
Held May 14, 2025
FULL PROGRAM | |
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8:00 a.m. | CHECK-IN
Lyons Hall, Dining room |
8:00 a.m. | BREAKFAST
Lyons Hall, Dining room |
9:30 a.m. | OPENING REMARKS聽
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10:00 a.m. | CHECK-IN/INFO TABLE RE-OPENS聽
Gasson Hall, Room 100 |
10:00 a.m. | INDUSTRY PANEL, "AI in Practice"
Gasson Hall, Room 100 |
11:15 a.m. | MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Teaching & Learning |聽聽Productivity |聽Research |
Teaching with AI: Tools, Approaches, and Research
Gasson 202
Gene M. Heyman, Senior Lecturer, Psychology & Neuroscience
Cristina Maier, Assistant Professor of the Practice, Computer Science聽
Mimi Tam, Woods College of Advancing Studies
In this session three faculty members will discuss three different strands of AI and Teaching. First, an overview of the different AI tools that are available for faculty to use. Second, how to develop questions that challenge students to use GenAI critically. Finally, evidence from the research about how GenAI can help students learn.
Building AI Foundations: How I Partnered with AI to Bring a Site to Life聽
Gasson 301
Kyle Fidalgo,聽Academic Technologist, Boston College Law School
In this session, Kyle Fidalgo shares how he partnered with AI tools to design, build, and launch the AI Foundations site. From brainstorming and coding to creating assets and writing content, Kyle demonstrates how AI can be a powerful collaborator across every stage of a creative project. He鈥檒l also highlight the importance of using custom assistants and system prompt design to streamline workflows, maintain consistency, and stay fully engaged in the creative process.
GenAI, Higher Education, and the Law
Gasson 203
Stephanie Charles, Associate General Counsel
Elliott Hibbler,聽Head Librarian, Scholarly Platforms and Discovery聽Services
Kevin R. Powers, Faculty Director & Lecturer in Law | MLS in Cybersecurity, Risk & Governance
GenAI raises important and often intersecting legal and regulatory questions on the university campus. Understanding aspects of this quickly evolving landscape is key to safe and responsible use of AI tools. This session will offer a practical legal primer on these issues, with a focus on data privacy and security, and copyright.
Lessons Learned from CDIL-ITS AI Working Groups
Gasson 302
Chris Constas,聽Professor of the Practice of Philosophy; Director of the Perspectives Program
Ashley Duggan, Professor, Health Communication
Marta Mirete Hernandez,聽Lecturer of Spanish; Coordinator of Intermediate Spanish Language Program
Heather Olins,聽Associate Professor of the Practice, Biology
Moderators from the Center for Digital Innovation in Learning (CDIL):
Claire Angus,聽User Experience and Content Design Consultant
No毛l Ingram,聽Digital Teaching Programs Administrator
Tim Lindgren,聽Assistant Director for Design Innovation
This panel session will share insights from 2024-2025 CDIL-ITS AI Working Groups, which brought together faculty and students to explore the role of generative AI in teaching and learning at Boston College. Panelists will share their experiences developing and implementing custom AI assistants for their courses, reflecting on both the outcomes and the iterative learning process involved. The discussion will highlight how the collaborative format of the working groups, including the parallel student group, facilitated conversation and a deeper understanding of the changing landscape of AI in education.聽
Making AI Work for You
Gasson 204
Cristin Richard, Director, IT Service Management & Computing Support, ITS
Peter Salvitti, Chief Technologist, ITS
Nirmal Trivedi,聽Assistant Director for Teaching, Learning, and Technology, Center for Teaching Excellence
This session offers a practical look at readily-available AI tools that can streamline your daily work, freeing up your time to focus on key strengths and priorities.
Beyond Rewriting Emails: Three Unexpected Ways Staff Are Using AI
Gasson 205
Lynn Berkley,聽Director, Facilities Planning and Information Systems
Daniel Riehs,聽Associate Director, Information Systems & Design, Institutional Research & Planning
Norm Wright,聽Principal Applications Architect/Engineer, ITS
AI at Boston College is doing more than tidying inboxes. In this session, discover how Facilities is using AI to capture institutional knowledge from retiring employees, how Institutional Research & Planning is generating rich prompts for design thinking workshops, and how ITS is experimenting with semantics to push boundaries in data interpretation. Real use cases, real challenges, and surprising wins.
