I’ll start by saying that the discussion about AI-induced human extinction is not new. It has been the topic of science fiction for decades. Think HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey, or movies like The Terminator, The Matrix, etc.

In cybersecurity, we define risk as a function of likelihood and impact. In other words, risk depends both on how likely it is for an adverse outcome to occur as well as the impact of the event. The same risk discussion applies here. It isn’t overly likely that AI will go out of control in a way that it affects humanity, but if it does, the impact will be massive. Because of that, we have to treat this risk as very high.

We have already seen some of the risks AI poses, as there have been a number of instances of AI agents going rogue. How did we get to this point?

AI programming is built on a specific combination of mathematics, statistics and computer science that has yielded emergent properties. What we mean by that is that complex AI models start exhibiting unexpected abilities or behaviors when they grow large enough, despite the fact that individual components do not have them. This is a well-known fact in systems theory, but to see it as clearly illustrated as we see it today is fascinating but worrisome.

What can be done to reduce or even remove those risks?

We can begin by learning from the past. The internet was initially developed without any security built into its fabric. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, it became clear that this was an oversight and a huge industry emerged to “bolt on” security measures. However, we know that add-ons are never as effective as having something incorporated into a design from the start.

We should not repeat that mistake. We need to develop safety and security features of AI in parallel with its capabilities. A smart regulatory policy can help, not by stopping innovation, but by establishing clear rules that might curb dangerous practices while encouraging safe ones.

Can students today help make AI safe by earning a degree in it?

Yes, absolutely. It comes back to those emergent properties. Emergent properties provide fantastic capabilities, but there also need to be firm guardrails in place to ensure that all decisions made using AI are ethical and keep people at the center. Studying AI equips students with the ability to fully understand these issues and serve as domain specialists in responsible development, adoption and use of AI and AI-like technologies.

������Ƶ offers bachelor’s degree programs in AI as well computer science and information systems. What fields of work do they prepare students for?

There are four main career tracks for majors in computer science, information systems and artificial intelligence.

They pursue a career in software engineering, which involves the many steps that go into creating and maintaining software products; AI will play a big role in this field. Another field is defensive cybersecurity. AI will play an important role here are well, but much of what a security analyst does today is making experience-based judgement calls. AI is great with facts, but not so much when it comes to values and opinions.

AI engineering is the new career option. AI is software, so AI engineers are, in a way, specialized software engineers. They primarily focus on all aspects of developing and improving AI algorithms. Analysis is the fourth career track and is the focus of our information systems program. It prepares students for analyst careers—for example, business analyst—where they will bridge “business” with “technology.”

Our MS in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning program is offered in Garden City but also at our Manhattan Center. What advantages does this give professionals working in New York City?

New York City is a hub for tech entrepreneurship, and having closer proximity to that hub enables our students to fully tap into that potential. Our MS in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is a hybrid program; some courses are offered in person while others are offered online. This mix allows working professionals to attend to their jobs during the day and expand their career in the evening. A full-time student should expect to spend three or four evenings per week on degree work, but we also support part-time students who may not be able to dedicate so much time. Either way, we work with each student on an individual basis to ensure that they get the most out of the program.

What hard skills are graduates of our degree programs able to list on their résumés?

While our students acquire hard technical skills—such as programming in Python, training machine learning models, developing algorithms and building system architecture—higher education is about far more than short-term skill development.

The core of what we do in the mathematics and computer science department is teach critical thinking, problem solving and solution design. By critical thinking, I mean being able to identify, understand and clearly describe the problem that needs to be solved, while also understanding the implications and capabilities of all the technologies that could be used to solve it. Problem solving involves deciding what technologies are appropriate to be used, and how they should be deployed. Solution design is establishing a socio-technical system of humans interacting with technology addresses the issue.

By taking the liberal arts approach to this instead of merely relying on skill development, we future-proof the students’ entire career. Technologies change; the ability to think does not.

Back to the news, President Trump has recently talked about referring to artificial intelligence as “superintelligence.” Are they the same thing?

Superintelligence is a concept that describes a form of artificial intelligence that transcends human intelligence. Traditionally, the AI we see today is considered “basic AI.” Once it reaches the level that it is comparable to the way humans think, it would be referred to as “artificial general intelligence” or “AGI.” When it evolves beyond that, it would become “superintelligence.”

