Explore the Program

Jump to a specific time: 9 a.m. | 10:30 a.m. | 12 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. | 3 p.m. | 4:30 p.m.

8:00 - 9:00 a.m. | Check-In & Networking

Located at W.E. Singleton Center | 922 Park Ave: Pick up your nametag, get signed in and connect with attendees before the event. Coffee will be available.

9:00 - 10:00 a.m. | Welcome & Featured Leadership Panel

Located at W.E. Singleton Center | 922 Park Ave:

Human-Centered AI in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences
A featured conversation with academic leaders examining institutional priorities, research opportunities, and the role of human-centered AI across higher education.

Featured Panelists: Laura Belmonte, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Virginia Tech; Kelli Feldman, Dean of the School of Education, VCU; Nicole Tong, Dean of the School of Business, Humanities, and Public Service, Reynolds Community College; Monica Swahn, Dean of the School of Public Health, VCU

Moderated by: Dr. Catherine Ingrassia, Dean of the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences.

All remaining sessions will take place in the STEM building located at 817 W Franklin St. 

10:30 - 11:45 a.m. | Session I

Workshops

Room 110 | Workshop
Blooming from Noise: Digging into the Roots of AI-Generated Images
Oscar Keyes, Head, Creative Technologies and Scholarship, VCU Libraries

Attendees should bring a laptop to this workshop. 

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Room 112 | Workshop
Education Still Changes Everything: A Human-Centered, AI-Assisted Course Design Workshop
Carrie M. Cole, Senior Instructional Designer, VCU LEDstudio

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Room 303 | Workshop
Human-Centered Leadership in an AI-Driven World: Practical Frameworks for Leading People While Leveraging Artificial Intelligence
Jacqueline Brown Smith, Ed.D., CEO, B Cameron Group LLC

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Room 404 | Workshop
Context Engineering: A Human-Centered Architecture for Governing AI Outputs
Julie Chase, Ed.D., Independent Scholar

Panels

Room 202 | Panel
AI and Trust in the Classroom: How to Maintain an Inclusive and Equitable Classroom Environment
Elizabeth Fagan, Associate Professor, Department of Focused Inquiry, Virginia Commonwealth University; Michael Abelson, Professor, Department of Focused Inquiry, Virginia Commonwealth University; Austin Garey, Assistant Professor, Department of Focused Inquiry, Virginia Commonwealth University; Chris Martiniano, Instructor, Department of Focused Inquiry, Virginia Commonwealth University 

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Room 216 | Panel
Algorithms of Inequality: Teaching AI During Collapse
Liz Canfield, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, VCU; Brooke Taylor, M.Div., M.A., Adjunct Professor and Academic Advisor, Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, VCU; Dawn Johnson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, VCU; Francesca Lyn, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, VCU

Research Papers

Room 503 | Research Paper
The Other AI: Human-Centered Adaptive Information to Build Attention Momentum in Short- and Long-Form Information
Ronald Yaros, Director, Digital Engagement Lab, University of Maryland

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Room 503 | Research Paper
Human-Centered Evaluation of Public AI Chatbots for Nicotine Vaping Cessation Decision Support Among Young Adults
Jiaxi Wu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, College of Humanities and Sciences, VCU; Caroline Cobb, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director, Health Psychology Program, Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Sciences, VCU; Lin Zhao, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing, School of Business, VCU

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Room 503 | Research Paper
Trust in AI: Beyond the Algorithm
Antoine Middleton, Doctoral Student, Capitol Technology University

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Room 503 | Research Paper
Training AI as a reliable coder for narrative work and content analysis
Richard Bargdill, PhD, Associate Professor, Psychology, College of Humanities and Sciences, VCU; Jenna Saleh, Psychology, College of Humanities and Sciences, VCU.

Project Presentations

Room 644 | Project Presentation
Box Stage Meets AI: A Subject-Specific Neural Network to Extend a Patent-Pending Facial Capture Invention
Ernesto Rodriguez Cruz, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Arts, School of the Arts, VCU

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Room 644 | Project Presentation
From Enterprise to Main Street: Human-Centered AI Adoption for Small Businesses
Mia Wang, President, Lotus Love LLC / Lotus Love Digital Solutions

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Room 644 | Project Presentation
ALPINE AI: Adaptive Learning Platform for Individualized Needs through Enhanced Artificial Intelligence
Dayanjan S. Wijesinghe, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Founding Director, Digital Health Lab, Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, VCU School of Pharmacy

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Room 644 | Project Presentation
An AI Virtual Patient Application for ACSM Preparticipation Exercise Screening: Development and Pilot Feasibility Study
Matthew Scott, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, College of Humanities and Sciences, VCU

12:00 - 1:15 p.m. | Lunch & Featured Sessions

Lunch will be provided immediately outside Rooms 202 and 216. Attendees may enjoy lunch during either of these two concurrent featured sessions:

