Embedded Files
Spring 2026
Spring 2026
[DavisAI] Bagels & Bots: Beyond the Black Box. Demystifying Colby's AI Powerhouse
Christopher Sessums, PhD is the Director of Academic Technology Services and High-Performance Computing at Colby College. He and his teams provide a wide range of support for the assessment and adoption of technologies used in teaching, learning, and research. Prior to joining Colby, Chris held research, administrator, and faculty positions at Johns Hopkins University, the University of California Berkeley, and the University of Florida. His research focus is centered around how people learn with an emphasis on communities of practice and the diffusion of innovations. Please RSVP HERE.
Date and Time: May 1, 10-11am
Location: The Collaborative Space on the first floor of the Olin building
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[DavisAI] Bagels & Bots: AI Dependency and Critical Thinking
Dr. Stacey Sheriff is Associate Professor of Writing and Chair of the Writing Department at Colby College, where she also teaches first-year writing, rhetoric, and communication. She holds a Ph.D. in English, specializing in Rhetoric and Composition, from The Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests include WAC and writing program design; Generative AI, sycophancy, and cognitive engagement; faculty development; and rhetorical theory. Stacey was the primary investigator for a $216,000 Davis Foundation grant to develop multilingual writing support and Colby’s Writing-Enriched Curriculum initiative. She has published in Rhetorica, Rhetoric Society Quarterly, and Technical Writing Quarterly as well as peer-reviewed chapters in four edited collections, including, most recently, Writing-Enriched Curricula: Models of Faculty-Driven and Departmental Transformation and Diverse Approaches to Teaching, Learning, and Writing Across the Curriculum. Please RSVP HERE.
Date and Time: April 24, 10-11am
Location: The Collaborative Space on the first floor of the Olin building
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[DavisAI] DavisAI Distinguished Lecture featuring: Professor Bruce Holsinger
The Davis Institute for AI is delighted to offer the opportunity to engage with Distinguished Lecturer Bruce Holsinger, Linden Kent Memorial Professor of English, University of Virginia.
Join us on Thursday, April 16th at 7:00 PM in Ostrove Auditorium for a conversation on AI, Ethics, and Imagination. Professor Bruce Holsinger and Professor Stacy Doore will discuss issues of art, narrative, morality, human-machine relations, and autonomy in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Please pre-register HERE.
In addition to the talk, we have the following engagement opportunities planned:
For faculty & staff: Bruce will join our Books & Bots session on Thursday, April 16th at 10 a.m. in the Olin Collaborative Space. Light breakfast and coffee provided. Please RSVP HERE so we can ensure adequate seating.
For students: We'll host a private lunch with Bruce on Thursday, April 16th at 12 p.m. in Roberts, room 111B. RSVPs are required HERE.
Date and Time: Thursday, April 16th, 7:00 PM
Location: Diamond 142 (Ostrove Auditorium)
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[DavisAI] The Dawn of Quantum Advantage
Borja Peropadre is an accomplished physicist with over 15 years of experience in Quantum Information Science (QIS), including seven years leading quantum computing industry initiatives in NISQ algorithms and superconducting hardware. Following a postdoc at Harvard University focused on quantum applications for chemistry, he has published over 30 scientific papers in premier journals such as Nature Physics and Physical Review Letters. His current research at IBM spans superconducting circuits, circuit QED, and quantum simulations.
For decades, quantum computing has held the promise of solving computational problems that remain fundamentally intractable for even the world’s most powerful classical supercomputers. These challenges, found at the heart of chemistry, materials science, and complex optimization, represent the final frontier of classical computation. However, what was once a purely theoretical vision has undergone a monumental shift.
Over the last decade, the field has transitioned from proof-of-concept laboratory experiments involving only a handful of qubits to an era of global cloud accessibility and large-scale experimentation. Today, quantum workflows are no longer confined to the lab; they are routinely executed via the cloud on processors featuring hundreds of qubits, allowing users to tackle problems at a scale once thought impossible.
In this talk, I will walk you through the key milestones of this journey, beginning with IBM’s landmark launch of the first quantum computer in the cloud in 2016, to our current standing on the verge of verifiable quantum advantage in 2026, in what we coined “quantum-centric supercomputing” architectures.
Finally, I will provide a glimpse into the near future, where we aim to realize the goal of building a fault-tolerant quantum computer before the end of the decade.