The question is how much intuition, self-interest and subjective decision-making defines human intelligence. Self-interest requires self-consciousness; in other words, the realization of self. That strays deeper into philosophy and psychology than I’m comfortable discussing, though.

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support eligible institutions of higher education in expanding their capacity to serve low-income students by strengthening their academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability. To qualify, an institution must have at least 50 percent of its degree students receiving need-based assistance or a substantial number of enrolled students receiving Pell Grants, in addition to low educational and general expenditures. ������Ƶ has demonstrated a deep commitment to the enrollment and upward mobility of low-income and first-generation students, evidenced through its undergraduate population—33 percent of undergrad students are Pell recipients, and of the undergraduate students who provided their parents’ highest degree, 45 percent identified as first-generation college students.

������Ƶ Ascend will largely support low-income students and help them become more successful in college and in their future careers. “������Ƶ is well known for the social mobility of its graduates,” said Andrea Ward, PhD, vice provost for research and libraries, who led the development of this grant. “Through this program, ������Ƶ will continue to show its commitment to working with students to not only succeed in the classroom but also once they graduate.”

The program focuses on three areas:

• Transforming the advising system for first-year students, providing a more holistic experience that incorporates faculty and staff training on how to effectively support and engage with today’s students, helping them to transition more easily to college, move into their desired major and continue through graduation.
• Reworking and augmenting ���������’s First-Year Seminar program, an existing requirement for nearly all first-year students that serves as a yearlong orientation program. Students will undergo evaluations to develop skills and learn the critical academic, behavioral and financial competencies necessary for postsecondary persistence and self-sufficiency. Mentorship is built into the plan; upper-class students will serve as mentors to first-year students, and alumni will be invited to speak to students about internships and career opportunities during a Career Day at ���������’s Manhattan Center.
• AI-ready workforce development, helping to build AI literacy and develop AI skills necessary for students’ academic disciplines and careers. AI training will also be provided to faculty from both a teaching and a research perspective, teaching them the value that AI brings to an educational experience. As part of this effort, a new AI Cross-Disciplinary Certificate program will also be developed by ���������’s Innovation Center.

Through these strategic efforts, ������Ƶ aims to elevate first-year persistence, accelerate on-time graduation, expand long-term degree completion and advance educational equity by eliminating the historical achievement gap between Pell-eligible and non-Pell students.

������Ƶ Ascend is a collaborative effort led by Louise Geddes, PhD, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and co-led by Salvatore Petrilli ’05, EdD, senior associate dean for academic operations and general education, Lee Stemkoski, PhD, professor of computer science and mathematics and director of the Innovation Center, and Debra Kyriacou, executive director of the Office of Academic Services and Retention. It is expected that the program will result in higher retention rates for first-year students and improvements in the four-year graduation rate, in addition to decreasing the gaps between students receiving Pell awards and those not receiving Pell awards.

“This grant offers us the opportunity to enact a holistic advising practice to suit each student’s journey at ������Ƶ,” said Interim Dean Geddes. “It can help students, many of whom might be the first in their family to attend college, in finding their feet at the institution. Our goal is to support all students as they learn how to find their passion, hone their skills and develop their future careers.”

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In 1938, ������Ƶ, then open only to women students, became one of the first American colleges to establish a university dance program, founded and run by internationally renowned modern dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis. At that time, dance was typically grouped alongside physical education. Today, ���������’s conservatory-level dance program prepares students to become professional dancers and dance educators. Recent dance MFA grad Frida Molina ’23 is now performing with some of pop’s biggest stars—including Bad Bunny.

Modern dance was the focus of the department in its early days.

First Scientific Computer Minor

No university in New York state had a scientific computing minor until Fall 2019. That is when ���������’s program, developed with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, addressed a shortcoming that had long plagued science undergrads: an inability to write code for highlevel research. ���������’s scientific computing program gives students majoring in sciences the computer and data analysis skills needed for an advanced degree in their discipline or for work in a research setting.

An ������Ƶ student monitors a screen at Long Island’s Brookhaven National Laboratory.

First Private Coeducational University on Long Island

������Ƶ holds the distinction of becoming the first private coeducational university on Long Island, breaking ground in Garden City in 1928. The first building raised was beautiful Blodgett Hall, still proudly standing almost 100 years later.

