AIM Research & Learning Symposium

9:30 AM — Welcome & Opening Talk

• Hal Daumé III, AIM Director
• Erica Jiang, Venture Partner, Loyal VC

10:00 AM — Research Presentations

Featured presentations highlight AIM-funded and affiliated interdisciplinary research from across University of Maryland.

Featured projects include:

• Qin Wang — Professor, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Maryland
  Presentation: AI and Robotics Accelerated Discovery of Biobased, Sustainable, Antimicrobial Food Packaging
• Vanessa Frías-Martínez — Associate Professor, College of Information and UMIACS, University of Maryland
  Presentation: CommunityTwin: A Digital Twin for Enhanced Decision-Making in Public Health
• Cy Keener — Assistant Professor, Art and Emerging Technology, University of Maryland
  Presentation: AI-Driven Sensor Fusion for Arctic Sea Ice Mapping

* Will be presenting

11:00 AM — Funding the Future of AI: Perspectives from Federal and Philanthropic Leaders

Leaders from federal agencies and philanthropy will share emerging AI research priorities, funding opportunities, and interdisciplinary challenges shaping the future of work across education, health, public policy, and society. 

Panelists include:

• Jing Liu, Ph.D. — Moderator; Associate Professor in Education Policy, Director of the Center for Education Data Science and Innovation, University of Maryland
• Elizabeth Albro, Ph.D. — Commissioner, National Center for Education Research, Institute of Education Sciences
• Titilola Harley — Senior Program Officer, The Gates Foundation
• Amen Ra Mashariki, Ph.D. — Director, AI and Data Strategies, Bezos Earth Fund

12:00 PM — Networking Lunch & Poster Session

Posters will remain on display throughout the day; presenters will be available during this hour. Lunch will be provided, with vegetarian, vegan, and dietary-sensitive options available. Dietary accommodations may be indicated during registration.

1:00 PM — Interactive Course Development Grant Panel

Faculty across disciplines will share how they are integrating AI into teaching, curriculum design, and student learning in practical, ethical, and field-specific ways. 

Moderators:

• Neda Atanasoski — Associate Director of Education and Chair, The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
• Alyssa Ryan — Program Director, Academic Program Operations

Faculty panelists include:

• Alexis Lothian — Associate Professor, Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
• Brian Kim — Assistant Research Professor, Joint Program in Survey Methodology
• Alireza Vaziri Rahimi — Assistant Professor, Department of Art
• Jessica Grimmer — Lecturer, College of Information
• Amanda Chicoli — Lecturer, Department of Psychology
• Rodolphe Gentili — Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology

2:00 PM — AIM Affiliate Research Lightning Talks

Featured speakers include:

• Marine Carpuat — Associate Professor, Computer Science
  Andy Schonebaum — Associate Professor, School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
• Veronica Kang — Assistant Professor, Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
  Ariel La — Speech Therapist, Speech Gardens 
  Kate Lu, LCSW-C. — Director, Health Center, Chinese Culture and Community Service Center
• Cornelia Fermüller — Research Scientist, University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies and University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing
• Amanda Lazar — Associate Professor, College of Information
  Caro “Spike” Williams-Pierce — Associate Professor, College of Information
• Zubin Jelveh — Assistant Professor, College of Information & Criminology and Criminal Justice
  Tin Trung Nguyen — PhD Candidate, Department of Computer Science
• Shevaun Lewis — Assistant Director, Language Science Center; Director, UMD Autism Research Consortium
• Hernisa Kacorri — Associate Professor, College of Information and UMIACS
• Chunyan Yang — Associate Professor, Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education

3:00 PM — Closing Keynote with Dr. Nicol Turner Lee

Director – Center for Technology Innovation (CIT) and Senior Fellow – Governance Studies

3:40 PM — Closing Remarks with Dr. Patrick O’Shea

Vice President for Research and Chief Research Officer, University of Maryland

The AIM Research Symposium will take place at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union on the University of Maryland campus. Check-in will be held in the Grand Ballroom Lounge, with programming taking place inside the Grand Ballroom.

• Doors Open: 9:00 AM
• Program begins promptly at 9:30 AM

AIM and University staff and volunteers will be available at the registration area to welcome guests and provide guidance upon arrival.

Adele H. Stamp Student Union
3972 Campus Drive
College Park, MD 20742

Stamp Student Union is centrally located on the University of Maryland campus and is accessible by car, public transit, and rideshare services.

The Stamp Student Union also provides a building map for better navigation once inside the building. Building maps are also provided in each of the elevators.