2023 AI Symposium Presenters

Andelyn Bedington, Student, Biology, and Pre-Medical Studies

Andelyn Bedington is an undergraduate majoring in Biology and Pre-Medical Studies, driven by her passion to become a doctor and work for Doctors Without Borders. She began her studies at Miami University and will continue them but took this semester away from school. She is also a mother of four, and motherhood brings her immense joy, as she aspires to inspire others to break barriers and embrace education, pursuing their dreams fearlessly.

Suman Bhunia, Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Software Engineering

Dr. Bhunia is an assistant professor in the Computer Science and Software Engineering (CSE) department. He is a cybersecurity researcher with an emphasis on: Network security, malicious code sensing/detection, cyber-physical security, wireless honeypot, jamming attacks, spectrum fingerprinting, IoT Security. His research also includes areas related to wireless communication, including: 5G LTE, Cognitive radio, dynamic spectrum access (DSA), cross-layer optimization, and unmanned autonomous systems (UAS).

Dennis Cheatham, Associate Professor, Art: Communication Design; Affiliate Faculty, Emerging Technology in Business + Design; Research Fellow, Scripps Gerontology Center

Dennis is an Associate Professor in Design, an Affiliate Faculty of ETBD, and a Scripps Gerontology Research Fellow. He researches the nature of designed experiences, including ways to create products, services, and systems for memory formation, behavioral change, and enriched relationships.

Jenny Culbertson, Learning Designer, Miami Online - Oxford

Jenny joined Miami as a Learning Designer in September of 2021. Jenny was in K-12 education for many years, teaching high school business and technology courses. She has worked as an instructional designer in a variety of settings. Jenny has a BBA, a M.Ed. in Business Education, and a M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology.

Bonnie Erwin, Associate Director of Online Learning, Miami Online - Oxford

She came to Miami as a Learning Designer in February 2022 and moved into her current role in Summer 2022. Prior to joining the team at Miami, Bonnie was Director of Learning Experience Design and Development at Wilmington College, where she was also an Associate Professor of English. Bonnie holds an M.Ed. in Instructional Design and Technology, along with a Ph.D. in English Literature.

Emma Halcomb, Junior, majoring in Biology and Gerontology and a minor in Child Studies

Emma Halcomb is a junior majoring in Biology and Gerontology and a minor in Child Studies, she has co-authored her first manuscript “Writing with Generative AI and Human-Machine Teaming: Insights and Recommendations from Faculty and Students” with the other co-presenters.

Peter Jamieson, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Jamieson is an associate professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department. He has multifaceted research interests. As a computer engineer, he is focused on research topics related to: FPGAs, using OpenCL to design hardware for cloud computing, HPC, Genetic algorithms, and modeling & simulation. As an educator, he is interested in pedagogical approaches to enhance classroom teaching and the educational experiences of students.

Samer Khamaiseh, Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Software Engineering

Dr. Khamaiseh research focuses on artificial intelligence security, software security, and network security. Before starting his journey into higher education journey, Dr. Khamaiseh was a software developer & security engineer at EtQ L.L.C. Over the course of his research, Dr. Khamaiseh has found many novel attacks and published many articles on different national and international venues.

Heidi A. McKee, Professor, English, and an Affiliate with Emerging Technology in Business & Design

She has researched and co-published on generative AI extensively: “AI Agents as Professional Communicators” (2017); “Ethics for AI Writing: The Importance of Rhetorical Context” (2020); and “Team Roles and Rhetorical Intelligence in Human-Machine Writing” (2022). With her co-presenters today, she has co-authored the manuscript (in press): “Writing with Generative AI and Human-Machine Teaming: Insights and Recommendations from Faculty and Students”.

Dhananjai Rao, Gonzalez Associate Professor, Computer Science and Software Engineering

Dr. Rao's research is focused on parallel and distributed computing with an emphasis on parallel simulation with applications to computational epidemiology, ecology, bioinformatics, and computing systems. He is also actively involved in pedagogical research exploring the use of technology to enhance educational experiences for students. He also maintains the Canvas-CODE plugin that is actively used by 1000s of students in CEC.