Designed by the renowned architectural firm McKim, Mead and White, Blodgett Hall today is home to five academic departments.

First University-Based School of Psychology

Professor Gordon F. Derner, PhD, who founded the school in 1972.

Psychology majors at ������Ƶ build on the ingenuity and compassion of the late Gordon F. Derner, PhD. The longtime professor founded the nation’s first university-based professional school of psychology in 1972 as well as ���������’s clinical training program in 1951. For more than 55 years, the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology has earned international recognition for its innovations in psychology and related disciplines. “I believe that the artificial schism between mainstream psychology and psychoanalytic theory has been detrimental to both,” observed Professor Robert Mendelsohn, PhD. “I appreciate that the Derner School is one place where the integration of psychoanalysis into mainstream psychology occurs every day.”

One of the First College Radio Stations in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

On the air in 1982.

���������’s groundbreaking student-run station, WBAU, is one of the only college radio stations cited by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The station was one of the first to give significant airtime to hip-hop. In the early 1980s, program director Bill Stephney gave a platform to ������Ƶ classmate and popular Long Island DJ Carlton Douglas Ridenhour ’84, ’13 (Hon.), on his Mr. Bill Show. The world knows Ridenhour by his professional name, Chuck D.

First in Nursing Leadership

������Ƶ made history by establishing the first Central Collegiate School of Nursing in New York state. In response to an urgent need for nurses during World War II, this became one of the largest collegiate units of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps. Thirty-nine years later, ������Ƶ became the first on Long Island to offer a doctoral program for nurses. It remains one of the few in the state. ���������’s nursing program is now among the highest ranked in the country; the undergraduate program jumped an unprecedented 32 points in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

������Ƶ had one of the largest collegiate units of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps.

First in Women’s Lacrosse Championships

���������’s women’s lacrosse team was the first (and currently only) in NCAA Division II history to win three straight national championships (2009 to 2011). If that wasn’t dynastic enough, after a two-year break, the team won four more in six years.

The 2009 National Champions celebrate.

First in Student Success for Learning Differences

Professor Emeritus Fred Barbaro, EdD, founder of the Learning Resource Program.

The Learning Resource Program, the first of its kind at a university, was founded in 1979 by the late Professor Emeritus Fred Barbaro, EdD, who taught in the ������Ƶ School of Social Work. It allows students with “invisible disabilities” such as ADHD and dyslexia to thrive in college. Around 100 students annually are enrolled in this life-changing program. They have weekly sessions with a learning specialist, receive assistance with career planning, and participate in group and individual sessions with a clinical social worker.

Nearly 40 years later, ������Ƶ unveiled the first sensory room at a college or university for students on the autism spectrum as part of its nationally recognized Bridges to ������Ƶ program. A color-changing hurricane tube assists with emotional regulation, weighted balls and blankets offer sensory stimulation and low lighting offers a calm respite from the stress of college life.

The next firsts for ������Ƶ await. Regardless of whether it’s in academics, entertainment, athletics or student access, one thing is certain: ���������’s impact will travel far beyond Garden City.

������Ƶ was the first college or university with sensory room for students on the spectrum.

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Faculty members Professor Robert Siegfried, PhD; Professor Lee Stemkoski, PhD; Assistant Teaching Professor Kristin Pepper; and Kees Leune, PhD, associate professor and chair of mathematics and computer science, helped Erica build both technical confidence and a collaborative approach to learning.

Erica graduated with departmental honors as a computer science major. While working on their degree, they held student worker positions at Swirbul Library, the Office of Information Technology and in the Mathematics and Computer Science department. They also interned with the Village of Garden City.

Soon after graduation, Erica was selected for the Microsoft Research Data Science Summer School, a program serving students from diverse, nontraditional and underrepresented backgrounds in STEM. Their team studied customer loyalty using public data and presented its findings at Microsoft Research New York and national diversity-in-computing conferences. Erica then returned to ������Ƶ to support the University’s analytics and data-visualization work before earning an MS in computer science from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Erica joined The Walt Disney Company first through internships in data science, management science and data engineering and has been with the company full time since early 2020. As a senior data engineer, they partner across product and decision-science teams to define data needs, build pipelines and support the infrastructure that informs decisions throughout the company.

