July 24-25 Conference Cultivates Community in Age of AI
The fifth annual Impact Conference, Cultivating Community in the Age of AI, brings together senior technology leaders in higher education to explore ways to apply AI to strengthen — rather than replace — human connections July 24-25 in Westmont’s Global Leadership Center. Purchase tickets, which cost $129 per person for two full days with breakfast and lunch included, at westmont.edu/impact.
“Top technology officers, students from programs like CATLab, and academic leaders will gather to discuss the role of technology in this new age of AI,” says Zak Landrum, director of customer relationship management and data services and the Center for Applied Technology Lab (CATLab), which hosts the event. “We’ll consider the ways AI can improve efficiency, sharing some examples of what we’ve been working on this summer, while contemplating the role of technology in student formation.”
The conference features a lineup of nationally recognized speakers, including Randy Bass, vice president for strategic education initiatives at Georgetown University and founding director of Red House; Julia Freeland Fisher, director of education research at the Clayton Christensen Institute; Lev Gonick, chief information officer of Arizona State University and leader of their strategic technology initiatives; and Matt DeJongh, Hope College computer science professor and amateur pianist.
Bass, a former English literature professor, has gained recognition for his work on innovation in higher education, particularly high-impact practices that enhance student learning beyond the classroom. Jeff Selingo’s Future U podcast has featured his forward-thinking initiatives.
Fisher will speak about the power of social capital and its transformative potential in education and career development. She’ll share the latest research describing how social networks influence student success — especially in the evolving landscape of AI.
Gonick will discuss how ASU builds with AI and integrates it into the classroom as a core partner in learning. ASU’s pioneering approach includes becoming the first educational institution to sign a contract with OpenAI, underscoring its role at the forefront of AI in higher education.
DeJongh will demonstrate his AI software that can listen to a pianist and join in at just the right moment. Several Hope College computer science students will join him and his colleagues, and they plan to connect with Westmont’s team for collaborative learning and discussion.
On both days, CATLab students will give presentations about their work this summer, illustrating amazing company partnerships.
Sponsors include FormAssembly, Tondro, Gerent, Education Trailblazers Association, ElevateActual, the Fletcher Jones Foundation and Westmont’s Center for Technology, Creativity and the Moral Imagination.