OAI Summer Conference Schedule
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
The Academic Innovation Summer Conference takes place June 3rd–4th, 2026, at Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½, College of Business Administration - Building 162, Room 1001. Sessions run daily from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, featuring keynotes, workshops, and collaborative discussions on AI in education and work.
Check-in and continental breakfast.
30-minute Icebreaker.
More Info Coming Soon...
Session Speaker:
Session Organizers:
Session Summary:
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1001
15-minute break.
Apple’s Approach to AI: Possibilities for Higher Education
Session Speaker:
Andrew Currah, Ph.D.
Session Organizer:
Alex Harwood
Session Summary:
This session will provide an overview of Apple’s approach to AI and explore opportunities for teaching, learning and research. In particular, the discussion will highlight Apple’s integrated approach to hardware, software and services - and how this enables new AI-powered tools and workflows that are built around privacy and security. Participants will leave with practical examples and suggestions for developing their AI skills and maximizing the power of iPad and Mac in teaching, learning and general productivity.
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1001
Lunch provided by Kellogg West.
In the Classroom: Integrating AI Tools in Curriculum and Instruction: Hybrid Models and Applied STEM Strategies
Session Speaker:
Dr. Mingheng Li | Professor Chemical and Materials Engineering | College of Engineering
Dr. Shelli Wynants | Quality Online Inclusive Learning Design Coordinator | Faculty Development Center Faculty | Child and Adolescent Studies
Session Organizer:
Laila Jallo & Erick Zelaya
Session Summary:
This session brings together two presenters to share practical approaches for integrating generative AI into teaching across disciplines. Participants will explore a low-barrier hybrid model where AI supports low-stakes practice and feedback while instructors focus on higher-order thinking and applied work, along with examples of AI use in an applied STEM (chemical engineering) course. Attendees will leave with concrete strategies to enhance student learning, confidence, and engagement while maintaining the central role of instructor expertise.
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1001
Outside the Classroom: Codex workshop
Session Speaker:
Session Organizer:
Yufin
Session Summary:
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1002
15-minute break.
In the Classroom: AI Tools in the Research Process: Exploring Consensus & Research Rabbit
Session Speakers:
Session Organizer:
Shonn
Indira
Session Details:
In this hands-on workshop, participants will be introduced to two AI tools for finding and tracking citations: Consensus, and Research Rabbit. These tools can be very useful for preparing and organizing literature reviews and other sections in a research project. Participants are strongly encouraged to bring their own devices for exploration of these tools and to create accounts in them ahead of time.
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1001
Outside the Classroom: From Ideas to Impact Outside the Classroom: Using AI in Your Daily Work
Session Speakers:
Session Organizers:
Laila Jallo
Weston Prisbrey
Session Details:
In this interactive session, staff from across campus will share how they’re using AI in their day-to-day work and help you explore ways to apply it to your own role - whether for scheduling, data analysis, or streamlining operations. Bring your device and a project you’d like to improve using AI.
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1002
Wrap-up and collective reflection.
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1001
Thursday, June 4, 2025
Check-in and continental breakfast.
AI Image Generators in Higher Education: Practices and Ethical Considerations
Session Speaker:
Dr. Tiffany Zhu
Session Organizers:
Sohnn
Session Summary:
As generative artificial intelligence tools powered by large language models become increasingly ubiquitous, educators are experimenting with new ways to integrate them into the classroom, such as creating teaching materials and supporting student creativity. While genAI tools may have the potential to enhance certain aspects of engagement and learning when integrated through intentional instructional design, guidance on how to use them effectively and responsibly, particularly when it comes to text-to-image generation models, remains fragmented across disciplines.
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1001
15-minute break.
In the classroom: AI in Research: Smarter Drones, Safer Aircraft, and Faster Research
Session Speakers:
Shooufhe Mirzaei
Alex Hardwood
Session Organizer:
Shokoufeh
Session Summary:
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1001
Outside the Classroom: Case studies from units using AI effectively
Session Speaker:
Career Center and OAI
Session Organizer:
Dr. Jordan
Josue
Session Summary:
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1002
In the Classroom: Faculty Panel: Navigating AI Policies in the Classroom
Session Speakers:
Devon Hackleton (English)
Dana Marshall (Communication)
Cindy Cordoba (Apparel Merchandising & Management)
Randy Stein (Marketing)
Session Organizers:
Laura
Session Summary:
At a time when AI tools are ubiquitous and reshaping expectations around student work, instructors are asking not just if but how to address AI in their syllabi and classes. Faculty are taking a range of thoughtful, pedagogically grounded approaches, from prohibiting AI use to intentionally integrating it into learning activities. This panel highlights that spectrum of practice through reflections on policies, assignments, classroom conversations, and ongoing dilemmas. Rather than prescribing a single approach, the discussion will explore key considerations, tradeoffs, and examples that faculty may weigh in shaping their own course policies and pedagogies.
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1001
Outside the Classroom: Discussion: Opportunities and Concerns Around AI
Session Speakers:
Session Organizer:
Emily
Session Summary:
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1002
1-hour lunch break.
Industry Panel:
Session Speakers:
Session Moderators:
Amar
Session Organizers:
Alex
Shokoufeh
Session Summary:
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1001
15-minute break.
Student Panel: Student Voices of Innovation: Solving Business and Societal Challenges with AI
Session Panel:
Session Moderator:
Yufin
Session Organizers:
Indira
Session Summary:
This session features student projects developed during an intensive AI Hackathon, followed by a moderated student panel discussion. Students will share their experiences, challenges, and successes in applying AI to solve real-world business and societal problems under time and resource constraints. Panelists will discuss innovation, teamwork, ethical considerations, and impact, offering firsthand insights into how students translate AI concepts into meaningful and responsible solutions.
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1001
Wrap-up, reflections and survey.
Location:
College of Business Administration
Building 162-1001
