UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has selected 16 faculty members for its 2026-27 AI-Aware Faculty Leaders program, a co-sponsored initiative of the AI Center of Excellence in Teaching and Learning and the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence. The faculty-driven program is designed to help departments, colleges and campuses respond thoughtfully and effectively to the opportunities and challenges artificial intelligence presents for teaching and learning.
The initiative builds on the work of last year's AI-Aware Instruction program and represents an evolution of this faculty-driven approach to artificial intelligence in education. By moving from individual experimentation toward a broader network of faculty-led activity, the program will support local cultures of exploration and experimentation while keeping instructional decisions grounded in disciplinary expertise, academic values and student learning.
The 16 AI-Aware Faculty Leaders represent a range of academic fields and University locations. During the 2026-27 academic year, they will serve as visible, accessible resources for colleagues navigating the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning. Their activities may include organizing workshops, facilitating small-group discussions and creating other peer-learning opportunities where instructors can exchange ideas, explore practical applications, discuss emerging concerns and develop approaches suited to their disciplines and local needs. They will also identify emerging needs in their teaching communities, develop resources and share insights with fellow faculty leaders and program sponsors.
Key program objectives and expectations
Faculty leaders will be expected to:
- Identify and respond to needs within their academic units.
- Inform unit-wide committees and colleagues serving in unit-level administrative roles about Penn State policies and guidelines related to artificial intelligence.
- Identify opportunities to discuss AI with colleagues in ways that help units determine what they need to do next and move forward.
- Deepen their own professional networks and connect their units with relevant University resources and offices.
- Participate in leadership development through the Center for Faculty Development and Advancement.
Faculty leaders serve as local connectors who can translate broad conversations about AI into practical, discipline-specific approaches. They also encourage sustained dialogue among faculty and academic leaders as units consider changes to student engagement, academic integrity and the skills students need for further study and employment.
Their willingness to test new approaches, share lessons learned and help build local communities of practice provide a foundation for the expanded 2026-27 initiative.
2026-27 faculty leaders
The 16 faculty leaders represent a broad range of disciplines and Penn State locations:
College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
- Steven J. Greybush, professor, meteorology
- Kevin Haworth, assistant teaching professor, undergraduate education; Giles Writer-in-Residence
Penn State College of Medicine
- Guodong Liu, professor, public health sciences, with joint appointments in neurology, pediatrics, psychiatry and behavioral health; director of the Center for Applied Studies in Health Economics
Penn State College of Education
- Priya Sharma, associate professor, education (learning, design and technology); faculty director for AI Literacy and Innovation
Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing
- Andrea Yevchak Sillner, assistant teaching professor, nursing
- Jennifer Wissemann, associate teaching professor, nursing
Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications
- Stephanie Swindle Thomas, assistant teaching professor, communications, director of Emerging Media
Smeal College of Business
- Nan Zhu, associate professor of risk management and William Elliott Chaired Professor of Insurance and Risk Management
Penn State Abington
- Gina Mejia Madrid, assistant teaching professor, computer science
Penn State Altoona
- John P. Eicher, associate professor, history
Penn State Beaver
- Nima Khodakarami, assistant professor, health policy and administration
Penn State Berks
- Abdullah Konak, distinguished professor, information sciences and technology
Penn State Greater Allegheny
- Kuei-Nuan Lin, professor, mathematics
Penn State Great Valley
- Nathalia Moraes do Nascimento, assistant professor, software engineering
Penn State Harrisburg
- Laura Feibush, assistant professor, rhetoric; and director of the Center for Holocaust and Jewish Studies
Penn State Hazleton
- Karen Stylianides, associate teaching professor, kinesiology, health and human development
The breadth of the group reflects the program's emphasis on developing AI-aware teaching practices across the university rather than within a single academic field.
Next cohort nominations
The AI Center of Excellence in Teaching and Learning and the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence will solicit nominations for the next cohort of Faculty Leaders for AI-Aware Instruction in early spring 2027. Academic unit leaders will be encouraged to nominate educators who are exploring responsible uses of artificial intelligence in teaching, developing resources for colleagues or helping their communities respond to changes in learning and assessment. Additional information about the nomination process and timeline will be announced at a future date.
For more information, contact the AI Center of Excellence in Teaching and Learning at aicenterofexcellence@psu.edu or the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at site@psu.edu.