AI Use in Research: Session 1
Gasson 209
Ashley Duggan, Professor, Health Communication
Pablo Guerron, Professor, Economics
Brian Smith, Professor, Computer Science
Lai Wei, Assistant Professor, Business Analytics
Min Zhao, Associate Professor, Marketing
Co-organized by the Department of Computer Science and the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, this session will feature a mix of talks and poster presentations, providing a platform for participants to share their work and laying the groundwork for collaborative team proposals.
NeuroAI
Gasson 207
Stefano Anzellotti, Associate Professor, Psychology
Vincent Cho, Associate Professor,聽Educational Leadership & Higher Education
Ido Davidesco,聽Assistant Professor, Counseling, Developmental & Educational Psychology
Emily Prud'hommeux, Associate Professor, Computer Science
Donglai Wei,聽Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Yuan Yuan, Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Helen Zheng,聽PhD Candidate
The intersection between AI, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science is stimulating progress in the understanding of the mind and brain, and inspiring applications in fields with high social impact like education, mental health, and morality. The NeuroAI initiative at Boston College brings together researchers interested in these fields, to stimulate new ideas and promote collaborations. A brief introduction of the initiative will be followed by short presentations introducing the work of researchers from different departments and schools.聽
12:00 p.m. | LUNCH
Lyons Hall, Dining room |
12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m | LUNCH ROUNDTABLE
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1:30 p.m. | AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONSTeaching & Learning |聽聽Productivity |聽Research |
Advancing Teaching Excellence Through Faculty Development: Strategic Considerations for Integrating AI into Teaching and Learning聽
Gasson 203
Jonathan Ahern,聽Associate Director, Graduate Programs, Woods College of Advancing Studies|
Michelle Elias Bloomer,聽Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs, Woods College of Advancing Studies
John FitzGibbon,聽Associate Director of Digital Learning Innovation, Center for Digital Innovation in Learning
No毛l Ingram,聽Digital Teaching Programs Administrator, Center for Digital Innovation in Learning
Tristan Johnson,聽Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, Woods College of Advancing Studies
Emily Kent,聽Associate Director, Undergraduate Programs, Woods College of Advancing Studies
This case presentation highlights a college collaboration that led to the development and delivery of a faculty professional development workshop series focused on the effective integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into college teaching practices. The initiative was designed to equip faculty with practical strategies, pedagogical approaches, and conceptual frameworks to thoughtfully incorporate AI into their course design and instruction.
Through shared expertise, workshops, and innovative practices, faculty members are reimagining course design, enhancing student engagement, and preparing learners for an AI-driven future.聽 We will share key insights into what worked well鈥攁nd what fell short鈥攄uring the planning, design, and implementation of the workshop series, offering lessons learned to guide future efforts.
Navigating the Job Market: The AI-Related Skills Employers Seek in New Graduates
Gasson 302
Moderator: Rachel Greenberg, Director, Career Center
Adrienne Chiozzi, Takeda
Hampton Clarkson, Dell
Casey McInley, Connor Group
Tate Krasner,聽Air Space Intelligence
This panel session will explore how artificial intelligence is changing the workplace. AI skills have become among the fastest growing skills needed for today鈥檚 workforce. Representatives from local organizations across multiple industries will discuss the essential technical and non-technical skills and knowledge that employers are prioritizing in new college graduates as they pertain to AI. Attendees will gain insights into how we can all help prepare students and new graduates for the ever-changing job market.
Exploring the AI Frontier: Understanding Risks and Our Responsibilities at 91福利导航
Gasson 205
Cristin Richard, Director, IT Service Management & Computing Support, ITS
Peter Salvitti, Chief Technologist, ITS
Nirmal Trivedi,聽Assistant Director for Teaching, Learning, and Technology,聽Center for Teaching Excellence
This session equips you with essential knowledge about the potential risks and best practices of using AI tools in higher education, while also providing insights into Boston College's current AI landscape and future direction.
