Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the way people work, learn, and conduct research. To prepare students for the challenges and opportunities presented by an increasingly AI-driven world, the University of Connecticut is integrating AI tools and topics into academic programs and launching a three-year AI-enhancing initiative, “AI@Conn: Liberal Arts Education with AI.” “Strengthening” was launched. Education, research, and technology initiatives across campus. AI@Conn is funded by a generous bequest to the Diane Y. Williams ’59 Educational Technology Fund from Harold F. Wiley, a member of Ad Astra and the Rosemary Park Society who passed away in 2023.
“AI@Conn adds a new dimension to our signature academic program, Connections, and prepares our students for successful careers in the modern world,” said Dean of the University said Interim Dean Erica J. Smith, Dean of the School of Equity and Inclusion. “This multifaceted initiative positions Conn as a leader in innovative technology education across disciplines.”
Wiley’s gift designated for academic technology inspired Matt Gerzina, vice provost for information services and dean of university libraries, to provide input from faculty, generative AI for the teaching and learning community, and library and information technology staff. We developed an AI focus formed by discussions with “We worked on the idea that AI won’t replace your job, but it might be able to replace someone who knows how to use it,” he said.
The cornerstone of this effort is the creation of a two-year fellowship. The Harold F. Wiley Fellow in Artificial Intelligence brings expertise to the university, supporting faculty with AI-related projects, assisting with course development, and leading summer workshops.
“The idea is that this dedicated position will help oversee academic AI interest and support a variety of departments. It will allow computer science faculty and other campus professionals to engage in AI research and Freed to focus on creation, AI fellows will be able to support faculty development and address issues such as ethical concerns and safety,” Gardzina explained.
Through professional development workshops, course development support, and new technologies, instructors who believe their courses could benefit from, or are interested in exploring whether they could benefit from AI, can explore how AI can be used in teaching and research. You will be provided with the tools and knowledge you need to incorporate it into your practice.
Would you like to modify an assignment within an existing course, create a new assignment, update an existing course to include a key AI component, or create a new AI-focused course? Faculty are provided with scholarships. AI@Conn also provides scholarships and resources to support student and faculty summer research projects focused on AI.
Marc Zimmer, Jean C. Tempel ’65 Professor of Chemistry, who joined the faculty in 1990, said students would greatly benefit from guidance on how to incorporate AI into their current research and future careers. I am. “AI is here to stay,” he said. “It may be scary, but students must learn when and how to use it efficiently and ethically.”
An early adopter, Zimmer uses AI as a tool to enhance instruction and help students absorb material in a way that best suits their learning style. By uploading textbooks, notes, and previous tests into ChatGPT 4.0 and entering his own written instructions for the length and level of answers he would provide, he created a private interactive tool for students called Marc’s Chemistry Tutor. did.
Last fall, students in Virginia Eason Weinman ’51 history professor Leo Garofalo’s “Latin American Immigration and Migration” seminar used AI to facilitate data analysis. “They used this tool very effectively and ethically to help record and transcribe the interviews they conducted for their oral history project. “We were amazed at how much time they saved, allowing them to focus on more advanced analysis and organization to create compelling stories,” Garofalo said.
AI broadly refers to the process by which a computer imitates human behavior in response to specific instructions entered by the user. AI can be used to organize and identify patterns in vast amounts of data and produce results that far exceed human capabilities. At the same time, this technology and its usage raises serious questions regarding accuracy, reliability, bias, copyright, integrity, and privacy. Additionally, as companies such as Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI increase their presence in education, and some question the environmental impact of running the computer systems needed for AI, academia and the corporate world are at odds. The lines are becoming blurred.
Gardzina said the AI@Conn initiative aims to empower faculty, staff, and students to explore and answer these questions. “The goal is to get a lot of faculty from different disciplines thinking about more advanced uses of this technology.”
Zimmer said that, ironically, the solution to the problem of environmental impact may be found in AI itself. “Climate change could ultimately be solved by AI. For example, CRISPR could be used to generate carbon-consuming bacteria. It could be the answer to (environmental) problems.”
The College will share its resources and expertise with other small liberal arts institutions through workshops, conferences, digital media and symposiums to be held at Conn in the fall of 2025 and 2026.
“AI@Conn is a great resource for AI@Conn,” said Laura Becker, Director of Gift Planning, who worked directly with Mr. Williams and Mr. Wiley to facilitate the bequest in support of AI@Conn. A tradition of innovation in liberal arts education. Through his friendship with Miss Williams, Mr. Wiley generously supported the University of Connecticut for many years, establishing the school and several charitable endowments. ” Becker called the gift “a testament to the power and impact that planned gifts can have on the university.”