Erica also creates opportunities for others in technology. They were a technologist representative of Disney at the Grace Hopper Celebration in 2019 and, since 2024, have helped lead the Disney Data & Analytics Women Award experience, which brings four women in analytics to the company’s annual conference to present research and build professional relationships.

������Ƶ recognizes Erica for technical leadership, career achievement, and sustained work to widen access and belonging in computing and analytics.

Member of ������Ƶ’s

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It was a day of transitions, and a happy one.

Interim President Christopher Storm, PhD, who will be returning to his job as provost on June 1 with new leadership responsibilities as senior executive vice president of academic affairs, expressed sincere thanks for the support he received over the past year.

President-Elect Michael Balboni ’81, JD, enthusiastically greeted the graduating seniors as his “fellow alumni” and offered his success as an indication of how far an ������Ƶ degree can take them.

And the 1,165 members of the Class of 2026 closed the book on their undergraduate years and entered the next phase of their lives.

Commencement by the Numbers and Degrees

Just as it is every year, there was no “typical” ������Ƶ graduate. Six bachelor’s degree recipients are 19 years old. The oldest is 59 and is one of six graduates who are in their 50s. Thirty-five are over 30 years old, many of whom earned degrees in fully online or hybrid programs designed for working adults from ���������’s College of Professional and Continuing Studies.

Diplomas were awarded in 51 different degree programs, reflecting the wide variety of academic and career interests of students in the Class of 2026.

The largest group of graduates were the 299 students who were awarded Bachelor of Science degrees in Nursing. ���������’s College of Nursing and Public Health is perennially ranked as a U.S. News & World Best College for Undergraduate Nursing Programs. It is also a U.S. News Best Nursing School for �������ٱ��’s degree and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs as well, and one of only 13 institutions designated as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing.

Psychology was the next-most-popular degree, with 85 graduates. U.S. News & World Report includes ������Ƶ’s Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology in its rankings of Best Undergraduate Psychology Programs, Best Psychology Grad Schools and Best Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs.

Biology, a favorite major for premedical and preprofessional students, had the third-largest group of graduates, with 67 students earning their degrees. Rounding out the top five were two more programs in the healthcare and wellness fields—health sciences, with 52 students earning their Bachelor of Science, and physical education, with 51 graduates.

Top-10 degrees also included accelerated nursing, management, computer science, marketing and finance.

Graduates From Near and Far

While most of this year’s graduates are from New York, members of the Class of 2026 came to ������Ƶ from 24 other states. Students from New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania were the largest out-of-state contingents.

The class also included 86 international students from 42 countries, including 10 from India, seven from Pakistan, five from Mongolia and five from Vietnam.

Hussein Ali Rifath, president of ���������’s Student Government Association, celebrated the global character of the Class of 2026 in his Commencement address. Rifath, whose family is from Bangladesh, congratulated the international students and the large number of graduates with backgrounds in other lands in a dozen languages. Rifath graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 average and a degree in political science and will spend next year in Spain on a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant scholarship.

A Valuable Degree

The experience of recent graduates shows that an ������Ƶ degree is a ticket to a well-paying job. In our most recent alumni survey, graduates of our Class of 2024 reported an average salary of $76,450. Ninety-two percent were employed, continuing their education or participating in an internship within one year of graduation.

The successful outcomes of ������Ƶ graduates have attracted national attention. Forbes, which bases its America’s Top Colleges rankings on the ability to produce successful, high-earning and influential graduates from all economic backgrounds, ranked ������Ƶ as the top private university on Long Island. So did The Wall Street Journal, whose rankings reflect how well colleges prepare their graduates for financial success.

Words to Live By

While this year’s graduates walked away with their degrees and their career plans, they also took along some advice from two ������Ƶ alumni whose careers prove their point.

President-Elect Balboni, who grew up in Garden City, rode his skateboard to campus on his first day at ������Ƶ with plans of going to medical school. Instead, he went to law school, became a litigator, a state legislator, a business executive and now a college president. What has that experience taught him?

“You have no idea what the future will bring,” he said. “Life is not always going to be a straight line to where you’re going to wind up.”

But he also gave listeners the key to his success. “My career has always been a series of saying ‘I’ll try that.’”

Joseph W. Westphal ’70, PhD, who received an honorary degree that day while also having the pleasure of seeing his granddaughter receive her ������Ƶ degree in nursing, echoed President-Elect Balboni’s message of life’s unpredictability and of opportunities taken advantage of.

