Hosted by Paul Nunno 鈥�27, a student employee at the AI Hub, the series gives faculty members an opportunity to discuss the uses they have found for AI, where they see its limits or risks and what questions they are still working through.

鈥淢y goals and the AI Hub鈥檚 goals are very similar: to neutrally observe how AI has impacted student and faculty life on campus,鈥� Nunno said.

In 鈥�,鈥� Patch describes using ChatGPT to record ideas for assignments, organize course planning and reflect on what worked in class.

鈥淚t’s absolutely made me more efficient by making me more creative,鈥� Patch said.

Patch emphasizes the importance of preserving students鈥� own engagement with reading and writing. She expressed how AI can be used ethically to help students, saying that students can use AI to break a long reading into smaller sections and build a schedule for finishing it, without having AI do the reading itself and encouraging them to think. Her discussion also addresses how AI-generated text can obscure a writer鈥檚 individual voice and why students and faculty should talk openly about their expectations and boundaries for using the technology.

In 鈥�,鈥� Crider recounts how agentic AI, AI tools that can carry out multistep tasks with some independence, helped him when 麻豆视频 switched learning systems from Moodle to Canvas and all his course software had to be rewritten.

Those courses also had to be updated to account for the ubiquity of AI; many of the coding exercises he once assigned students can now be completed almost instantly by AI. In response, Crider has students work through some problems by hand and examine AI-generated Python code for errors before using AI to develop code themselves. The goal is for students to understand the underlying concepts and learn to judge AI tools and their outputs in their field. Crider also discusses assessing students through what they can demonstrate through activities and experiences. His interview considers how educators can prepare students for changes in the workforce; he advises students to develop proficiency with AI tools and pursue coursework beyond their primary discipline.

Interviews with Jonathan Su, associate professor of engineering; Erin Hone, associate teaching professor of education; and Amanda Sturgill, associate professor of journalism, are upcoming.

Both episodes are available on the . Additionally, visit the 麻豆视频 AI Hub website for information on campus AI resources, consultations and upcoming events.

The service first launched for students at College Coffee, where AI Hub students Ally Valentine and Ben Waechter asked their peers what they would like AI to help them accomplish and what questions they had about using it responsibly. Students shared a wide range of interests, including studying, preparing class presentations, building apps, managing their time and preparing for careers.

Student consultations are 30-minute sessions led by AI Hub student staff. Students can learn about AI tools, get help with a specific project, practice writing clearer prompts and talk through when AI use is appropriate. Sessions are tailored to each student, whether they are new to AI or already using it and looking to go further.

Faculty and staff can book hour-long consultations, whether they want to explore AI tools for their own work or research, consider AI in a course or learn more about how AI is being used across campus.

The AI Hub has also added research consultations that focus on how AI can ethically support the research process. These hour-long sessions are open to anyone interested in learning how AI tools might help with their research.

Consistent with 麻豆视频鈥檚 Generative AI statement, the AI Hub does not promote or require AI use. Consultations are designed to provide clear information and support so people can make their own informed decisions.

All consultations, along with 30-minute AI Workspace office hours in Long 100, can be booked through the

Rainie has been named a to help shape and publish research findings from those surveys and other encounters with civil servants. The goal is to learn more about the ways government workers use AI and the impact on the workings of democracy.

Rainie was a main writer for Northeastern鈥檚 Observatory of Public Sector AI new report:

Some of the key findings:

• Many public professionals are just getting started with understanding and using GenAI.
• The biggest barriers to using GenAI in government are not tied to resistance.
• Leadership knowledge gaps about GenAI are a primary bottleneck to its adoption and effective use.
• Public professionals primarily use AI for information and communication tasks, such as research, drafting, editing, and summarizing.

The report was covered in the Boston Globe and other New England media and will become the anchor of several dozen presentations the group gives to government leaders, public professionals and civil society groups.

Rainie鈥檚 affiliation with the Burnes Center will bring benefits to the ITDF Center. ITDF and the Burnes Center will co-publish the reports he helps create and promote them to the media and other audiences as joint efforts. He will become one of the Burnes Center’s spokespeople at conferences, in the media and in web events like podcasts and YouTube webinars.