Date and Time: April 2, 2026, 7:00 pm
Location: Olin 001, Olin Science Center, Colby College
Registration: Please pre-register HERE.
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
In addition to the talk, we have the following engagement opportunities planned:
For faculty & staff: Borja will join our Bagels & Bots session on Friday, April 3rd at 10 a.m. in the Olin Collaborative Space. Light breakfast and coffee provided. Please RSVP HERE so we can ensure adequate seating.
For students: We'll host a private lunch with Borja on Friday, April 3rd at 12 p.m. in Diamond 146. RSVPs are required HERE.
Center for Teaching and Learning & Davis Institute for AI – Share a Little, Learn a Lot: Teaching in the Age of AI (Roundtable)
Whether you’re incorporating AI into your curriculum, adapting pre-existing assignments, or not sure what the best routes for your classes are, your perspective is essential to cultivating community wisdom around AI at Colby. Join your colleagues for a casual roundtable to talk about what’s on your mind. Share a little, learn a lot. No preparation required.
Dates, Times, Location
Wednesday, March 18, 12-1pm, Hurd Room (Roberts 111C) – Lunch provided!
Thursday, April 2, 12-1pm, Camp Room (Dana 044) – Lunch provided!
Sponsors: Center for Teaching and Learning & Davis Institute for AI
For questions contact: Jordan Troisi (jdtroisi@colby.edu) or Ryan Bloom (ebloom@colby.edu)
[DavisAI] April MuleChat Theme:
April 1, 2026 to April 30, 2026 (Ongoing), Olin 142
In addition to our standard MuleChat tutorials that walk you through available AI tools and best practices, we also offer themed sessions each month. These 45-minute sessions will explore the intersection of AI across several areas. This month, explore either/both:
AI and Society: In defense of pondering.
Living in a world where our works are constantly assessed against grades, leaderboard, KPIs, etc., we are often reduced to dominant criteria that presumes a singular narrative of “success.” Alongside this narrative, the emergence of AI offers a shortcut for fast answers, with the potential to accelerate conventional achievements at the risk of jeopardizing independent thinking, judgement, and active engagement with our surroundings.
Drawing inspiration from neuroscience concepts of hollowed/fortified mind and social theories such as Foucault’s “panopticon,” this MuleChat session will engage you in simulations that make explicit the scenario of being assessed and interacting without pondering. Through these exercises, we will experience and reflect on the shifts in our behavior and thinking patterns under such conditions. Some questions to reflect upon include:
How does interaction differ when engaging with audiences that “hear” versus those that do not?
How do our behaviors shift when we are consciously observed or assessed?
Does AI stifle our perspectives or widen our understanding of the world?
What implications for an AI-integrated society can we draw from this experience?
Rhyme and Reason: Understanding poetic forms and devices with AI tools.
What aspects of poetry do models tend to struggle with? Succeed with? What new forms of poetry might AI be able to (co-)create? When, where, and why is it ok to use generative AI in your own practice? Explore these questions, and bring any others on your mind, in this poetry-focused interactive MuleChat session. We’ll look at how language models perform with various forms and structural limitations, whether there is anything to be gained from starting from an AI-generated seed, and how AI might help us understand relationships between works without taking away our capacity to form our own connections.
And, coming up in May:
Summer and Beyond: Jumpstart a summer AI project.
Appointments available on weekdays. Open to all! Fill out our quick form here to indicate which session you’re interested in, and then follow the link on the confirmation page to select an appointment time.
[DavisAI] March MuleChat Theme: AI & Society
Living in a world where our works are constantly assessed against grades, leaderboard, KPIs, etc., we are often reduced to dominant criteria that presumes a singular narrative of “success”. Alongside this narrative, the emergence of AI offers a shortcut for fast answers, with the potential to accelerate conventional achievements at the risk of jeopardizing independent thinking, judgement, and active engagement with our surroundings.
Drawing inspiration from neuroscience concepts of hollowed/fortified mind and social theories such as Foucault’s “panopticon,” this MuleChat session will engage you in simulations that make explicit the scenario of being assessed and interacting without pondering. Through these exercises, we will experience and reflect on the shifts in our behavior and thinking patterns under such conditions. Some questions to reflect upon include:
How does interaction differ when engaging with audiences that “hear” versus those that do not?
How do our behaviors shift when we are consciously observed or assessed?
Does AI stifle our perspectives or widen our understanding of the world?
