Custom AI Without the Cloud: Privacy and Power for Every Instructor

Joseph Retzer

While off-the-shelf AI like ChatGPT are popular, many instructors worry about data privacy and generic “one-size-fits-all” limitations. In this session, Joseph Retzer will demonstrate how he created a secure, custom AI assistant that runs entirely offline to keep sensitive student and research data private, while still being able to summarize complex data and generate professional reports. Following Dr. Retzer’s session we’ll explore ways to build your own specialized AI tools, and move from being an AI consumer to an AI creator.

This session will be held in Engelmann Hall (Room B73), and online via Zoom. Registration is not required but helps us prepare.

Facilitators

Location

This session will be held in Engelmann Hall (Room B73), and online via Zoom, please register to receive an email with the link.

Connecting Critical Reading and AI Literacy

Shevaun Watson and Cassandra Phillips

Generative AI is transforming college students’ literacy development, and understanding these challenges is important at this critical juncture. This session will discuss key findings from the presenters’ research on the relationships between reading and AI and share effective strategies for supporting both critical reading and AI literacy in your classrooms. Participants will gain insight into students’ experiences with expanding literacy demands and how these new challenges are impacting their ability to succeed in reading- and writing-intensive courses.

This session will be held in Engelmann Hall (Room B73), and online via Zoom. Registration is not required but helps us prepare.

Facilitators

Location

This session will be held in Engelmann Hall (Room B73), and online via Zoom, please register to receive an email with the link.

Rehumanizing Student Engagement: Building Empathy, Trust, and Connection in the Age of AI

Sarthak Singh and Lin Deng

AI and technology dominate the learning landscape, however, human connection remains essential for engagement. Join us as Sarthak Singh and Lin Deng share “rehumanizing” teaching strategies that integrate AI tools with empathy, trust, and storytelling. They will demonstrate how to design AI-supported lessons that teach students to ask meaningful questions and connect authentically with each other.

This session will be held in Engelmann Hall (Room B73), and online via Zoom. Registration is not required but helps us prepare.

Facilitators

Location

This session will be held in Engelmann Hall (Room B73), and online via Zoom, please register to receive an email with the link.

AI in Education: Latest trends and practical strategies for instructors

David Delgado

Explore the future of teaching with AI! In this first Active Teaching Lab of 2026, David Delgado will guide us through the latest AI innovations and their impact on education, helping you understand what’s new, what’s next, and what matters for instructors. We’ll then bring the conversation into the classroom, exploring actionable strategies to utilize the newest tools to help integrate AI into your teaching.

This session will be held in Engelmann Hall (Room B73), and online via Zoom. Registration is not required but helps us prepare.

Facilitators

Location

This session will be held in Engelmann Hall (Room B73), and online via Zoom, please register to receive an email with the link.

Registration Form

Co-sponsored by

• Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL)
• Division of Community Empowerment & Institutional Inclusivity (CEII)
• University Information Technology Services (UITS).

Vibe Coding for Teaching and Research: Building AI Workflows that Work TBA

Lane Sunwall

As AI tools grow more capable, they can also become overwhelming—especially for complex tasks. This session introduces vibe coding, a method for collaborating with AI step-by-step to create usable tools, activities, or digital resources. We’ll examine what happens when prompts are too broad (AI burnout and hallucination) versus when they’re structured as a series of build-and-refine steps. You’ll leave with practical models for guiding AI through multi-stage academic projects.

This session will be held online via Zoom. Registration is not required but helps us prepare.

Facilitators

Location

Virtually on Zoom, please register to receive an email with the link.

Building Your AI Teaching Team: Experimenting with Custom Assistants for Learning and Scholarship

Stuart Moulthrop

What happens when a graduate seminar builds its own AI collaborator? In this session, we’ll explore how Stuart Moulthrop designed and introduced a custom GPT to support reading-based discussion and scholarly experimentation in a theory course. The project began as a practical test—what could AI do with a semester’s worth of readings—but evolved into a reflection on what it means to be a scholar, teacher, and creator alongside AI. Join us to discuss how custom assistants can support learning, reveal the limits of current tools, and spark new conversations about co-creation, resistance, and the future of academic work.

This session will be held online via Zoom. Registration is not required but helps us prepare.

Facilitators

Location

Virtually on Zoom, please register to receive an email with the link.

Preparing 51ÁÔÆæ Students for Careers in an AI-enabled World – a Perspective from Strategic Partnerships

Brian Thompson

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will impact the careers of 51ÁÔÆæ graduates, whether they are directly involved in technology implementation or experiencing AI as it complements and reshapes roles in the workforce. 51ÁÔÆæ instructors are the front line – adapting their course to best prepare our students in a rapidly changing environment with skills in technology and critical thinking. Brian Thompson, 51ÁÔÆæ Chief Innovation & Partnership Officer will offer perspectives from partner and community organizations – including Northwestern Mutual, Rockwell Automation, Microsoft, Direct Supply, Harley Davidson and Milwaukee Bucks – on how they’re implementing AI and how it impacts their hiring and opportunities for continuing education of their workforce.

This session will be held online via Zoom. Registration is not required but helps us prepare.

Facilitators

Location

Virtually on Zoom, please register to receive an email with the link.

AI in Education: Latest Trends and Practical Strategies for Instructors

David Delgado

Explore the future of teaching with AI! On September 10th, David Delgado will guide us through the latest AI innovations and their impact on education, helping you understand what’s new, what’s next, and what matters for instructors. We’ll then bring the conversation into the classroom, exploring actionable strategies to utilize the newest tools to help integrate AI into your classroom.

This session will be held online via Zoom. Registration is not required but helps us prepare.

Facilitators

Location

Virtually on Zoom, please register to receive an email with the link.

Building Student Research Skills Through AI Analysis

May 7  | Gillian Rodger

What happens when we treat AI-generated content as a starting point for teaching research skills? Join us as music professor Gillian Rodger shares how she transformed potential challenges with AI into opportunities for developing critical information literacy. Through a carefully designed unit that combines AI experimentation with library research skills, Rodger demonstrates how analyzing AI’s strengths and limitations can enhance students’ understanding of academic research. This workshop will explore how intentional engagement with AI tools can help students develop stronger research skills, better source evaluation abilities, and a deeper appreciation for authentic academic work.

This session will be held both in-person and online via Zoom. Registration is not required. However, if you plan to attend in-person please register below – so we know how many much food to order

Can’t make it to campus? No problems – 

Facilitators

Location

Engelmann Hall (ENG) B73
2033 E. Hartford Ave.
Milwaukee, 53211