鈥淭his is an exciting chance for me to be present at the creation of something that we hope will become an important reference for those who work in the public sector and those who care about government performance,鈥� Rainie said. 鈥淭his kind of research fits perfectly with the ongoing studies of the Imagining the Digital Future Center, such as our recent reports聽,“ “ and “.“ Ultimately, the great hope at the Burnes Center is that researchers here at 麻豆视频 and around the country will use these findings from our Observatory in their own scholarship and will want to work with our datasets themselves. I hope to hear from students or faculty members who would like to become involved in the next round of research the Observatory undertakes.鈥�

Rainie says the next wave of research could involve such things as truly longitudinal studies in which specific public servants are tracked as they think about using AI in their jobs; studies that combine these survey findings with administrative records collected by state and local government; and studies that explore the impact of AI use by government employees on such critically important public purposes such as government performance and citizen engagement on policy issues.

The special issue, 鈥淎I and the Final-Year Research Experience: Transatlantic Perspectives,鈥� is a collaboration between 麻豆视频 and the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, where Reinvention is based. Zach Conklin 鈥�28, Alyssa Collins 鈥�27 and Chris Guider 鈥�28 serve on the student-led editorial board alongside student editors from Warwick.

The project grew out of Tom Ritchie鈥檚 year at 麻豆视频 as a 2025-26 US-UK Fulbright Commission Visiting Scholar. Ritchie, reader and director of student experience in the Department of Chemistry at Warwick, focused on AI and belonging in course curriculum design during his time at 麻豆视频, where he taught Conklin and Collins in his course ‘The AI Revolution’.

鈥淪o many of my conversations with 麻豆视频 students kept coming back to the same question: what does doing your own research look like now that generative AI is part of every stage of it?鈥� Ritchie said. 鈥淪tudents are working this out as they go, often ahead of the guidance written for them. Their experience deserves to be in the literature in their own words, and it means a great deal that 麻豆视频 students are the ones shaping that conversation.鈥�

The call for papers is open to current undergraduates and recent graduates from any discipline and any institution. Submissions may include research articles, critical reflections and book reviews on topics such as using AI to frame research questions or analyze data, how AI has changed conversations with faculty mentors, academic integrity and disclosure, access and equity, and the decision not to use AI. Reinvention is fully open access, and there is no fee to submit.

The issue will be published alongside a companion special issue of Perspectives on Undergraduate Research and Mentoring (PURM) exploring the same questions from the faculty and staff perspective. That issue is co-edited by Ritchie; Brandon Sheridan, associate professor of economics and Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning Pedagogy Fellow at 麻豆视频; and Yanyan Li, early-career fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study at Warwick.

鈥淧utting the two issues side by side gives us something unusual,鈥� Ritchie said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l hear from students and mentors on both sides of the Atlantic about the same moment in undergraduate research, and see where those experiences line up and where they don鈥檛.鈥�

Submissions are due Jan. 6, 2027, and the issue is scheduled for publication in summer 2027.

Full details are available on the .

This interactive workshop will help students think more intentionally about how they use AI for academic writing. Rather than focusing on whether students should use AI, the workshop will explore how AI can support brainstorming, outlining, revision, feedback, editing and critical thinking without replacing the student鈥檚 own work.

Throughout the event, students will participate in activities focused on evaluating appropriate uses of AI, improving weak prompts, identifying inaccurate or fabricated information, protecting their personal writing voice, and deciding whether AI-assisted work is something they would feel comfortable submitting.

The workshop will also highlight the difference between using AI as a thinking partner and using it as a replacement writer. Students will learn how to ask AI for feedback, questions, and alternative perspectives without giving up ownership of their ideas or allowing AI to complete the intellectual work for them.

The event will conclude with three questions students can use when considering AI for an assignment: Think. Check. Own. Students will be encouraged to think about whether AI is helping them or replacing their thinking, check whether AI-generated information can be verified, and own the ideas and work they ultimately submit.

