AI and Us:
Upcoming Events

 Facilitated by Dan Cannity (IT) and Kirsten Helmer (CTL)

Generative AI is here, but critical evaluation skills are not automatic. How do you teach students to evaluate AI output when they may lack disciplinary knowledge, understand little about how AI works, or know where to start? And how do you do this without adding to your already overflowing plate? This session offers instructors a practical roadmap for scaffolding critical AI evaluation skills—grounded in AI literacy frameworks. You'll leave the session with concrete strategies to develop your students' ability to question, compare, and critically assess AI-generated content.

Co-facilitated by the Center for Teaching & Learning and IDEAS. 

As part of the Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series, Ramesh K. Sitaraman will present his 25-year journey of how his research helped transform the early internet into the fast, resilient, and globally accessible infrastructure we depend on today, even in the most remote corners of the world. As artificial intelligence reshapes the digital landscape, we now face the ever-increasing energy demands required to keep AI data centers running. Sitaraman will discuss his research focus on building a more sustainable internet powered by clean energy. 

 Facilitated by Dan Cannity (IT) and Kirsten Helmer (CTL)

AI agents and tailored chatbots are becoming popular in higher education as a tool to support students in responsible use of AI. They can be used to provide answers about syllabi, to help tutor students on specific course content, to aid in studying material through creating unique case studies, or to create simulation-like experiences where students practice disciplinary skills—such as in engaging in dialogue or conversation practices, role-playing professional scenarios, exploring topics from multiple perspectives, or engaging in structured debates with a specialized agent. This hands-on workshop will guide you through creating a custom chatbot for your course using the UMass GenAI Platform Agent. This is designed for those who have some experience with generative AI tools, but are new to Agents, although all are welcome to join. Lunch is provided. 

Co-facilitated by the Center for Teaching & Learning and IDEAS. 

Presenter: Christian Rojas, Resource Economics 

Facilitators: Colleen Kuusinen and Kirsten Helmer (CTL), and Dan Cannity (IT) 

Join us for a special session that brings together our GenAI Discussion Group and our SoTL Working Group – formed by faculty interested in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. This mashup creates a unique opportunity to explore AI integration through both practical implementation and scholarly inquiry.  

Guest presenter Christian Rojas’ talk combines research insights from a controlled GenAI teaching study with practical examples from an AI-centered undergraduate course. He will demonstrate how scaffolding, transparency, and structured student workflows support effective and ethical AI integration across assignments, projects, and presentations. Following the presentation, we’ll open the floor for attendees to ask questions and connect the lessons to their own teaching contexts.  

Whether you're actively researching your teaching, curious about bringing a more systematic lens to your pedagogical experiments with AI or simply want to learn from colleagues who are documenting their classroom innovations, this session offers a welcoming space to engage with evidence-based approaches to GenAI.  

The guest presenter will be on Zoom 11:30 am-12:30 pm. The session will then continue with discussion both in person and online. 

Co-facilitated by the Center for Teaching & Learning and IDEAS.