Cara Spray, Instructional Designer, Miami Online Regionals

Cara is a lifelong bookworm who transformed her passion for learning into a successful career as an instructional designer and a dedicated advocate for self-education. With over a decade of experience in the instructional design field, Cara earned her master's degree in Instructional Design for Distance Learning in 2017 and joined the Miami University Regionals team in 2018. Her unwavering commitment lies in empowering educators by staying at the forefront of the dynamic educational landscape, equipping them with innovative practices and cutting-edge tools to enhance the learning experience.

Mike Stram, Learning Designer, Miami Online - Oxford

Mike was hired by MUO in December of 2021 after earning his M.Ed. in Instructional Design from Bowling Green State University. Before starting his journey in education, Mike worked a variety of jobs in the creative field, including photographer and graphic designer. After discovering his passion for education, he worked developing and delivering lessons to help prepare high school students with disabilities to transition into adult life.

Addrienne VanOver, Instructional Design Specialist, Computer & Information Technology

Addrienne is a passionate educator with approximately a decade in the teaching realm, recently branching into the world of instructional design. Holding a B.F.A. in Graphic Design and Photography, she’s now actively pursuing her Master’s in Instructional Design and Technology at Miami University. In her role as an instructional designer, she’s fervently committed to enhancing education, integrating innovative methodologies, and tools to uplift both teaching and learning experiences.

James Walden, Director of the Center for Cybersecurity, Miami University

James Walden is Director of the Center for Cybersecurity at Miami University. He has a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University and 25 years of cybersecurity experience working in both academia and industry. He has created over two dozen cybersecurity courses and multiple cybersecurity degree programs. His research focuses on how to develop secure software, including software that incorporates AI models.

Nhut (Steven) Do, Senior, Computer Science

I am a senior Computer Science student at Miami University and a Software Engineering Intern at Medpace. I was responsible for designing the software architecture and developing the backend of the ChatGPT-Powered Smart Chatbot in the Libraries.

Aayog Koirala, Graduate Student, Computer Science

Dedicated Computer Science master's student with a focus on software development and AI technologies. Committed to academic rigor and practical applications, currently employed part-time in both chatbot development and web development. Possesses a strong foundation in physics, and mathematics, and additional skills in photography and swimming.

Garrison LeMasters, Visiting Assistant Professor, Emerging Technology in Business & Design

Garrison LeMasters is a visiting assistant professor in the Games and Simulation program of ETBD.  He is interested in play and computation.

Ann Mackenzie, Associate Professor, Teaching Curriculum and Educational Inquiry

Bruce Murray, Professor, Emerging Technology in Business & Design

Bruce Murray is a professor in ETBD and was formerly chair of the Department of Music.  He is also a concert pianist, and he established one of the first WWW servers in the world.

Mandy Olejnik, Assistant Director of Writing Across the Curriculum, Howe Center for Writing Excellence

Mandy Olejnik is the assistant director of Writing Across the Curriculum at the Howe Center for Writing Excellence (HCWE) at Miami University, where she supports faculty and graduate students in their teaching of writing. Her research focuses on writing across the curriculum programming and graduate writing support, advocating for more equitable, systematic support structures created and led by disciplinary faculty. Recently at the HCWE, Mandy has worked to lead faculty development around AI and its implications for teaching and learning, looking specifically at the ways AI tools can aid (and not replace) the learning-to-write process.

Rena Perez, Doctoral Student, Composition and Rhetoric

Rena Perez is a 3rd year PhD student in Composition and Rhetoric and a Graduate Assistant Director of the Howe Writing Across the Curriculum program. She is currently working on her comprehensive exams and dissertation research studying the processes of faculty-led change around teaching about and with writing across different levels and institutions. Through helping to design and lead workshops and discussions among faculty at Miami (and beyond) on teaching writing with AI alongside Mandy Olejnik, she has learned about the potential opportunities of AI for teaching writing as well as its concerns and limitations as a writing tool.

Meng Qu, Web Design Librarian

At Miami University Libraries in Oxford, Ohio, Meng Qu has been working as a Web Services Librarian for five years. With an enduring love for coding front-end websites spanning years, her dedication is never extinguished. Recently, her exploration has expanded to encompass the realms of big data, data analysis, and Machine Learning—a transformation sparked by her desire to weave cutting-edge technology into an enriched virtual library experience.

Thomas Sargent, Senior, Professional Writing major with a Creative Writing minor

He has goals of attending graduate school for composition and rhetoric, where he can further study the evolution of rhetoric designed for multicultural audiences and the effect of social media and LLM AI on rhetorical strategies.