Students interested in learning how to use AI more thoughtfully, ethically, and effectively in their academic writing are encouraged to attend.

Students across 麻豆视频 will soon have the opportunity to test their creativity, design instincts and emerging AI skills in the inaugural Make Your Mark: AI Poster Competition, a fast-paced challenge exploring how artificial intelligence can support 鈥� not replace 鈥� thoughtful creative work.

Open to students from any academic discipline, the first-time event encourages participants to experiment with AI tools while developing strong visual concepts and design strategies. An optional preparatory workshop on Tuesday, March 31, in Steers Pavilion will give students the chance to refine their ideas and explore approaches before the challenge officially gets underway.

The main competition takes place 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, in Schar Hall, where students will receive a live prompt and have 2.5 hours to design an original 11鈥� 脳 17鈥� poster. Each submission must combine an AI-generated element with a non-AI or hand-crafted component, while also documenting how AI supported the creative process.

Once completed, the posters will be printed and displayed for public voting during an April 3 awards event from 5 to 6 p.m. in LaRose Digital Theater. Students will compete for $650 in prizes, including awards for the top three posters, a Fan Favorite selected by the audience, and a Judge鈥檚 Favorite.

For organizers, the competition represents more than just a creative challenge 鈥� it is also a new example of cross-campus collaboration.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited about the Make Your Mark: AI Poster Competition for a number of reasons. One of the biggest is that this is one of the first times the Communication Design program has partnered with 麻豆视频 AI, and it鈥檚 been a lot of fun exploring how AI and design can complement each other,鈥� said Ben Hannam, associate professor and chair of the Department of Communication Design.

Hannam said the contest鈥檚 prompt is designed to spark ideas across disciplines and invite students from across campus to participate.

鈥淚鈥檓 really looking forward to seeing what students create once we reveal the secret prompt,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you drew a Venn diagram, the prompt would definitely overlap with interests in both the School of Communications and the Love School of Business 鈥� but honestly, a creative student from anywhere on campus could walk away with the win.鈥�

The competition also highlights the evolving role of AI in creative practice 鈥� not as a shortcut, but as a tool that still requires strong ideas and thoughtful design decisions.

鈥淭丑别 goal of this competition is to give students a chance to experiment with emerging tools while still focusing on creativity and ideas,鈥� said Mustafa Akben, assistant professor of management and director of artificial intelligence integration. 鈥淎I can generate images quickly, but the real challenge is developing a concept and translating it into a strong visual. We are excited to see how students interpret the prompt and what they create in a short amount of time.鈥�

Sagun Giri, AI Sandbox coordinator, noted that the event reflects a broader effort at 麻豆视频 to bring together faculty and programs exploring how AI intersects with their fields.

鈥淭丑别 麻豆视频 AI Hub works with partners across campus who are exploring how AI connects to their fields,鈥� he said. 鈥淢ake Your Mark is a great example of that collaboration between the School of Communications, the Love School of Business, and the AI Hub. It gives students a chance to experiment with AI tools, test their ideas, and create something original.鈥�

Hannam said the competition ultimately aims to give students a creative outlet while encouraging experimentation with new tools.

鈥淎t the end of the day, this event is all about having fun, flexing your AI skills, and being creative,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait to see what students come up with and who emerges as the winners in this head-to-head poster competition.鈥�

Three faculty members will serve as judges for the competition: Michele Lashley, assistant professor of strategic communications; Smaraki Mohanty, Doherty Emerging Professor of Entrepreneurship and assistant professor of marketing; and聽Lana Waschka, assistant professor of marketing.

Ready to make your mark? Complete the online registration form. For additional information, contact Giri at sgiri@elon.edu.

Event recap

Tuesday, March 31, 5鈥�6 p.m.
Pre-event workshop 鈥� Steers Pavilion

Thursday, April 2, 5鈥�7:30 p.m.
Live competition 鈥� Schar Hall labs and Snow Family Grand Atrium

Friday, April 3, 5鈥�6 p.m.
Awards ceremony 鈥� LaRose Digital Theater

Apply Now聽鈫�

With a focus on responsible and ethical AI use, this challenge encourages faculty members to explore innovative ways to use AI for improved classroom outcomes. No prior AI experience is required.