After graduating from ������Ƶ, he went to graduate school, became a professor and took academic leadership programs. “But it was government service that took me places I never imagined I would experience,” he said, referring to diplomatic and high-level administrative appointments he received from Presidents Reagan, Clinton and Obama.

“The world belongs to those who are prepared not only to succeed, but to serve,” he said, and he followed that with three challenges for graduates who want to follow that path:

“Take personal responsibility for your actions, your decisions and your impact.”

“Be honest and ethical, especially when it’s inconvenient.”

“Be thoughtful about where you can make the greatest difference.”

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They range in age from 20 to 71 years old, came to ������Ƶ for graduate study from 20 states and 34 countries beyond our borders, and earned �������ٱ��’s and doctoral degrees in 63 different programs. They are the 941 members of ���������’s graduate Class of 2026.

With 90 different graduate degree and certificate programs, ������Ƶ is committed to growing its number of offerings to meet the demands of today’s rapidly changing economy. This summer, the University is opening the doors of its new in New York City with a range of flexible programs for working adults.

The Four Most Popular Graduate Programs

The Master of Social Work program offered by ���������’s School of Social Work often graduates the largest group of �������ٱ��’s degree recipients. This year was no different, as 183 students received their diplomas at the graduate Commencement ceremony on May 21.

The 67 graduates of the 4+1 Scholar Teacher Education Program (STEP), a five-year combined bachelor’s and master’s degree program that saves students a year of time and tuition, made up the second-largest group. The program, from the Ruth S. Ammon School of Education and Health Sciences, offers tracks in childhood, adolescent, and TESOL education.

The Robert B. Willumstad School of Business graduated the third- and fourth-largest groups of graduates. Sixty-two students earned their MBA this year, while 50 received their MS in Business Analytics.

���������’s Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology—the first university-based professional school of psychology—graduated the largest group of doctoral students, 23 in all. Sixteen students received their PhD in clinical psychology, and seven earned their PsyDs in school psychology.

A Global Group of Graduates

Students from 34 countries outside the United States came to ������Ƶ for their graduate education. The largest group, by far, is from India, with 117 graduates. The 11 students from Vietnam were the second largest group, followed by the 10 graduates from China. The 191 international students in the Class of 2026 also included scholars from as far away as Guyana, Cameroon, Egypt, Turkey, Georgia, Nepal, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

Stateside, the bulk of graduates are from New York and nearby New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Overall, the class included students from 20 states.

Strong U.S. News & World Report Rankings for Graduate Programs

The quality and reputation of ������Ƶ graduate programs were among the main draws for this year’s graduates. ������Ƶ programs are annually ranked by . Seven ������Ƶ programs are included in this year’s list:

• Best Nursing School: �Ѳ����ٱ��’s
• Best Nursing School: Doctor of Nursing Practice
• Best Public Health School
• Best Psychology School
• Best Clinical Psychology Doctorate Programs
• Best School for Social Work
• Best Speech-Language Pathology Program
• Best Part-Time MBA Program

“These latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report are a testament to the exceptional caliber of our faculty, the dedication of our students and the profound impact our alumni are making in healthcare and clinical settings,” said Susan Dinan, PhD, ���������’s interim provost. “The dramatic rise in our health program rankings, which are driven by peer assessment, demonstrates that our commitment to academic innovation and clinical excellence is recognized by our academic peers across the country.”

������Ƶ Grad Programs Arrive in Manhattan

As early as next year, ������Ƶ will begin graduating students who earn their graduate degrees in New York City at the University’s new . A state-of-the-art, three-floor learning space located in the heart of Midtown at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 44th Street, the center will offer an initial group of eight graduate programs in in-demand career areas. Students will be able to choose from �������ٱ��’s degree programs in artificial intelligence and machine learning, education, general psychology/human resource concentration, business administration (Flex MBA), social work, and creative writing, as well as doctoral programs in learning sciences and global higher education leadership. Students can also earn graduate certificates in business analytics and human resource management at the Manhattan Center; the academic credits earned are transferable to our master’s degree programs.

All programs will feature flexible schedules and evening classes to accommodate working adults. The University also introduced a special $10,000 Manhattan Advantage Award to provide financial support for students in the inaugural cohort to ensure they have the resources to pursue graduate studies that will help them become leaders of the modern workforce.

