U of A Announces New “Curiosity at Work” AI Training Sessions for Faculty and Staff
The University of Arkansas is expanding its internal training initiatives with additional “Curiosity at Work” sessions, running from November 9 through November 11, news.uark.edu reported. The upcoming sessions follow an initial March rollout that drew over 200 participants from across campus. Organizers from the university’s AI Committee, Human Resources, and IT Services scheduled the multi-day program to feature presentations led by university employees demonstrating active, day-to-day use cases for artificial intelligence.
The Tech TL;DR:
- The University of Arkansas is hosting a three-day, multi-session internal workshop sequence from November 9 to 11 to train faculty and staff on practical artificial intelligence tools.
- Presentations will cover specific platforms, including Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, and Gemini Notebook, focusing on workflows like grant discovery, administration, and instructional design.
- The initiative follows a March program that drew over 200 faculty and staff, offering additional sessions presented by employees using artificial intelligence.
University Hosts Remote AI Training Sessions on Monday
Sessions on Monday, November 9, will be hosted remotely via Microsoft Teams, according to the schedule published by the university. Kathryn Zawisza, associate chief information officer for campus partnerships in IT Services, opens the morning at 9 a.m. with an introductory overview titled “Curiosity at Work: Exploring AI at the U of A.” Emma Hill, professional development and training coordinator for IT Services, follows at 10:30 a.m. to instruct attendees on accessing foundational campus AI resources.
In-Person Demonstrations at the Arkansas Union Ballroom
Proceedings shift to room 526 of the Arkansas Union Ballroom on Tuesday, November 10, and Wednesday, November 11, featuring hands-on administrative and academic workflow demonstrations. Tuesday morning features Renelde Foiles, an instructional designer in Human Resources, presenting “The Prompt Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Everyday Productivity” at 9 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., Chris Bryson, executive director of Academic Initiatives and Integrity, joins Zawisza to cover “Using AI for Benchmarking and Administrative Research: Gemini and Gemini Notebook.”
Afternoon sessions on Tuesday address career networks and communications. At 1 p.m., student Brooks Newberry and technology professional development and training coordinator Pamela Ellison present “Using AI and AI Agents for Networking and Career Opportunities.” Christopher Spencer, associate director of marketing and communications for the College of Engineering, concludes the Tuesday afternoon schedule at 2:30 p.m. with a session on using Copilot to generate flyers and newsletters.
Wednesday’s agenda opens at 9 a.m. with Anh Parker, executive specialist to the director at the Community Design Center, joining Ellison to present “Grant Finder: Using Microsoft Copilot to Streamline Grant Discovery.” Drew Perez, a budget analyst in Industrial Engineering Administration, leads a 10:30 a.m. session titled “Excel with AI: Practical Uses for Copilot.” Terri Chadick, senior director of talent acquisition, policy and ethics in Human Resources, presents a session on streamlining talent acquisition at 1 p.m.
Closing Demonstrations Scheduled for November 11
The series concludes on Wednesday afternoon from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. with a structured showcase where university staff will present examples of AI use cases at the U of A. Presenters for the closing block include Tonya Williams, Jaden Hutchins, and Mark Hubbell from Financial Affairs, alongside Anu Bhukel and David Hinton representing Technology Ventures.