“The application process is very easy, with five to six short-answer questions, maximum 200 words each,” said Mustafa Akben,聽director of AI Integration and assistant professor of management. “Many can complete it in less than an hour. Our focus in this AI challenge is more on the creative, ethical, and responsible AI teaching ideas. A willingness to explore AI’s potential in your classroom is all that’s needed.”

The challenge welcomes brief proposals demonstrating novel applications of AI in the classroom. The focus is on clear concepts aligned with sound pedagogical principles.聽

ChatGPT Plus for Top 50 Participants

The top 50 participants will receive an immediate access to ChatGPT Plus, provided by 麻豆视频. ChatGPT Plus includes advanced reasoning, data analysis, image generation and FERPA-compliant data privacy.

The top five ideas will receive special recognition, gifts and the opportunity to present their ideas at the AI Pedagogy Event in early May 2025.

All participants will join AI faculty network, gaining access to future training, resources, and ongoing support.

Want Learn More?

Faculty interested in participating can find resources, materials and submission guidelines at

For more details and FAQ about the event, please visit the AI Pedagogy Challenge’s website.

Join 麻豆视频’s AI Pedagogy Challenge to contribute to the future of higher education with your creative ideas.

Through hands-on design thinking exercises, students gain transferable experience in using AI as a partner for better problem-solving. The workshop includes practical steps for effective prompt-building and demonstrates how AI can be applied within design thinking to address real-world challenges.

Director of Artificial Intelligence Integration Mustafa Akben reached out to the Center with the idea of creating a workshop that introduced students to using AI ethically and effectively. Student Director Anya Brati膰 spearheaded the development of this workshop, shaping its content and ensuring it framed AI as a tool to enhance human thinking.

鈥淭his workshop enhances students鈥� knowledge of what AI is and why it is a vital asset for their academic and career success,鈥� Brati膰 said. 鈥淭丑别 workshop highlights AI as a tool to enhance, rather than replace, human thinking, emphasizing the importance of using it ethically and efficiently in every aspect of its use.鈥�

Brati膰 worked alongside Student Director Adam Kanowitz who structured the initial framework, and Publicity Lead Juan Daniel Chiriboga, who designed the activity modules.

Earlier this year, 麻豆视频 released a student guide on navigating college in the artificial intelligence era, offering insights on how humans and AI can collaborate effectively. 麻豆视频 President Connie Ledoux Book endorsed the guide as a resource for the 麻豆视频 community, outside institutions and community members to use.

鈥淎I won鈥檛 take your job. It鈥檚 someone using AI who will take your job,” said Richard Baldwin, a professor oat the International Institute for Management Development. This is why the Center is working with the greater campus community to change the narrative.

The workshop has been incredibly well received by faculty and students.

鈥淭丑别 catalysts 鈥� Anya Brati膰 and Adam Kanowitz 鈥� did a wonderful job addressing key issues 鈥� such as the importance of using AI as a brainstorming partner rather than as a replacement for doing the work, the need for detailed prompting, and the process of challenging the output of AI tools. These are topics I鈥檒l be talking about all semester as I teach my students how to use AI tools to create and implement brands,” said Michele Lashley, associate professor of strategic communications.

Center Director Danielle Lake is a scholar within design thinking, and her expertise was essential in providing insight and support for the project. Since the Center鈥檚 opening in 2016, Lake has trained hundreds of students to facilitate workshops that prompt a relational approach to problem-solving that helps uncover the underlying causes of challenges and provides creative, structured methods to address them.

鈥淒anielle Lake is an amazing coach, mentor, and leader who trains, develops, and supports the Design Thinking catalysts,鈥� Akben said. 鈥淎s a thought partner, I love collaborating with her and the Design Thinking team. I fully support our partnership. Our AI Team will work with and support Design Thinking, and we鈥檙e looking forward to organizing more great workshops in the future.鈥�

The AI workshop can be 聽for individuals at and outside of 麻豆视频, including for community members or organizations.