What implications for an AI-integrated society can we draw from this experience?
By participating in a series of interrogation and defense tasks, we hope to inspire reflections on how we live together in an atomized and digital world, with a vision to incentivize nourishment of critical thinking necessary to navigate through this radical transformation.
Looking Ahead: To analyze and engage with the tangible world, DavisAI and the Statistics Department will co-host the 2026 DataFest, where data literate and critical minds can collaboratively diagnose and propose solutions to concrete social challenges. Sharpen your critical eye in March, and apply it to the real world in April!!
Writing Pedagogy Lunch: Helping Students Balance Generative AI Use, Writing, & Critical Thinking
Research has started to show there are cognitive costs to high levels of generative AI use, particularly for students’ writing and critical thinking abilities. How can faculty decide whether and when to integrate generative AI tools into their classes? This workshop will briefly discuss recent research and provide a framework for thinking about how to maintain cognitive engagement and generative AI tool use for writing and critical thinking.
Facilitator: Stacey Sheriff (Writing Dept.)
Date: Wednesday, March 11
Time: 12:00-1:00pm (It’s okay to arrive a little late/leave early for your class!)
Location:Robins Room – Roberts Building
Registration (includes buffet lunch): https://forms.gle/Mq8oADoJNnQDtvNa9
Colby Sponsors: Writing Department
For questions, contact Stacey Sheriff (ssheriff@colby.edu)
[DavisAI] Data Safety & Security
Please join us for our next Bagels and Bots session, March 13, at 10:00 am in the Olin Collaborative Space. We’ll be hosting a conversation about Data Safety & Security with our very own Data Services Librarian, Kara Kugelmeyer.
Please RSVP HERE.
Date and Time: Friday March 13, 10-11am
Location: The Collaborative Space on the first floor of the Olin building
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[DavisAI] DavisAI Distinguished Lecture featuring: Ross Goodwin
The Davis Institute for AI is delighted to offer the opportunity to engage with Distinguished Lecturer Ross Goodwin, Artist, Creative Technologist, Hacker, Data Scientist, and former White House Ghostwriter.
Join us on March 5th at 7:00 PM in Ostrove Auditorium. A reception will follow the talk in the Diamond Atrium. Please pre-register for the talk here.
In addition to the talk, we have the following engagement opportunities planned:
For faculty & staff: Ross will join our Bagels & Bots session Friday at 10 a.m. in the Olin Collaborative Space. Light breakfast fare, coffee, and tea provided. Please RSVP here so we can ensure adequate seating.
For students: We'll host a private lunch with Ross Friday at 12 p.m. in a Dana dining room. RSVPs are required here.
Date and Time: March 5, 2026, 7:00 pm
Location: Diamond 142 (Ostrove Auditorium)
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[DavisAI] Distinguished AI Speaker Series: Innovation or Safety—A False Choice for AI
Distinguished Speaker
Paulo Carvão (Senior Fellow, Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School)
Registration Required
You may register in advance or at the door with a Colby ID (pre-register to skip the line!)
Members of the community without a Colby ID must register in advance.
Link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovation-or-safety-a-false-choice-for-ai-tickets-1982450415559?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping economies, labor markets, and society, raising urgent questions of governance. This talk argues that innovation and safety are not mutually exclusive, but best achieved through dynamic, collaborative governance. We will review the current state of AI policy in the United States and Europe to draw lessons on how to achieve the balance between innovation, speed, and safety. We will look into the EU AI Act, the US AI Action Plan, and emerging trends in state-level regulation in the US.
Bio
Paulo Carvão is a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, focusing on Tech Policy and AI regulation. A former IBM executive, he brings over 30 years of experience in technology and business. He currently advises tech startups and invests in venture capital, and he also serves as the inaugural Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Harvard Kennedy School’s GovLab. He has written for Forbes, The Conversation, The Hill, Lawfare, Tech Policy Press, Harvard Social Impact Review, and Harvard Business Review, among others. Carvão has held fellowships at Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative and Safra Center for Ethics.
Date and Time: February 19, 2026, 7:00 pm
Location: Diamond 142 (Ostrove Auditorium)
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[Bagels & Bots] Innovation or Safety with Paulo Carvão
Please join us Friday morning for this faculty-centered follow-up to Paulo’s public talk the prior evening (2/19, 7pm, Ostrove).
Coffee, tea, and light breakfast fare provided. RSVPs appreciated here.
