Background Image for Header:
Will Chat GPT/Generative AI Ruin or Improve Higher Education?
In this session, we continue the conversation started on EAB’s (Education Advisory Board) Office Hours Podcast . During the podcast, the hosts review the current state of play and examine ways that institutions are adapting to this technology. “How can we explore ways that institutions might evolve to incorporate the use of AI to complement but not replace a student’s own creative thought?” - Office Hours with EAB Podcast
Here are a few questions that will help guide our discussion:
- How do we get faculty to engage with generative AI and define where they stand before students use it in their class?
- How can we help instructors leverage AI tools in their teaching?
- How do we respond to AI generated writing in the classroom?
- What AI content detection tools are available and how might they be utilized most effectively?
- What are the potential implications of generative AI from various standpoints (academic, economic, social, etc.)?
- What is the future likely to hold for generative AI (ex. Polemic AIs, ChatGPT 4)
Amy Cyphert
Lecturer in Law, College of Law
Amy Beth Cyphert is a Lecturer in Law at the West Virginia University College of Law and also the Director of the ASPIRE Office, which assists students who are applying for nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships. Cyphert is a Morgantown native and a 2001 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, where she was awarded a Truman Scholarship. Cyphert graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2005, and went on to clerk for the Honorable Laura Taylor Swain in the Southern District of New York. Prior to joining WVU, Cyphert was a senior litigation associate with WilmerHale in New York City, where she focused on complex commercial litigation as well as first amendment pro bono matters.
Cyphert developed and teaches a course on Artificial Intelligence and the Law. Her recent research has focused on algorithmic decision making in schools and the criminal justice system, as well as the impact of artificial intelligence on the practice of law. In 2021, Cyphert received the Privacy Papers for Policymakers Award from the Future of Privacy Forum for her article on machine-learning algorithms and online surveillance.
Paul Heddings
Director of Academic Integrity, Office of Academic Integrity
Paul Heddings joined West Virginia University as Director of Academic Integrity in March 2022. In his role, Paul is responsible for investigating and adjudicating allegations of academic dishonesty by students at West Virginia University, West Virginia University Institute of Technology, and West Virginia University Potomac State College.
Prior to joining WVU Paul practiced law in the state of Missouri, serving most recently as the Chief Prosecutor for the White Collar and Public Corruption Unit of the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office in Kansas City. In this role, Paul oversaw the investigation and prosecution of complex criminal schemes including health care fraud, securities fraud, large-scale embezzlement operations, election fraud, and tax evasion. Paul also investigated and prosecuted sensitive matters of public corruption in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including working with clandestine operations and as a special prosecutor to assist other Missouri Counties.
Prior to becoming a prosecutor, Paul served as Assistant Legal Counsel to former Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and as Legal Counsel for the Missouri Department of Corrections. In these roles, Paul was responsible for overseeing various functions of state government, including the promulgation and enforcement of state policies and regulations. During Paul’s time with the Missouri Department of Corrections, he was involved with the development of Missouri’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative – a reevaluation and overhaul of Missouri’s criminal justice system.
In his free time, Paul serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Alphapointe, a non-profit organization serving to empower and employ individuals with visual disabilities.
Paul received BAs in History and Political Science from the University of Missouri in 2013, and his JD from the University of Missouri School of Law in 2016.
Mohamed Hefeida
Teaching Associate Professor, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
Dr. Mohamed Hefeida joined West Virginia University (WVU) in August 2020. He has nearly two decades of teaching and mentoring experience at several higher education institutions around the world. Since joining WVU, Hefeida has been actively engaged in mentoring both undergraduate and graduate students in several programs, including the research apprenticeship program, the experiential and community engaged learning, and the National Cyber League (NCL). Dr. Hefeida was recognized by the West Virginia State Governor’s office for his efforts coaching a group of WVU students in the NCL, during Fall of 2022.
Hefeida is the Chair of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee for the Computer Engineering Program, where he leads the development and implementation of curriculum improvements, lab improvements, maintaining and growing industrial relationships, and reporting to the board of governors.
Dr. Hefeida’s research interests span a wide spectrum of networking and communication solutions, with a focus on sensor networks, Internet of Things (IoT) and their applications, and data management solutions. He has particular interest in collaborative networking and cross-layer optimizations in wireless communications and computer networks. His work has been integrated in various applications, ranging from traffic safety to livestock management solutions.
Before Joining WVU, Hefeida was a clinical assistant professor at the University of Idaho. He earned his PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is a senior member of the IEEE.
Chris McClain
Assistant Professor, Mathematics Department, WVU Tech
Christopher McClain has been teaching college mathematics in southern West Virginia for fourteen years. In 2000, he graduated summa cum laude with degrees in mathematics and statistics from West Virginia University where he was also inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from The Ohio State University in 2008 with a specialization in graph theory. Dr. McClain has enjoyed teaching a wide variety of courses at every level and is committed to being a lifelong student of mathematics and many other subjects.
Andrew Wheeler
Associate Professor of Forensic Investigation, Department of Social Sciences and Public Administration, WVU Tech
Professor Wheeler was a civil and criminal investigator for over a decade before entering academia. He is a qualified expert in the areas of blood spatter, firearms, and fingerprint techniques. His research interests include staged crime scenes, incident reconstruction, and the shaping of investigator perceptions.
Evan Widders
Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education
As associate provost, Dr. Evan Widders oversees undergraduate education academic strategies, curriculum, and assessment for the Office of the Provost.
Prior to his new appointment, Evan Widders served as the Multi- and Interdisciplinary Studies Coordinator, Director of the Regents Bachelor of Arts program, and the Eberly College Coordinator for Entrepreneurial Innovation. He has been a professor at WVU since 2005.
Widders created the curriculum for the on campus and online Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary Studies programs which is now being used in six of the University’s colleges. He continually supported students in the areas of retention and persistence by focusing on enhanced advising and technology. In addition, he worked to ensure access to affordable online degree programs for non-traditional and place-bound students and has played a key role in the creation and revision of a number of online degree programs and certificates.
As a Provost Academic Leadership Fellow for two years, Widders worked to revise the University’s policies on transfer and transient coursework to facilitate student success. Furthermore, he served on the University Academic Policy Committee and participated in the revision and updating of many University undergraduate education policies. He is a board member for the Association of Interdisciplinary Studies and strongly advocated for increased interdisciplinary activity at WVU.
Widders has been honored with the Nick Evans Award for Faculty Advising Excellence, and Excellence in Service Learning Faculty Teaching awards. During his twelve years as Coordinator for the Programs for Multi- and Interdisciplinary Studies he created and taught new courses regularly, adopting new styles of instruction and innovative course content. He has been a consistent advocate for implementing new and improved assessment practices at the University and chaired the Faculty Senate Teaching and Assessment Committee. He also served on the Faculty Senate for three years and led a reform of Student Evaluation of Instruction practice and procedure.
Before coming to WVU, Widders was a professor specializing in Mexican colonial history at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. He has a Ph.D. and M.A. in the history of science and medicine from the University of California Santa Barbara and a B.A. in history and English from the University of California Berkeley.