➡️ Room 216 | Featured Keynote
AI, Constitutional Rights and the Future of American Democracy

This year marks the nation’s 250th birthday. The Semiquincentennial Celebration invites a dialogue on how the American Revolution and the AI Revolution may run in parallel with one another. Specifically, Professor Margaret Hu, Davison M. Douglas Professor of Law and Director of the Digital Democracy Lab at William & Mary Law School, will explore how interdisciplinary dialogue among global thinkers, and how innovation in technology and global research, played a formative role in shaping the new Democratic Republic. William & Mary Law School, created by the constitutional founders, is the oldest law school in the nation. Author of the new textbook/casebook AI Law and Policy (Aspen Publishing), she will discuss why constitutional principles guide how she hopes we will understand the impact of the AI Revolution. The talk will explore how researchers and teachers in higher education can help to secure the conditions of success for another 250 years.

Keynoter: Margaret Hu. J.D., Davison M. Douglas Professor of Law Director, Digital Democracy Lab William & Mary Law School

Supported by the VCU Humanities Research Center

➡️ Room 202 | Featured Leadership Forum
AI in Academia and Industry: Aligning Virginia for Impact

The panel will explore how Virginia’s academic institutions and industries can collaborate to advance artificial intelligence research, education, workforce development, and responsible innovation. Discussion will focus on aligning curricula with emerging industry needs, strengthening partnerships between universities and industry, and expanding access to AI opportunities across the Commonwealth. Panelists will also consider ethical implementation, economic growth, talent retention, and strategies for ensuring that AI benefits Virginia’s communities and organizations.

Panelists: Megan Barnett, Vice Provost for Pan-University Initiatives, University of Virginia; Amarda Shehu, Ph.D., Vice President and Chief AI Officer, George Mason University; Chrysoula Malogianni, Ph.D., Senior Associate Vice President for Digital Innovation and Chief Digital Experience Officer, Old Dominion University; Erdem Topsakal, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University; Tihomir “T” Hristov, Principal and Chief Technology Officer, CloudAI Technologies and Mr. Robert Iannello, Senior Manager At Arm, Slough, United Kingdom. 

Moderator: Milos Manic, Professor of Computer Science, Convergence AI Faculty Lead, and CCI Fellow at VCU

Supported by VCU Convergence AI

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1:30 - 2:45 p.m. | Research Roundtables & Industry Showcase

AI Industry Showcase & EXPO 

Room 202

Explore the people, programs, and partnerships shaping Virginia’s emerging AI ecosystem. The Industry Showcase & EXPO brings together academic initiatives, workforce development programs, industry organizations, and community partners in a tradeshow-style setting designed for discovery and connection. Meet representatives, learn about current projects, explore educational and professional development opportunities, and identify possibilities for collaboration. Attendees can also enjoy giveaways and enter for chances to win prizes throughout the showcase.

• AI Ready RVA
• Better Business Bureau / Ignite Central VA
• Gener8v
• Media + AI Initiative
• Xponet21
• VCU Applied AI Graduate Certificate
• VCU Convergence Labs
• VCU CPE AI Workforce Readiness
• Kendall Hunt Publishing
• Additional industry and community partners to be announced

Research Roundtables

Room 216

Research Roundtables are informal, topic-based conversations hosted by presenters. Discussions rotate about every 15 minutes, allowing attendees to explore several projects. Choose a table, listen, ask questions, and join the conversation.

Table 1
Beyond the Algorithm: Mapping the Psychological Footprint of AI on Students
Obed Amoakoh Boateng, Virginia Commonwealth University

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Table 2
Who Is the Vulnerable Patient? Demographic Stereotyping, Narrative Construction, and the Clinical Gaze in AI-Generated Simulated Patient Cases
Ashley Hahn Akkaya, Jiaxi Wu, and Bridget Thomson-McInnes, Virginia Commonwealth University

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Table 3
Human-Centered AI in Education: Equity, Integrity, and Institutional Response Across K-12 and Higher Education
Charletta Barringer-Brown, Ph.D., President and Senior Researcher, Charletta Barringer-Brown Consulting

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Table 4
"Move Fast and Break Things": A Critical Inquiry Into AI's Paradigms of Sacrificial Progress
J. Michi Gardner, MATX Ph.D. Student, Virginia Commonwealth University

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Table 5
Every Kitchen, Every Language: Scaling a Proven Diabetes Prevention Program to a Global Population
Moradeke "Mora" Alabi, Pharm.D. Candidate, Class of 2028, and Incoming Ph.D. Student in Pharmaceutical Sciences, VCU School of Pharmacy; Dayanjan "Shanaka" Wijesinghe, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Founding Director, Digital Health Lab, Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, VCU School of Pharmacy

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Table 6
Streets of Opportunity: A Spatial-Temporal Street-Level AI Framework for Mapping Micro-Scale Urban Inequality
Vrinda Shah, Independent