Paulo Carvão is a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, focusing on Tech Policy and AI regulation. A former IBM executive, he brings over 30 years of experience in technology and business. He currently advises tech startups and invests in venture capital, and he also serves as the inaugural Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Gov Lab. He has written for Forbes, The Conversation, The Hill, Lawfare, Tech Policy Press, Harvard Social Impact Review, and Harvard Business Review, among others. Carvão has held fellowships at Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative and Safra Center for Ethics.
Date and Time: 2/20/26 10:00 am
Location: Olin Collaborative Space (first floor Olin, large glass room)
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[DavisAI] February MuleChat Theme: Art & Algorithms
This February, sign up for a guided MuleChat session to approach AI-generated art as a researcher and/or as an artist. The Researcher track will approach AI-generated art as artifacts, studying the similarities and differences across a range of image generation models. The Artist track will focus on unpacking ethical questions around generative AI and guide participants through mapping their own personal ethical compass. If you’ve ever asked yourself one or more of the questions below, this session is for you!
Can generative AI create meaningful art? Or only mimic it?
What new forms of art might AI be able to (co-)create?
Given that AI models are biased, can we treat its outputs like artifacts?
When, where, and why is it ok to use generative AI in your own artistic process?
Who is Ross Goodwin, and why is he coming to campus next month?
As always, we will continue to offer our standard MuleChat sessions to support you in navigating the AI landscape.
Scan the QR above or click here to sign-up for either session (and don’t forget to select an appointment time—link available on the confirmation page).
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[Lunch for Students] Innovation or Safety with Paulo Carvão
Please join us on Friday, February 20th (12–1pm) to have lunch with Paulo. Registration is required.
Date and Time: Friday, February 20th, 12–1pm
Location: Dana Dining Hall, Camp Room
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[Bagels & Bots] This Friday: Rethinking Teaching Through Pedagogically Informed AI Integration
Please join DavisAI this Friday, February 6 at 10am, for a Bagels & Bots session in the Olin Collaborative Space led by Ghada Gherwash (Farnham Writers' Center) and Chris Sessums (ATS, High Performance Computing).
In this workshop, we will introduce participants to a few foundational educational-technology frameworks to help us think about AI from a pedagogical standpoint, rather than as an add on. We will also share a few practical examples to illustrate the importance of intentionality when integrating AI into our teaching. Kindly RSVP here.
Date and Time: February 6, 10am
Location: the Olin Collaborative Space
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[DavisAI] Free webinar—Building Community Around AI in the Liberal Arts
A dynamic webinar featuring an opening keynote and panel moderation by Lance Eaton (a top 25 EdTech leader to follow) and three panelists: David Watts (Director of DavisAI), Eric Chown (Professor of Digital and Computational Studies and Director of the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity at Bowdoin College), and Susan Purrington (Generative AI Teaching and Learning Fellow at Connecticut College).
We hope you can join us on February 3rd!
Date and Time: February 3, 4-5pm
Location: Zoom
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
Registration link: https://conncoll-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YpOhLqSrRrC5ZA0ESyFVdQ#/registration
[DavisAI] Elevate Your AI Skills this January and Spring with MuleChat!
Whether you’re curious, skeptical, or ready to build, join us for a personalized, one-on-one MuleChat session. This is a judgment-free zone designed for you to test the waters, explore new ideas, and understand both the potential and limitations of AI tools in a low-pressure setting. No question is too basic or too advanced—we will meet you wherever you are!
January and Spring 2026 Semester Focus:
January — New Year, New Skills: Build Your AI Learning Partner: Create your own custom AI assistant to boost your learning!
February — Art & Algorithms: Unpack the ethical and technical intricacies of AI-generated art.
March — AI x Data Science: Navigate efficient workflow chains and the limitations of AI-backed data analysis.
April — Poetry & AI: Dig into the technical limitations and creative opportunities of using generative AI in a poetic practice.
May — To Summer & Beyond: Explore AI after Colby and over the summer—what will you create?
Ready to make AI work for you?
Sign up HERE or scan the QR code in the poster.
Note: After filling out the brief form to share your interests, you will find a link on the confirmation page to select your desired appointment time.
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[DAVIS AI and ATS] Spring 2026 FIT Fellowship (Apply by 1/21/26)
Do you want to enhance your understanding of AI and its effects on learners?
