The PennWest Center for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies will offer a spring 2026 series of artificial intelligence-focused speaker sessions and professional development opportunities for PennWest faculty, staff and students.

The series will explore the growing role of artificial intelligence across higher education, with sessions addressing AI in teaching and learning, deep research tools, chatbots, ethics, academic integrity, liberal arts perspectives and institutional strategy. Programming is designed to support responsible, human-centered and ethical integration of AI across disciplines and professional roles.

Sessions will be held from February through May and will include interactive discussions, faculty-focused workshops and broader conversations about culture, leadership and the future of learning in an AI-driven world. Some sessions require advance registration.

The series opens Feb. 6 with “Ubuntu Ethics & AI: What It Means to Be Human-Centered,” facilitated by Dr. Alecia Blackwood, an international scholar and expert in Ubuntu pedagogy. Additional sessions will be led by Dr. Camille Dempsey, director of the PennWest Center for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies and a nationally recognized leader in ethical AI integration in education.

Full list of sessions and registration information

Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to check back regularly, as additional sessions may be added throughout the semester.