AI in the Workplace Panel Discussion

Date: May 1, 2024 
Time: Noon-1 p.m.
Location: Virtual

The University of Texas Learning & Development Office invites you to join us for this university-wide event to discuss what AI is and how it might play a role in the workplace. This will be an accessible conversation about this complex topic. In this moderated discussion, will we allow time and space for attendees to ask questions to the panelists who are currently contributing through different roles to The Year of AI at UT. Our goal is to make this event a place where you can be brave enough to ask questions you may have had about AI for some time, and get answers that are equally honest, non-judgmental, and easy for anyone to understand.

Panelists:  

Cole Camplese, Vice President for Technology & CIO

Cole has a 25-year-long career as a standout information technology leader in private and public, multi-campus research university settings. He also has a proven history of IT leadership, successful enterprise project implementations, and digital transformation and is recognized by his peers as an innovative leader and team builder who delivers on change and drives results.

Most recently, Cole served as the vice president for information technology and CIO at Northeastern University. In this role, he oversaw the successful implementation of academic and business systems, including the Canvas learning management system, the Slate enrollment management platform and the Workday Human Capital Management system.

Previously, Cole held senior leadership roles at the University of Chicago, Stony Brook University and Pennsylvania State University. He has a Bachelor of Arts from West Virginia University and a Master of Science in instructional technology from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. Cole has taught various courses on disruptive technologies for teaching and learning and on information, policy and people. Cole has also provided consulting expertise to organizations including Apple, Dell, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor. Cole has also been the principal investigator and project associate on various grant-funded research projects in STEM education, digital expression and other information technology fields.
 

Mario Guerra, Longhorn Technology Experience, Information Technology Services

As an educational technologist with over 20 years of experience at the University of Texas at Austin, Mario has been involved in several projects that have shaped our academic technology ecosystem.  The transition from Blackboard to Canvas and the implementation of Zoom at the start of the pandemic are great examples of his impact and interest in enhancing the learning experience of students and faculty. He currently leads the Longhorn Technology Experience, a team responsible for supporting the academic mission through effective uses of technology. He is passionate about innovation and exploring new ways technology will impact our learning environments. Some of the areas that interest him are online learning, accessibility, and artificial intelligence. 

Angela Newell, Executive Director of Innovation for the Chief Information Office

Dr. Newell has been a part of the public and open data environment for nearly 15 years. She was part of the team that, jointly with the White House, developed data.gov, one of the largest open data systems in the world. Dr. Newell has also served as a campus liaison for IT for nearly a decade and is an active participant in the research community as the grant administrator for the Longhorn Innovation Fund for Technology and as a representative of the Chief Information Officer.

Newell is the author of the forthcoming book, "The Information Public," from The University of Texas Press, is co-author of a successful National Science Foundation Science of Science and Innovation Policy grant and is an author in the book, "The Internet in Everyday Life," edited by William Aspray and Barbara Hayes.

Prior to earning her doctorate at UT, Dr. Newell was a scientific researcher contracted to the Department of Energy. She received her Master of Science in Public Policy and Information Systems Management from Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University. Newell has directed community development initiatives and served as a two-year AmeriCorps member and as a National Service Fellow. She received two national awards, including the Josten's Our Town Award, for her work in strategy and development.
 

Julie Schell, Assistant Vice Provost of Academic Technology

Dr. Julie Schell is the Assistant Vice Provost of Academic Technology and the Director of the Office of Academic Technology at The University of Texas at Austin. She oversees the University’s technology-enhanced learning ecosystem and works to advance teaching and learning through the strategic use of academic technology. She is also an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Departments of Design and Educational Leadership and Policy, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on learning experience design. In her current studios, Dr. Schell and her students are partnering with generative AI to prototype speculative objects and environments designed to improve teaching and learning in education settings.

Dr. Schell is also an award-winning college teaching and learning expert with over 25 years of expertise in higher education. She has delivered over 100 talks, workshops, and keynotes on teaching and learning. She is the creator of Think Before You Design Think­™️, a popular introductory human-centered design curriculum she first launched at AT&T and has delivered at Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations throughout the United States. Dr. Schell's approach to design thinking focuses on using the principles of learning science to develop design thinking self-efficacy, especially among non-designers. She has supported thousands of new learners in their journey to understand and apply human-centered design to improve lived experiences.
 

Melissa Taylor, Sr. Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships, College of Natural Sciences

Dr. Melissa Taylor currently serves as Sr. Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships.  She is responsible for strategic planning, special projects, and change management across the largest college at the University of Texas at Austin. She leads the design, implementation, and sustainment of new initiatives related to education, research, and public engagement. She also manages the college’s institutional data team to ensure assessment, evaluation, and data-informed practices are at the core of college decision-making.

Melissa has extensive experience in higher education leadership, academic planning, curriculum design, faculty professional development, and student program management.  Early in her career, Melissa worked in the non-profit sector, including serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Latin America. Much of her work today is informed by her early experiences as a community organizer. 

Melissa holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research explores the relationship between education, workforce, and social mobility.