Join the Spring 2026 Faculty Instructional Technology (FIT) Fellowship, Faculty as Chief Learners: Reimagining Self-Learning and Student Learning in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a one-semester program designed for Colby faculty and staff instructors (non-instructor staff are also invited to apply). This fellowship, sponsored by the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence (DavisAI) and Colby Academic Technology Services (CATS), will provide hands-on, collaborative experience geared towards reimagining the role of self-learning in the age of AI.
With dedicated support from DavisAI and CATS, Fellows will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of AI mechanics, ethical dilemmas, and the impact on cognitive labor, conduct inquiry into the student experience and self-regulated learning theory, and apply their learnings towards revising future course materials.
Successful fellows will receive a $500 stipend upon completion and a platform to share their projects with the campus community. To apply, please review the full invite and complete the application form by the end of the day on January 21, 2026.
Contact: ATS at teched@colby.edu
Fall 2025
Fall 2025
[DavisAI] Bagels & Bots: Practical AI Applications
For the last Bagels & Bots event of the semester, we’ll unpack some practical use cases of AI in the classroom shred at the Connecticut College conference, as well as share amongst ourselves about what has worked this semester and what we’re considering experimenting with next semester.
Limited space available—Kindly RSVP by 12/3.
Date and Time: December 5, 10-11am
Location: The Collaborative Space on the first floor of the Olin building
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[DAVIS AI and ATS] FIT Fellowship Final showcase: Exploring Google Gemini and NotebookLM in Teaching and Research
This semester six Faculty Instructional Technology (FIT) Fellows, supported in partnership with the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence & Academic Technology Services, have been working to reconceptualize an aspect of their courses or research in the context of Generative AI.
On December 8 at 9:00AM, the FIT fellows will showcase their experience and learnings this semester in Ostrove Auditorium. We welcome all instructors, staff, and students to come for part or all of the session to learn about ways that your colleagues have been engaging with Generative AI this semester.
Schedule of events (subject to change):
Welcome and Project Briefings (9–10am)
Overview of the program, David Watts and Chris Sessums (9–9:05)
Project Briefs: Custom Learning Supports (9:05–9:35)
Andie Wang (Assistant Professor of East Asian Studies)
Veronica Romero (Assistant Professor of Psychology)
Sasha Alcott (Associate Director of STEM Programming)
Project Briefs: Reimagining Disciplines (9:35–10:05am)
Annie Tang (Assistant Professor of Statistics)
Kaushik Tekur (Visiting Assistant Professor of English)
Raffael Scheck (The John J. and Cornelia V. Gibson Professor of History; Associate Chair of History)
2. Open Forum, Dialogue, and Closing Remarks (10:05–10:30am)
3. Post-Event Networking Reception (10:30–11am)
Date and Time: December 8, 9-11am
Location: Diamond 142 (Ostrove Auditorium)
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[DavisAI] AI Club Interest Meeting
AI is fundamentally reshaping how we work, learn, and interact with technology. Companies, higher education institutions, and individuals are all adopting AI technologies at an unprecedented rate, making knowledge surrounding AI more important than ever. But where do you get involved? And how do you demonstrate your skills and experience in the AI era after graduation?
This year, we’re reviving a student club focused on artificial intelligence. This space is intended for all students; no coding experience or CS major necessary.
This club aims to be a space where students can both build with AI and discuss its broader impacts. Are you…
Looking to upskill yourself with AI tooling to be a stronger job candidate?
Curious about AI trends and want to stay informed about developments in the field?
Building cool prototypes on Lovable, Bolt, Replit and want to share it with others?
Looking to work on more coding and research heavy AI/ML projects with DavisAI and professors at Colby ?(examples here could be Prof Baker, Prof Ortiz, Prof Romero)
Interested in questions of how AI is changing our disciplines and how we should navigate AI‘s impact on education, work, and society?
Inspired by the ways AI has already assisted scientists developing treatments for Parkinson’s, leishmaniasis, and malaria?
If you fall into any of those categories and want to get involved, let us know by filling out this form.
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[DavisAI] AI Club Winter Mixer
Date and Time: Wednesday, November 19, 4:00 PM
Location: Olin Collaborative Space
Contact: Mingwei Zhu (jzhu@colby.edu)
[PASTL] Stop Stressing! Learn How to Use AI Smartly and Safely
This module shows you how to strategically leverage approved AI for research, assignments, summarizing complex readings, and studying—all while maintaining academic integrity. You’ll learn the crucial difference between risky public large language models (like ChatGPT) and Colby’s secure, approved AI tools, highlighting the dangers of uploading sensitive class notes or early drafts into the wrong platform. By the end, you’ll have clear, actionable guidance on when and how to choose the right tool so you can ethically enhance your academic work and protect your data.
