking research with a mission to ensure AI contributes positively to humanity’s future.
Cadile and Potocki’s journey began at Iona’s Hynes Institute, where they first collaborated on projects together. Cadile, who was a Hynes Fellow and then served as a teaching assistant in the Philosophy Department, and Potocki, a faculty member, developed a shared passion for leveraging technology to address societal challenges.
Located in a new, state-of-the-art co-working space in the heart of campus, the Hynes Institute is an interdisciplinary hub for the development of creativity and leadership skills critical for success in a global economy. It offers a range of degree programs and certificates and is available to students across all academic disciplines.
“Danny and I are eager to share our journey and demonstrate how Iona’s values have shaped our commitment to meaningful innovation,” said Cadile, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Rochester.
For more information on the Cosmos Institute visit here.
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 nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 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 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 5 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 recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2024.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals. 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.