According to the World Economic Forum鈥檚 Future of Jobs Report 2025, new technologies like AI could lead to 170 million new jobs worldwide by 2030. Exciting, right? But there鈥檚 a catch: a significant skills gap still exists. This begs the question for educators and institutions: Are your students truly ready to compete for these roles?

The democratization of AI has completely transformed what it means to be digitally literate. It’s not just about mastering code or obscure programming languages anymore. Today, it’s about understanding and effectively using generative AI鈥攖hose incredible tools that can create and collaborate almost like a human. With simple prompts, these tools can whip up captivating marketing copy, design eye-catching visuals, and even tackle tough coding or research projects.

But here’s the thing: the quality of AI-generated content is only as good as the human guiding it. Generative AI is like a mirror, reflecting the user’s ability to steer and refine its outputs. This partnership between humans and machines highlights the need for a new core skill: AI literacy.

In this AI Digest article, we’ll give you three hands-on generative AI exercises鈥攁n Elevator Pitch Generator, Mock Interview Practice, and Salary Negotiation Training鈥攄esigned to give your students a real advantage in the job market, all while sharpening their AI literacy skills. Plus, we’ll share practical tips for weaving these exercises into your teaching.

WHY GENERATIVE AI FLUENCY IS NO LONGER OPTIONAL

Generative AI is revolutionizing all types of industries, and the need for AI literacy is no longer an “if” but a “must.” Marketers use generative AI to create hyper-personalized

campaigns on scales never seen before; scientists use generative AI to speed up groundbreaking discoveries, such as in pharmaceutical drug development; and software engineers use generative AI to streamline writing lines and lines of code, greatly reducing software development lead times. We are not talking about the workplace of tomorrow鈥斺�漺e are talking about the workplace of today.

And it’s important to state here that such tools do not replace people; they empower people. Think of generative AI as a capable assistant who can take care of mundane and repeated tasks, freeing students (and workers) to instead use their time on big-picture thinking, creative work, and challenging problems that are best solved by humans with their ingenuity and smarts.

THE AI LITERACY IMPERATIVE

The AI is in full swing, fueled by powerful tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and DALL路E 3, Google’s Gemini, and Stability AI’s Stable Diffusion. These large language models (LLMs) can produce remarkably sophisticated text, images, and even code based on simple user prompts, transforming the way we tackle creative and analytical problems. But this power brings with it a crucial responsibility: students need to develop the critical skills to evaluate the accuracy of AI-generated content and to understand the potential ethical and data-privacy risks involved.

AI literacy 鈥� and the sharp critical thinking it requires 鈥� is rapidly becoming essential for career success. This means understanding not only how to use AI tools effectively, but also how to:

• Evaluate the quality and reliability of AI-generated content
• Recognize potential biases in AI outputs
• Navigate ethical considerations in AI deployment
• Maintain data privacy and security when working with AI systems
• Leverage AI tools to enhance rather than replace human creativity and judgment

As we move forward into this future, the ability to effectively collaborate with AI tools while maintaining human oversight and ethical considerations will be crucial for professional success. In the following section, we present three practical exercises designed to help educators prepare their students for this exciting new frontier.

THREE GENERATIVE AI EXERCISES: FROM CLASSROOM TO CAREER

EXERCISE 1: THE AI-POWERED ELEVATOR PITCH

A concise elevator pitch can open doors in any professional setting. Instead of crafting it solo, students can lean on generative AI (such as ChatGPT) to help them shape and polish their pitch.

PROMPTING FOR SUCCESS

Example Prompt

鈥淎ct as a career advisor. I鈥檓 a [Major] student at [University] seeking a [Job Type] in [Industry]. I鈥檓 skilled in [Skill 1], [Skill 2], and [Skill 3]. Help me create a 30-second elevator pitch that is memorable and highlights my value.鈥�

Example Student Input

“Act as a career advisor. I鈥檓 a Computer Science student at Example University seeking a Software Engineering Internship in the Fintech industry. I鈥檓 skilled in Python, Java, and Agile Development. Help me create a 30-second elevator pitch that is memorable and highlights my value.”