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Table 7
The $40 Audit: What a Duck Pen and Soil Regeneration Can Teach Us About Securing Fortune 500 AI Systems
Elena Bobkova, AI Ready RVA / rvatech

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Table 8
What Counts? Assessing the Metrics Through Which AI Workflows and Impact Are Grasped
William Benton, Assistant Professor and Director of Innovation Programs, University College, VCU; Erdem Topsakal, Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, VCU

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Table 9
Friends in Low Places
Sarah Myer, Data Steward, RENCI at UNC-Chapel Hill; Nathalie Collins Volkheimer, Ph.D., User Engagement Specialist, RENCI at UNC-Chapel Hill

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Table 10
The Human Value Centered AI Project Lifecycle
Aaron Baker, Senior Manager of Data Analytics and AI Lead at CapTech, RVATech Data/AI Summit Chair, VCU Business Adjunct

3:00 - 4:15 p.m. | Session II

Workshops

Room 110 | Workshop
Humans in the Loop: Designing Assessment Around What Generative AI Can't Do
Nancy Kent Smith, L. Douglas Wilder School and Robertson School, Virginia Commonwealth University

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Room 112 | Workshop
What Does It Mean to Be AI Ready for Richmond, Virginia and Beyond?
William Willis, Executive Director, AI Ready RVA

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Room 303 | Workshop
Gemini Notebook to Gemini Gems: A Practical Workflow for Source-Based Work
Presenters: Heather Dorrell and Smita Jain, Instructional Designers with LEDstudio

Attendees should bring a laptop to this session.

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Room 404 | Workshop
Audit It Yourself: A Hands-On Method for AI Governance Without a Compliance Department
Steve Daniel, AI Strategy & Governance Lead, En Dash Consulting; Jeremy Bailey, Senior Full-Stack Engineer, En Dash Consulting

Panels

Room 202 | Panel
Tech for Humanity: Meaning, Language, and Authorship After AI
Laura Belmonte, Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Virginia Tech; Carlos Evia, Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives, Virginia Tech; William Taggart, Instructor and Assistant Chair, Modern Cultures, Languages, and Literatures, Virginia Tech; Matthew Vollmer, Professor of Creative Writing, Virginia Tech

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Room 216 | Panel
Environment and Human Impacts of Data Centers
Stephen Fong, Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University; Mary Finley-Brook, University of Richmond; Savannah Wilson, Clean Virginia; Carly Muir, VCU; Damian Pitt, VCU

Research Papers

Room 503 | Research Paper
Trust Is the Product
Nathalie Collins Volkheimer, Ph.D., User Engagement Specialist, RENCI at UNC-Chapel Hill; Sarah Myer, MPH, Ph.D., Data Steward, RENCI at UNC-Chapel Hill

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Room 503 | Research Paper
Beyond the Black Box: Teaching AI Literacy Through Arts Integration in Higher Education
Michael Dickerson, Law School Systems & Applications Lead, University of Richmond

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Room 503 | Research Paper
Some Thoughts on Hegel's Mastery and Servitude in Relation to AI-Related Social Pathologies
Michael Reno, Senior Lecturer of Philosophy and Assistant Director, Center for AI and the Liberal Arts, University of Mary Washington

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Room 503 | Research Paper
State of the Researcher: Supporting User Research Initiation in Chatbots at the Library of Virginia
Sarah Falls, Chief of Researcher Engagement, Library of Virginia

Paper & Project Presentations

Room 644 | Project Presentation
CareBridge AI: Human-Centered Knowledge Transfer for Caregivers and Disability Support Networks
Garret Westlake, Vice Provost for Innovation and Strategic Design and Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship, Virginia Commonwealth University; Parthenia "Parthy" Dinora, Executive Director, Partnership for People with Disabilities, Virginia Commonwealth University

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Room 644 | Project Presentation
When Governance Fails on the Plant Floor (and in the Lab): Lessons from Industrial AI Incidents for Research Settings
Elena Bobkova, AI Ready RVA

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Room 644 | Research Paper
Mapping the Geography of Invisibility: How Data Pollution Renders Environmental Injustice Invisible
Amy Yeboah Quarkume, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Earth, Environment and Equity / Data Science and Analytics, Howard University; Executive Director, CORE Futures Lab; Director, M.S. in Applied Data Science and Analytics

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Room 644 | Project Presentation
Whose History Counts? How AI Reads Some Histories Better Than Others
Jeanette Ruiz, Virginia Commonwealth University

4:30 - 5:30 p.m. | Reception & Networking

STEM Second Floor

Close out the Summit with an opportunity to reconnect with presenters, collaborators, and participants from across the day's sessions.

Full Summit Schedule

The Summit includes a full day of panels, workshops, research presentations, roundtables, and networking opportunities. Morning check-in and the Featured Leadership Panel will take place at the W.E. Singleton Center. Programming will then transition to the VCU STEM Building beginning with Session I at 10:30 a.m.