The expansion to Manhattan, the launch of new master’s degree and doctoral programs, and the accomplishments and vitality of the graduate Class of 2026 together reflect ������Ƶ’s strategic commitment to graduate education and to the University’s growing strength in advanced studies.

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���������’s innovative MS in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning program is coming to the new, state-of-the-art Manhattan Center in Fall 2026, expanding opportunities for students to advance their careers in tech, engineering, and other in-demand fields impacted by AI.

“A lot of people are looking to upskill and understand how their professionalization can remain relevant in an AI agent workforce,” said Anil Venkatesh, PhD, director of the program and associate professor of mathematics and computer science. “We wanted to offer this program at a place that would be convenient for working professionals, and the Manhattan Center made a lot of sense.”

By expanding this program to the new state-of-the-art facility, located just steps from Grand Central Station at Fifth Avenue and 44th Street, ������Ƶ is making it even easier for students to develop these career-defining skills, network with other forward thinkers, and explore job opportunities.

“We are expecting to see a lot of professionals from diverse job backgrounds who will bring some really interesting perspectives,” Dr. Venkatesh said. “That will only increase the overall engagement of courses.”

The MS in AI and Machine Learning is just one of the programs in the first wave of 13 graduate and professional offerings coming to the Manhattan Center. Students can choose from degree and certificate programs in business, education, healthcare, psychology, and social work.

A world of career options

The AI program, which launched this year on ������Ƶ’s Garden City campus, is designed to prepare the first generation of AI professionals for advanced careers in technology, government, healthcare, financial services, logistics, e-commerce, and virtually any other field. Current job titles include AI engineer, machine learning engineer, data scientist, data analyst, and business analyst.

Courses in the master’s degree program combine practical, real-world learning experiences with deep theoretical knowledge that can be applied to AI models—not just now, but as technology evolves.

“Ultimately, the theory of AI is not something that was just invented,” Dr. Venkatesh said. “It has existed for quite some time. And understanding that theory is going to make it so that you can plug and play with whatever new model or paradigm comes along.”

The program is also built to adapt to new AI careers and applications as they continue to emerge. The program’s seminar, for example, is updated every year with new tools and input from speakers currently working in the industry. And Dr. Venkatesh’s course on artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms is consistently refreshed with the latest cutting-edge algorithms and best engineering practices.

As Dr. Venkatesh said, “We’re both staying up-to-date with contemporary discoveries and innovations and incorporating foundational math and statistics that will be useful no matter where the industry goes.”

Customizing AI education for different professions

AI isn’t only impacting technology companies and engineering careers. It’s being applied across sectors, including government, healthcare, and financial services.

“We’ve had students who’ve worked in programming-heavy disciplines,” Dr. Venkatesh said. “But we also expect to see folks with backgrounds in statistics as it relates to life sciences and healthcare because AI tools are tremendously valuable in those disciplines.”

To that end, Dr. Venkatesh makes a pointed effort to customize his Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Algorithms course for students’ professional goals.

“When I assign projects, I explicitly invite students to counter-propose a different topic if there’s something specifically suited to their particular professionalization,” he said. “As long as it’s comparably challenging and relevant to the course, I accept the proposal.”

Students responded enthusiastically to the invitation, proposing and carrying out research projects in healthcare, bioinformatics, sports analytics, financial services, and business analytics.

Thinking ahead to the fall, Dr. Venkatesh looks forward to welcoming the program’s first cohort to the Manhattan Center and continuing to teach as this exciting field evolves.

“The other professors and I who put this program together really love teaching it,” he said. “We’re excited by the format of the course and the type of student that we’re orienting toward. This is some of the most fun teaching we’ve had in a long time.”

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Using AI in the Classroom—With Caution

Anil Venkatesh, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, notes, “I don’t use GenAI in my classroom because I don’t see how it can be used to improve the educational experience. However, I do view it as a useful tool for producing snippets of computer code that can be modified and tailored to a user’s needs. It’s also reasonably good at summarizing online technical resources. It’s possible that AI will help us make advances like automatically determining whether a mathematical proof is logically sound.”

• Misconceptions: GenAI can’t be relied upon to do more complex data science tasks, as these usually don’t have a single right answer in the first place.
• Recommendations: Have fun with the tools, but if you find yourself using GenAI for tasks that you aren’t confident in performing yourself, that’s a sign that you should seek to improve your own skills in those areas as well.

