Cal Poly Pomona's Office of Academic Innovation hosted its 2026 Summer Conference on June 3-4, bringing together faculty and higher education leaders to define how artificial intelligence integrates into teaching and campus operations. Themed Human at the Core, the event focused on practical applications and ethical boundaries, reflecting a broader university shift toward structured AI adoption in academic environments.
Conference tracks and keynote speakers
The two-day event featured sessions divided into AI in the Classroom and AI Outside the Classroom. Attendees examined course design, student engagement, and administrative workflows. Keynote speakers included Frank Wuerthwein from the San Diego Supercomputer Center, Andrew Currah from Apple, and Tiffany Zhu from Old Dominion University. They discussed the technical and ethical responsibilities that accompany AI adoption in higher education.
Faculty perspectives on classroom tools
Monica Palomo, a civil engineering faculty member, used the conference to test tools like ChatGPT and Codex. She built a website, designed a flyer, and extracted video data during the event. "AI should be used intentionally-not to replace our creativity or judgement, but to amplify our ability to learn, design, and solve problems responsibly," Palomo said. For professionals looking to build similar skills, resources like the AI Learning Path for Teachers offer structured training on integrating these tools into daily academic workflows.
Positioning AI as a collaborative partner
Belal Hasan, a nutrition and food science faculty member, argued against viewing AI as a replacement for human expertise. In food science, he explained that AI accelerates data analysis and process optimization, but human judgment remains necessary to interpret results within cultural contexts. Hasan integrated these tools into his teaching to give students more complex challenges. "It is a great way to train professional complexity managers," Hasan said.
Preparing students for future careers
David Peña, a lead career coach in the College of Environmental Design, focused on how AI changes workforce preparation. He argued that these technologies allow students to move beyond consuming knowledge to creating new solutions. Peña views AI as a catalyst for rethinking learning across disciplines. Educators exploring broader strategies for academic AI integration can find additional context through resources on AI for Education.
Why this matters for educators
Universities are moving past theoretical debates about AI and focusing on structured, ethical implementation. Faculty members must now design curricula that treat AI as a collaborative tool rather than a shortcut. The institutions that succeed will be those that train students to manage complex problems using AI, rather than just operating the software.
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