Dr. J. Camille Dempsey, an internationally recognized scholar in educational technology and artificial intelligence, continues to expand her global impact through a prestigious fellowship and recent international engagement.

Dempsey, director of the PennWest Center for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies and professor of Education at PennWest University, was recently awarded a Critical AI Policy Virtual Fellowship offered in partnership by Manchester Metropolitan University in England and Loyola University Chicago.

“AI is becoming part of everyday life, so helping people understand it really matters,” Dempsey said. “This fellowship is a great chance to learn from others and think more deeply about where AI is heading.”

The competitive fellowship, which continues through July 2026, brings together scholars and practitioners focused on shaping ethical and effective artificial intelligence policy. As part of the program, Dempsey will develop a public-facing article outlining her work and proposed policy intervention, collaborate with fellows and affiliate members through seminars, and participate in specialized training on policy development. She will also contribute to a formal policy report, present her findings at the Online Digital Ethics & Policymaking Summer School, and support dissemination efforts following the report’s publication.

This recognition builds on Dempsey’s extensive leadership and scholarship in the field. She brings more than three decades of experience across education, having taught at the pre-K through 12th grade levels as well as in higher education. Her academic background includes a doctorate in instructional technology and leadership from Duquesne University, a master’s degree in education from Teachers College, Columbia University and undergraduate study at the University of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

“At the end of the day, this work is about preparing students for a world where AI is part of everyday life,” Dempsey said.

A cultural theorist and founder of the Theory of Virtuality Culture, Dempsey examines the intersections of technology, generative AI and contemporary culture. Her research explores how individuals and societies connect, communicate and experience presence through emerging technologies — and how those technologies reshape human consciousness. She has presented extensively at local, regional, state, national and international conferences and is widely recognized for her contributions to educational technology scholarship.

In addition to her fellowship work, Dempsey was recently invited to lead an intensive series of professional development sessions for faculty at Al Akhawayn University, located in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. The series engaged professors from across disciplines in exploring practical strategies for building AI literacy, redesigning pedagogy with AI-supported tools, and integrating ethical AI practices into teaching, research and assessment. Through hands-on workshops, collaborative discussions and customized consultations, participants gained both conceptual frameworks and actionable approaches to responsibly leverage AI in their work.

“Working with faculty in Morocco showed me that these conversations about AI are truly global,” Dempsey said.

Dempsey’s professional distinctions include selection as a Faculty Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence through the International Society for Technology in Education and as an EDSAFE AI Alliance Catalyst Fellow. She also serves as a Google Women Techmakers Ambassador, an ISTE Community Leader, and a Pennsylvania Keystone Technology Integrator. Her honors include ISTE’s “20 to Watch” award and the Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications and Technology Educational Technology Impact Award for her article, “The Spirit of the Times: Virtuality Culture and Technology-Mediated Human Presence.” She has also received the Ero W. Davidson State Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Technology and Communications from PAECT.

Further extending her influence in policy and practice, Dempsey was recently appointed to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s AI Advisory Committee for the Joint State Government Commission and the Pennsylvania General Assembly. In this role, she has testified before the Pennsylvania Senate on artificial intelligence, workforce development and education. She has also contributed nationally as faculty in the ISTE K–12 Artificial Intelligence Explorations Program, helping more than 100 educators integrate AI into their schools and programs.

In addition, Dempsey has served as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology, as a grant panel facilitator and reviewer, and as a higher education program reviewer for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. She regularly provides professional development and strategic guidance on educational technology and artificial intelligence to organizations regionally, nationally and internationally.

Through her teaching, research and leadership, Dempsey continues to position PennWest at the forefront of conversations shaping the future of artificial intelligence in education and society.