AI Use in Research: Session 2聽
Gasson 209
Amittai Aviram,聽Associate Professor of the Practice, Computer Science
Mark Behn, Professor,聽Earth and Environmental Sciences
Marcus Breen,聽Associate Professor of the Practice, Communication
Dogus Dogru, Research Assistant, Biology
Ji Yoon Jung, Senior Research Specialist, IEA's TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Lynch School of Education and Human Development
Cristina Maier,聽Assistant Professor of the Practice, Computer Science
Co-organized by the Department of Computer Science and the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, this session will feature a mix of talks and poster presentations, providing a platform for participants to share their work and laying the groundwork for collaborative team proposals.
Artificial Intelligence for Ethical Research and Publication
Gasson 301
Elliott Hibbler,聽Head Librarian, Scholarly Platforms and Discovery Services
Erin Sibley,聽Director, Research Protections, Education, & Postdoctoral Affairs
David J. Thomas, Digital Scholarship Specialist, University Libraries
In this session, a panel of staff from both Boston College Libraries and the Office of Research Protections will discuss the risks and safeguards researchers need to consider when using AI in their scholarship. Specifically, the panel will discuss: the implications of using AI with research data, particularly human research data and Institutional Review Board requirements; which uses of AI are allowed in works for academic publishers and how those uses are disclosed; and what it means for a scholarly publication to exist in a world where AI companies see everything as potential training data.
A Round Table Discussion on Exploring the Role of Generative AI in Academic Research
Gasson 204
ITS Research Services team members:
Viktoriya Babicheva, MPH
Rani Dalgin, MSW,
M.Ed.Matt Gregas, Ph.D.
Melissa McTernan, Ph.D.
Join research methodology and data acquisition experts from the 91福利导航 ITS Research Services Team for an engaging roundtable discussion on the transformative impact of generative AI across various research methodologies including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research and the associated methodological and security considerations. This session will delve into how AI-driven tools are revolutionizing research by enhancing data analysis and interpretation, expediting research through assisting with coding statistical models and assisting with qualitative and mixed methods coding. Whether you're a seasoned researcher or new to the field, this promises to be a lively conversation.
2:15 p.m. | BREAK |
2:30 p.m. |
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AI Assistant Show and Tell聽
Gasson 112
Seoyeon Bae,聽Ph.D. Candidate
Ashley Duggan,聽Professor, Health Communication
Stefane Cahill Farella,聽Senior Associate Director, Employee Development, Human Resources
Kyle Fidalgo,聽Academic Technologist, Law School
Marta Mirete Hernandez,聽Lecturer of Spanish; Coordinator of Intermediate Spanish Language Program
Callid Keefe-Perry,聽Assistant Professor,聽Clough School of Theology and Ministry
Tim Lindgren,聽Assistant Director for Design Innovation, Center for Digital Innovation in Learning
Chris Wilson, Professor Emeritus, English
Join us for an interactive 鈥淪how & Tell鈥 session featuring a range of custom AI Assistants developed by members of the Boston College community. Attendees are invited to drop by, ask questions, try out the chatbots, and learn firsthand from the creators about their design choices, lessons learned, and future ideas.
Utilizing LLM tools to engage non-STEM majors in learning to use prompting to code
Gasson 100
Sheikh Ahmad Shahm, PhD student
This poster is about how Large Language Model (LLM) chatbots like Copilot can support non-STEM undergraduates with limited coding experience. Three lab sessions were conducted focusing on creating JavaScript-based games and simulations, where students used LLM tools to create progressively more complex programs, the final one being their own project. While survey results were mostly inclusive, students鈥 chat history and reflections suggest growth in students鈥 ability to write better prompts to generate better code. However, students had less critical engagement with code itself. The study provides early insights into the role of AI tools in coding education among novice learners.
Artificial Intelligence Through the Lens of Critical Information Literacy
Gasson 112
Library Instruction Department
This poster conveys the importance of critical information literacy and the library's role in supporting students' learning and research processes.
