STARS Keynote Speaker Addresses Responsible AI Use

Brynna Mitchell and Jacob Ireland discuss their Occupational Therapy research project at the Scholarship, Teaching & Research Symposium opening breakfast on March 31.

Brynna Mitchell, left, and Jacob Ireland discuss their Occupational Therapy research project at the Scholarship, Teaching & Research Symposium opening breakfast on March 31.

Galloway, N.J. 鈥 Now in its third year, 麻豆社鈥檚 Scholarship, Teaching & Research Symposium (STARS) kicked off its campus-wide celebration of student research across the university on March 31.

STARS features six weeks of expos, symposiums, award ceremonies and achievement events, such as the retiring faculty Farewell Forum (April 15) and the Origami Showcase (April 22). Some of the departments that will present research symposiums include Marine Science (April 17), Chemistry (April 21), Social Work (April 23) and Biochemistry (April 30).

鈥淪TARS is proving to be a powerful reminder of what makes our campus community exceptional 鈥 bringing together faculty, staff and students to celebrate innovation, scholarship and creativity across disciplines,鈥 said Ronnie Maiorino, of 麻豆社鈥檚 Center for Teaching and Learning Design, which organized the symposium. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more than a series of events; it鈥檚 a shared moment of excellence, connection and inspiration.鈥

Michael Edmonson

Michael Edmonson, the associate provost for Continued Learning at New Jersey Institute of Technology, talks to faculty, staff and students at the STARS kickoff breakfast on March 31.

The kickoff celebration featured a keynote address by Michael Edmonson, the associate provost for Continued Learning at New Jersey Institute of Technology, on responsible innovation in the age of artificial intelligence.

Edmonson argued that AI is changing higher education, work, relationships and trust in information much faster than most institutions are prepared for.

鈥淭his is not a speech about what tools to use. Leave if that鈥檚 what you want. There are a bazillion people talking about AI tools,鈥 he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really concerned about the impact of AI on humanity.鈥

Edmonson, who鈥檚 10th book 鈥淩emaining Human in the Age of AI鈥 comes out this year, said we need to stop trying to predict what鈥檚 going to happen in the future 鈥 because no one can predict it accurately 鈥 and have universities prepare students to think critically, adapt and work with AI responsibly and update teaching around skills, human judgment, ethics and resilience.

Universities need to prepare students for continuous disruption, radical unpredictability and a job market where skills matter more than credentials alone, he said.

鈥淭oday鈥檚 students are going to have jobs that don鈥檛 yet exist, using technologies that haven鈥檛 even been invented to solve problems that haven鈥檛 been identified,鈥 Edmonson said. 鈥淪o, let鈥檚 stop predicting and start educating young people. We鈥檙e so busy predicting that we鈥檝e forgotten that we should update the ways we teach people and the ways that we work with ourselves and with each other.鈥

Here is a list of the other events featured during the symposium:

Tuesday, March 31

Celebration of Scholarship
11am-3pm, CC Main Event Room / BOT



Good Mothers and Baby Monkeys: The Surprising Origins of Attachment Theory - Dr. Nancy Reddy
4:30-5:30pm, Lower Art Gallery

Friday, April 10

Blackboard Ultra Event
11:30am-4:30pm, CC MR5, Hosted by Blackboard/CTLD

Wednesday, April 15

SOBL Faculty / Student Showcase
3-5:00pm, CC Main Event Room / BOT

Friday, April 17

MARS Student Research Symposium
11am-2pm, B-126

Monday, April 20 NAMS Undergraduate Research Symposium
3-5pm, BOT
Tuesday, April 21 Chemistry Senior Symposium
9:45am 1:30pm, CC Meeting Room 5 - Password 574563
Wednesday, April 22 Origami Showcase
noon-1:50pm, Campus Center Main Hall
Thursday, April 23

SOWK Program Distinction
3-7pm, Board of Trustees Room

Monday, April 27

Graduate Research Symposium
4-5:30pm, Campus Center Main Event Room

Tuesday, April 28 Celebration of Service
4:30-6pm, L-Wing Lower/Upper Gallery
Thursday, April 30

Biochemistry Molecular Biology Symposium
2:30pm, C-136


SCOSA's Celebration of Aging Research
3-4:30pm, CC Main Event Room / BOT

Friday, May 1 Psi Chi Conference
8:30am-4:30pm, CC Main Event Room / BOT
Wednesday, May 6 History Program Presentations and Celebration
3:35-5:25pm, HRC classroom, L112 -