For example, the Humanities Center has made AI the focus of its annual spring lecture series. On March 30, “AI and the New Industrial Era” is the topic of the Barney School of Business’s 2026 Theodore D. Veru Symposium. And two UHart faculty members are working on research into how AI can effectively be used to enrich teaching and learning.
Amy Weiss, assistant professor of Judaic studies and history, and Gengyun Le-Chan, assistant professor of biology, are recipients of teaching and learning grants from the University's Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation. Both are conducting research on how AI can benefit classroom instruction.
"AI is a powerful tool that I hope will continue to be utilized, though at the same time, professors and students will remain the primary drivers in the classroom," says Weiss, whose research project is called "Teaching Generative AI: Ethics, Equity, and Innovation in the UHart Classroom." It will attempt to determine how to incorporate generative AI into classroom activities and at-home assignments to improve student engagement, build AI literacy, and increase career readiness. Student participation and feedback will shape Weiss’s analysis.
"Each incoming class demonstrates stronger AI literacy than the one before, especially over the past three years," says Le-Chan, whose project is an AI-enhanced digital educational escape room, dubbed DEER, designed to strengthen active learning, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary engagement in undergraduate biology courses. "This newest generation on campus arrives with more exposure to AI tools and concepts, which makes classroom integration of these technologies increasingly seamless."
Like Le-Chan, Weiss also notices that students are becoming more AI literate, even if they’re not yet using the technology themselves. "I would argue that it means they are more aware of its uses and potential abuses," she says, "and they seem to choose when and how to engage with the technology. I encourage that in my courses, because it allows students to be responsible when using AI."
Neither Le-Chan nor Weiss is new to the study of AI. Since 2024, Le-Chan has been leading a game-based learning research project involving AI-aided learning. Weiss’s prior experience includes an honors seminar she led called "AI in Action: The Future of Humans," in which she and her students utilized AI apps to learn more about how AI affects daily life, both negatively and positively. "For instance, we created specific prompts to demonstrate how chatbots are designed to create connections and what that means for society," she explains.
Le-Chan believes that AI will increasingly become a key part of the educational experience, offering learning plans tailored to each student's needs. "However, the emotional intelligence, empathy, and nuanced communication that human educators provide are irreplaceable, ensuring that AI enhances but does not replace the human role in the classroom."
Gengyun Le-Chan, Assistant Professor of BiologyEach incoming class demonstrates stronger AI literacy than the one before, especially over the past three years. This newest generation on campus arrives with more exposure to AI tools and concepts, which makes classroom integration of these technologies increasingly seamless.