Enhancing Neonatal Muscle Segmentation with Mixed Phantom and Clinical Ultrasound Data
Gasson 100
Nora Alwash, Class of 2026, Undergraduate Research Assistant
Hayoung Cho, Class of 2025, Research Student
Vera Hernandez, Class of 2026,聽Undergraduate Research Assistant
Mary Loeb,聽Class of 2026,聽Undergraduate Research Assistant
Bryan Ranger,聽Ferrante Family Assistant Professor, Department of Engineering
Monitoring neonatal body composition non-invasively can detect malnutrition and growth patterns, critical for preterm infants. We used abdominal, biceps, and quadriceps ultrasound images to measure tissue thickness, predicting fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) via non-linear regression methods and Gaussian Process Regression. Sensitivity analysis showed individual measures were insufficient, prompting UNet-based cross-sectional area segmentation. We developed gelatin-based phantoms (1% psyllium husk for adipose; 2% aluminum oxide in agar for muscle) with echogenicity comparable to clinical datasets. Dice scores were 0.9272 for phantom, 0.6089 for clinical, and 0.8027 for mixed data. Ongoing work focuses on improving predictive performance on mixed and clinical datasets.聽
鈥淎I gets a reputation for making interactions feel surface-level, but it doesn鈥檛 have to be that way鈥: Students鈥 reflections on using purposeful AI to facilitate reflective conversations
Gasson 100
Maddie Bruns, Class of 2025
Annette Choi
Aimee Cowles, Class of 2026
Hannah Cunniffe, Class of 2026
Ashley Duggan, Professor, Health Communication
Lily Harden, Class of 2025
Aliza Jernigan, Class of 2025
Erin Kolenda, Class of 2026
Charlotte LaBossiere, Class of 2025
Frances Lee, Class of 2026
Cro铆a Loughnane
As digital technologies increasingly shape how we communicate, learn, and care for ourselves, there is growing potential to use artificial intelligence (AI) to support reflection, connection, and wellbeing. AI chatbots, in particular, are emerging as tools not just for delivering content, but for facilitating transformative conversations鈥攖he kinds that spark awareness, build empathy, and inspire action. Two custom chatbots were designed to be thoughtful, curious, and facilitative conversations, drawing inspiration from person-centred health and wellbeing professionals with strong communication skills. This study employed a qualitative exploratory design to investigate the effectiveness of the reflective AI chatbot within the context of a university course on Health and Illness in Relationships at Boston College. This poster focuses on themes identified in student written reflections about their AI chatbot experience.
Harvesting Deep Networks: Towards Designing a Robust Crop-yield Estimation Model聽
Gasson 100
Shrey Gupta,聽Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Computer Science
Yi Ming, Institute Professor of Climate Science and Society, Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society
George Mohler,聽Daniel J. Fitzgerald Professor, Computer Science
Accurate crop yield prediction is vital for food security and agricultural planning, yet building robust models that handle the complexities of temporal and spatial variations remains a challenge. This study introduces a deep learning framework employing a hybrid Convolutional Neural Network鈥揕ong Short-Term Memory (CNN-LSTM) architecture to model both temporal dynamics and spatial dependencies in long-term agricultural data. Trained on multi-year, county-level crop yield data alongside daily meteorological variables (temperature, precipitation, humidity, and more), the model captures intricate patterns across time and space.The LSTM component effectively learns long-range temporal dependencies and seasonal fluctuations, which are crucial for accurate forecasting. Simultaneously, the CNN component extracts localized spatial features from county-level inputs, enabling the model to understand spatial patterns in climate and their impact on yield variations across regions.The results demonstrate that this CNN-LSTM framework achieves accurate yield predictions while effectively capturing the complex interactions between long-term climatic trends and spatial differences in county-level crop yield data. This hybrid approach offers a significant step towards more reliable and insightful crop yield forecasting.
Divine Guidance or Digital Counsel? Investigating the Relationship Between Religiosity and AI Advice-Seeking
Gasson 100
Helen Huiting Zheng, PhD Candidate, Psychology
Kyle Fiore Law, Postdoctoral Researcher
Liane Young, Professor, Psychology聽
In recent years, it has become increasingly common for people to seek advice, including moral guidance, from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots. This poster presents findings from a representative U.S. adult sample (N = 348) examining the relationship between individuals鈥 religiosity and their tendency to seek advice from AI chatbots for both general and moral matters. The findings offer initial insights into how religious involvement and commitment shape the tendency to seek advice from AI chatbots. This work contributes to understanding the intersection of technology, belief systems, and advice-seeking behavior in contemporary society.
3:30 p.m. | CONCLUDING PANEL
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4:30 p.m. | CLOSING RECEPTIONLyons Hall, Dining Room |