Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit 2026
A page within Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning (CATL)
Thursday, May 21, 2026 from 8:30am-12:00pm in Cleary Alumni Center, Great Hall
SCHEDULE
8:30 - Breakfast
Join us for some food (vegetarian breakfast buffet) and conversation!
8:45-9:45 Keynote Address
Applied AI in Higher Education: Practical Approaches to Teaching, Learning, and Research
Presented by Dr. Swen Schneider, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and Executive Director of the Institute of Data-Driven Business
This guest lecture provides practical insights into the use of AI in higher education, including the transformation of teaching content into interactive formats such as podcasts and avatars. It also draws on experience in supervising AI-supported student theses, highlighting key successes, challenges, and takeaways for faculty. In addition, it offers a brief perspective on the evolving role of AI in research and provides insights from “Student Use and Perceptions of AI” studies with 350 UWL students (2024) and 250 German students (2025), still relevant today.
About: Dr. Swen Schneider is a Professor at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and Executive Director of the Institute of Data-Driven Business. He focuses on the practical application of AI in teaching, learning, and Digital Business/E-Commerce. Drawing on research and industry experience with organizations such as IBM and Mastercard, he explores how AI can be integrated into higher education and business processes. His teaching and advisory work emphasizes digital transformation, innovation, and agile practices. He was a Visiting Research Scholar at UWL in 2023/2024.
10:00-10:45 - Guided Discussion
From Purpose to Practice to Proof: Faculty Decision Making About AI in Teaching
Presented by Tesia Marshik & Bryan Kopp (CATL)
11:00-12:00 - Table Talks
These sessions consist of three 20-minute discussions with rotating groups of colleagues, designed to help participants have as many interesting conversations with as many people as possible.
- Table 1 = Whitney George | AI, Workforce Development, and Eagle Advantage Competencies
- Table 2 = Lema Kabashi | Integrating Artificial Intelligence to Strengthen Data-Based Decision Making in Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plans
- Table 3 = Shrobona Karkun-Sen | AI Policies as Traffic Lights
- Table 4 = Megan Litster | Disciplinary Values, Assessment Design, and Compassionate Support in the Age of AI
- Table 5 = Anup Menon Nandialath | Phased AI Scaffolding in Operations Management
- Table 6 = Zach Moffett and Amanda Abrahamson (Student Life) | AI and Academic Integrity
- Table 7 = School of Education’s AI Task Force | AI Integration Across PK–12 Education and Teacher Preparation
- Table 8 = Heather Walder | Integrating AI into Curriculum and Pedagogy: Unearthing Early Agriculture Sites Using Generative AI