Michele Lashley and Mustafa Akben will help advance the responsible use of artificial intelligence through a collaborative initiative involving 13 institutions.
Two Â鶹ÊÓƵ faculty members have been designed to advance the responsible and innovative use of artificial intelligence in higher education.
Michele Lashley, assistant professor of strategic communications, has been named an inaugural Allied AI Collaborative Ambassador, while Mustafa Akben, assistant professor of management and Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s director of artificial intelligence integration, has been appointed a director of the Allied AI Advisory Council.
Lashley is one of 14 faculty and staff members selected as ambassadors for the 2026-27 academic year. Her appointment builds on her previous recognition as a member of the CAA Academic Alliance’s inaugural AI Technologies Champion Network, announced in February 2026. That initiative recognized faculty and staff who are creatively and responsibly integrating AI technologies into teaching, research, student success, leadership development and institutional effectiveness.
Lashley holds a law degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law, bringing a strong foundation in legal and ethical frameworks to her work at the intersection of AI, communications and education.
Akben, one of two directors appointed to the Allied AI Advisory Council, has served as Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s director of artificial intelligence integration since July 2024. In that role, he leads efforts to integrate AI across academic and administrative departments, supporting innovative teaching, research and institutional practices.
The newly established Allied AI Collaborative brings together representatives from the Alliance’s 13 institutions to share expertise, encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and develop practical applications of AI technologies. The initiative focuses on three areas: research and innovation; teaching, learning and assessment; and ethics and policy considerations.
As an ambassador, Lashley will help facilitate collaborative meetings, deliver presentations, share research and scholarship, mentor new participants, and shape the group’s priorities throughout the academic year.
Meanwhile, Akben will help provide strategic guidance through the Allied AI Advisory Council, which connects the Alliance’s academic priorities and identifies opportunities for research development, external partnerships and future investments.
Established in 2002, the CAA Academic Alliance connects the academic communities of the Coastal Athletic Association’s 13 member institutions. Its initiatives promote collaboration among faculty, staff and students while advancing innovation, student success and best practices in higher education.