ITERATIVE REFINEMENT

After receiving the AI鈥檚 output, students should review it for overly generic phrasing, unnecessary jargon, or a lack of personal flair. Encourage them to seek peer and career-services feedback, then feed those insights back into the AI for improvements.

PRACTICE & DELIVERY

Remind students that delivery counts. They should rehearse their pitches out loud, aiming for confident body language and a natural tone. This helps them avoid sounding like they鈥檙e reading from a script.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Sharpens concise communication
• Encourages self-awareness and self-branding
• Develops a clear, confident value proposition

EXERCISE 2: AI-DRIVEN MOCK INTERVIEWS

Job interviews can be nerve-wracking, especially for new graduates. Generative AI provides a risk-free environment to practice both technical and behavioral questions.

GENERATING QUESTIONS

Example Prompt

鈥淕enerate 5 interview questions for a [Job Title] at a [Company Type] company. Include at least one behavioral question, one technical question (if relevant), and one situational question.鈥�

Example Student Input

鈥淕enerate 5 interview questions for a Marketing Associate position at a Tech Startup. Include at least one behavioral question, one technical question related to social media marketing, and one situational question.鈥�

RESPONSE PRACTICE

Urge students to structure their responses using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). This ensures clarity and showcases their problem-solving approach.

FEEDBACK & ANALYSIS

Encourage students to record themselves responding to the questions. They can then analyze their own body language, tone, and clarity, and invite feedback from classmates or instructors for fresh perspectives.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

路 Boosts interview confidence

路 Improves clarity of responses

路 Fosters critical thinking under pressure

EXERCISE 3: MASTERING SALARY NEGOTIATION WITH AI

Negotiating compensation can be intimidating for first-time job seekers. Generative AI can provide data-driven insights and suggested talking points to help them negotiate effectively.

SALARY RESEARCH

Example Prompt

鈥淧rovide the average salary range for a [Job Title] in [City, State] with [X] years of experience. Cite reliable sources.鈥�

Example Student Input

鈥淧rovide the average salary range for a Data Analyst in New York City with 1 year of experience. Cite reliable sources.鈥�

Encourage students to compare the AI鈥檚 data to reputable job-market platforms (e.g., LinkedIn Salary, Glassdoor, Bureau of Labor Statistics) for accuracy.

STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT

Example Prompt

鈥淚 received a job offer for [Job Title] with a salary of [Offer Amount]. I was hoping for [Desired Salary]. Help me craft a response that justifies my desired salary, highlighting my skills and experience.鈥�

Example Student Input

鈥淚 received a job offer for a Junior Software Engineer at $60,000. I was hoping for $70,000. Help me craft a response that justifies my desired salary, highlighting my skills in Python, my internship experience at a tech company, and my contributions to open-source projects.鈥�

ROLE-PLAYING & PRACTICE

Students can practice mock negotiations using AI-generated counter-offers. This helps them gain confidence and develop strategies to respond to different negotiation tactics.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Enhances negotiation and self-advocacy skills
• Fosters an understanding of fair compensation benchmarks
• Builds confidence for real-world salary discussions

CONCLUSION: CULTIVATING AN AI-READY WORKFORCE

These exercises provide a practical path for integrating generative AI into the classroom to give students both conceptual knowledge and practical skills. You can help bridge the gap between academic theory and the demands of today’s competitive job market by leveraging AI tools to help students improve pitches, practice interview skills, and hone negotiation strategies.

Start small鈥攖ry out one exercise, ask for feedback, and make adjustments. Share what works with your colleagues and collaborate to identify best practices. By embracing generative AI, we can empower students to become active contributors to an AI-driven economy, driving innovation and building a more dynamic and prosperous future for all.

Let鈥檚 prepare the next generation to lead the way鈥攁nd to do so with the confidence and skills they need to thrive, no matter how the job market changes.