Helping Students Understand the Limits of AI

Michael LaCombe, PhD, associate professor in the Department of History, and Academic Integrity Officer, explains, “In an upper-level course where it can complement students’ work and they can appreciate the limitations of its output and the advantages of its speed and scope, I think it’s essential to show them how to use AI to accomplish course goals. Assignments that call for gathering and classifying information, generating ideas to pursue in one’s own research: These are areas in which it’s hard to imagine how we as faculty can continue to prohibit their use.”

• Misconceptions: Critical and creative thinking—our most important Gen Ed learning goals at ������Ƶ—require original thought, discussion and writing to develop and demonstrate. Students imagine GenAI helping when it’s really replacing the difficult work of thinking with a shortcut.
• Recommendations: The best course is transparency, as in the answers to these questions were generated with human intelligence only, unaided by AI. We should expect and require similar disclosures elsewhere in our lives.

Brian J. Stockman, PhD, professor in the Department of Chemistry, is optimistic, but raises a concern. “AI is making a huge impact in the structural biology field, and will continue to do so, especially in areas related to human health. I’m also using it in my classroom to teach students how to write tailored prompts and then to critically evaluate the AI-generated content. I think that it improves student learning when they have to do critical analysis of the output.”

• Misconceptions: In our research, the most common misconception is that the AI-generated results are always correct. We’re designing ways to analyze the AI output to suggest which are the most likely to be correct, but we’re then testing the AI predictions in the laboratory in order to validate them.
• Recommendations: Embrace it, but take the time to critically analyze the output.

AI Is Creating a Business Revolution

MaryAnne Hyland, PhD, dean of the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, sees a major impact in her field. She explains, “AI is revolutionizing the business landscape. Many organizations are investing in AI and educating their employees about its applications. Using it for basic tasks, such as editing an email or drafting a social media post, is common. Some organizations are implementing more advanced applications, such as having AI identify data security risks.”

• Misconceptions: While some jobs have been and will continue to be replaced by AI, the business world is increasingly seeking individuals who understand how to leverage it. Many roles will require the use of AI for enhanced efficiency and productivity. However, faculty often share stories of AI making incorrect calculations and fabricating research references. It’s critical for business students to learn how to use AI in their work, but they must also understand AI’s limitations.
• Recommendations: I encourage everyone to try using AI, as it can be a tremendous time-saver to help with everything from planning a vacation to writing text for a birthday card. But don’t trust everything provided by AI and avoid sharing personal information.

Embracing the Promise of AI

Sukun Li, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, believes that “AI will likely continue to increase efficiency, improve decision-making through predictive analytics and automate routine tasks. The broad adoption of AI tools will force educators to rethink assignment formats, enhance critical thinking skills and address the ethical implications of using AI in education. As an educator and AI researcher, I guide my students in understanding what it means and how to use it correctly or even create it.”

• Misconceptions: Most AI systems require human oversight and input to work effectively. Some of my students believe it can help them complete their homework accurately and achieve good grades. But AI can make mistakes because it learns from data input by humans, particularly when that data is biased or incomplete.
• Recommendations: Don’t be afraid of the emergence of new technologies—they exist to serve us. Let’s embrace these new tools, keep our minds open, and learn more about AI and how to use it properly.

Time-Saving, but Addictive

Damian A. Stanley, PhD, associate professor in the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, finds AI critical for data review. “I use AI for things like data analysis; it’s a very efficient coder and can rapidly suggest new data analyses. It can do in a minute what might take me 45 minutes or more. For students who are exploring different ways of interacting with data, it can also be very helpful as a tutor, adapting to their level and preferred learning style. I’ve also used it to help clinical psychology graduate students prepare for internship interviews by generating a reasonable set of questions targeted toward them for mock interviewing.”

• Misconceptions: I worry about the addictive nature of AI chatbots due to their agreeable responses: They are almost always pleasant and supportive, unlike humans who may disagree or challenge us, which could hinder real-world social skills.
• Recommendations: I believe we should all get to know what it is, because it’s here to stay. From a psychological perspective, I would just urge caution against letting it replace social interaction.

This story was featured in the 2025 Issue of the ������Ƶ Magazine.

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