Date and Time: Wednesday, November 19, 4:00 PM
Location: Miller 008
Contact: Kathy Hansen (khansen@colby.edu)
[DavisAI] “Techno-Cultural Futures: Reimagining AI Literacy with Black and Brown Artists in Providence”
Please join us in Diamond on November 13th in welcoming our second Distinguished AI Speaker, Dr. Kim Gallon.
Art as Intervention: See how Black and Brown artists treat AI as a cultural and political force, not just a technical system.
Race & Algorithms: Discover how critical race frameworks challenge how race is encoded and contested in AI systems.
Health Justice in AI: Learn about AI research on Black women’s breast cancer and health disparities.
6pm–7pm: Reception with light desserts, tea, and coffee.
7pm–8pm: Discussion led by Dr. Kim Gallon on “Techno-Cultural Futures,” a justice-oriented AI literacy initiative.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. (Folks with a Colby ID may register in advance or at the door. Members of the public must register 24 hours in advance.) Learn more
Date and Time: 11/13/25, 6:00 pm
Location: Diamond 142 (Ostrove Auditorium)
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[DavisAI] Bagels & Bots: Synthetic Selves: Race, Representation, and the Ethics of Artificial Data
Please join DavisAI for a Bagels & Bots session. Dr. Kim Gallon from Brown University will unpack the interactions of race, representation, and ethics in artificial intelligence. You can read a brief critique of the synthetic data craze from Dr. Gallon here.
Please RSVP here before November 12 (first come, first served—space is limited).
Date and Time: November 14 at 10am
Location: The Collaborative Space on the first floor of the Olin building
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
AI Club Intro Meeting
Swing by Olin to meet other students interested in AI, share interests, and start thinking about larger projects you may want to work on.
Who: All Colby students are welcome. No AI or CS experience is necessary.
When: Wednesday, Nov. 5th at 4pm
Where: Olin Collaborative Space (the large glass room on the first floor of the Olin Science Center)
What to bring: Your grand visions, curiosities, questions, and challenges with AI.
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
[DavisAI] Bagels & Bots
Please join DavisAI for a Bagels & Bots session. This session will begin with DavisAI representatives sharing key takeaways, innovative applications, and classroom integration ideas gathered from the AI in the Liberal Arts symposium at Connecticut College this past weekend. We will then open up for a broader discussion about how to integrate those learnings in our classrooms, in our departments, and at our institution as a whole. Please RSVP here before October 31 (first come, first served—space is limited). Learn more
Date and Time: October 31 at 10am
Location: The Collaborative Space on the first floor of the Olin building
Contact: DavisAI at davisaiadmin@colby.edu
CTL: Assignment “Makeovers” in the Age of AI (Workshop)
Many instructors are seeking to revise course assignments in response to the capacities and limitations of generative AI. This workshop supports faculty in identifying their own values and pedagogical principles regarding the role of AI in their courses, and in revising one or more course assignments. Bring a device to access your assignment(s). Register here.
Date and Time:
Wednesday, October 29, 2:30-4p.m. (snacks provided)
Thursday, October 30, 2:30-4p.m. (snacks provided)
Location: Miller 205
Contact: Jordan Troisi (jdtroisi@colby.edu)
Data Skills: Colby Data & Artificial Intelligence
Join us October 29th for a Data Skills session on one of the hottest topics of the year: Artificial Intelligence. Mingwei Zhu, Applications Engineer with Colby’s Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence, will introduce Colby’s AI tools, guidance for using those tools, and best practices with AI. We’ll also review resources for ongoing AI guidance, including Colby’s AI and Data Classification policies. In addition, Billy Parker, Assistant Dean of Students, will share a Colby-specific use case for AI, which Mingwei will then walk us through step-by-step to illustrate in what ways AI may be able to facilitate work with Colby data.
Please join us to learn more about AI with Colby Data–we hope to see you there!
For planning purposes, your RSVP is much appreciated.
Date and Time: Wednesday, October 29, 8:45-10:30 a.m.
Location: Grossman 209/210 or via Zoom
Contact: Colby Data Governance (data.governance@colby.edu)
Writing Pedagogy Lunch: Cultural / Linguistic Bias, Writing, and Generative AI
While most people are generally aware that generative AI tools used for writing and research are susceptible to linguistic and cultural biases, many of us are not sure how this might manifest, what to be aware of, and how to address this pedagogically. This workshop will explain the nature of some of these biases, where they come from, and what to watch out for to guide your own and students’ use. Learn more and register here.
Date and Time: 10/15/2025, 12:00-1:00pm
Location: Robins Room
Contact: Stacey Sheriff at ssheriff@colby.edu
[PASTL] Don’t Get Hacked by Chat GPT: Protecting Data and Your Ideas
This module (interactive workshop) prepares students to use AI tools safely and responsibly. It highlights the risks of uploading sensitive or copyrighted material into public large language models (LLMs), contrasts them with Colby’s approved secure AI tools, and guides students in making informed decisions about when and how to use LLMs. This module is intended for all students using AI in coursework or research.
Date and Time: 10/01/2025, 4:00 pm to 4:45 pm
Location: Miller 008
Contact: Kathy Hansen at khansen@colby.edu
CTL: Trust in the Classroom in the Age of AI (Roundtable)
The advent of generative AI has created new concerns about our work with students. How do we develop and maintain a sense of trust with students when pressures for students to perform are so high and the use of AI for cognitive shortcuts is so easy? Join your colleagues to discuss this state of affairs, and move us all toward better practice and better connection with our students. Register here.
Date, Time, Location:
September 24, 11 am - 12 pm; Dana 044 (lunch provided)
September 29, 12 - 1 pm; Dana 002 (lunch provided)
Contact: Jordan Troisi (jdtroisi@colby.edu)
[DavisAI] “Responsible Innovation in the Age of AI: Building What Lasts for a World That Moves Fast”
Bring your tough questions and bold visions to Diamond 142 as we explore a practical framework for navigating periods of rapid innovation. This essential dialogue will be led by Kathryn Guarini, a seasoned technology and business leader with over 25 years of experience. Don’t miss this chance to engage with a true pioneer at the intersection of tech and ethics. Learn more.
Date and Time: 9/25/2025, 7:00 pm
Location: Diamond 142 (Ostrove Auditorium)
Contact: Davis AI at davisai@colby.edu
CTL: Effective and Ethical Use of AI in the Classroom (Roundtable)
Join your colleagues to discuss approaches you are trying or curiosities you have to enhance your teaching with AI tools. Learn more and register here.
Date and Time:
September 22, 12 - 1 pm
September 23, 11 am - 12 pm
Location: Dana 002 (lunch provided)
Contact: Jordan Troisi (jdtroisi@colby.edu)
[DAVIS AI and ATS] Bots & Books: Exploring Innovations in AI Using Gemini and NotebookLM
Join the Fall 2025 FIT Fellowship: a one-semester program designed for all Colby instructors. This fellowship, sponsored by the Davis Institute of Artificial Intelligence in collaboration with the Academic Technology Services team, will provide hands-on experience with Gemini and NotebookLM—two Google AI tools now available to the entire Colby community. Learn more
Deadline: September 6, 2025
Contact: ATS at teched@colby.edu
Summer 2025
Summer 2025
[DavisAI] Prompts and Provisions
DavisAI will be offering a workshop three times during July to support those who teach our students as you consider your use of AI for the coming academic year. The workshop will begin with a light lunch during which the DavisAI team will offer an AI introductory short course with some use case examples. The focus of the workshop will then turn to a discussion and sharing of the different ways we approach AI in the classroom. Registration is required, and please use this form to share your preferred date. Learn more
Date:
July 11th, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
July 18th, noon - 2 pm
July 24th, noon - 2 pm
Location: The Collaborative Space on the first floor of the Olin building
Contact: Davis AI at davisai@colby.edu
[DavisAI] Snacks & Chats
You’ll have an opportunity to hear about important AI updates at Colby and meet Ryan Bloom, our new Application Specialist, and Mingwei Zhu ’22, our new AI Applications Engineer. Learn more
Date: June 25, 2025
Time: 11 am
Location: The Collaborative Space on the first floor of the Olin building
Contact: Davis AI at davisai@colby.edu
If you have an AI-related event to share or ideas for hosting one, please contact Academic Technology Services at teched@colby.edu to get in touch.
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