
Agenda
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Salt River ballroom
12:15 - 2:45 p.m.
Select from one of our five available workshops
Crimson | Workshop with AWS
The Agentic AI shift in campus innovation
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Join AWS and the ASU’s AI Cloud Innovation Center to dive into how they are using agentic AI to revolutionize Admissions and Career Services, enabling institutions to deliver more personalized, efficient and scalable experiences. During this session, you’ll explore the foundational infrastructure needed to support agentic AI, while seeing real-world examples of open-source solutions in action. Leave with actionable insights and the ability to think big to help your institution harness the power.
Speakers:
- Mary Strain, AI and Machine Learning Strategy Leader, Amazon Web Services
- Nate Ober, AI/ML Strategist, Amazon Web Services
ASU Host: John Rome, Deputy CIO, Arizona State University
Ballroom 3 | Two-part workshop series with CollegeVine and Deloitte
[Part 1.] Build an AI agent with CollegeVine
12:15 - 1:15 p.m.
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Speaker:
- Nikhil Kolur, VP of Strategic Partnerships, CollegeVine
In just one hour, you will take on the role of AI deployment strategists, while partnering with colleagues to map out and create a ready-to-deploy AI agent for a workflow for your campus. In the process, learn about AI infrastructure considerations, workflow embedding, and recommended change management strategies for AI deployment on campus.
Participants are highly encouraged to bring their own laptop to participate in this hands-on session.
[Part 2] Orchestrating “Agentic AI in Action: The Decision-Making Journey”
1:45 - 2:45 p.m.
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Speakers:
- Tamara Askew, AI for Higher Education Leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP
- Joe Conti, Trustworthy AI Leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP
Unpack how agentic AI can transform decision-making at every level of a university. Through an interactive, “choose your own adventure” format, presenters will introduce real-world scenarios – such as reduced funding, declining enrollment, and evolving compliance standards – while participants make key decisions at critical junctures. Attendees will observe how agentic AI reasons, simulates outcomes and recommends strategic actions. The session will highlight transparency, adaptability, and the interplay between human judgment and AI insights, overlaying the lens of Trustworthy AI.
Amber | Workshop with Microsoft
The cognitive frontier: Exploring Microsoft’s agentic AI ecosystem in higher education
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Speakers:
- Arnab Banerjee, Director, Customer Success and AI Innovation, Microsoft
- Savitha Kolar, Senior Cloud Solution Architect, Microsoft
How will humans thrive in a world where we co-exist with digital agents?
This session invites you to explore that very question—at the intersection of philosophy, technology, and institutional transformation. We will explore the seismic shift in how we design, deploy, and interact with artificial intelligence. For higher education, this opens up radical new possibilities: personalized learning journeys, accelerated research, intelligent campus operations, and decision-making at machine speed.
But with great power comes great complexity. What are the must-knows for building scalable, trustworthy agentic systems? How do we architect for autonomy while preserving human agency? And what does it mean to lead, teach, and innovate in a world where machines can think? Join us at the cognitive frontier—where the future of intelligence is not just imagined, but engineered.
Ballroom 1 + 2 | Workshop with ASU
Hands-on with ASU’s CreateAI: Building agentic AI for education
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Speaker:
- Roger Kohler, Director, AI Solutions and Architecture, AI Acceleration
Step into the role of an AI creator in this interactive workshop, hosted by the AI Acceleration team at ASU. This workshop introduces participants to CreateAI Builder, ASU’s in-house platform for designing and deploying agentic AI experiences. The session begins with a strategy-level overview of the platform’s capabilities, including its evaluation framework for fairness and safety, granular data controls, access to more than 40 models, knowledgebase features, and agentic workflow tools. After the overview, attendees will engage in a hands-on lab where they rotate through stations to build and test AI agents such as a syllabot, a tutoring assistant, a medical case generator, and an interactive avatar. By the end, participants will gain both practical skills and a deeper understanding of how universities can shape the future of AI responsibly.
Bronze | Workshop with ServiceNow
Get up and brainstorm! A fun interactive workshop to turn your ideas into agents
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Speakers:
- Briana Loftin, Executive Enterprise Architect
- John Spirko, Principal Executive Enterprise Architect, ServiceNow
- Clay Major, Senior Advisory Solution Consultant
ASU Host: Kimberly Clark, Deputy CIO, Arizona State University
Join ServiceNow for an interactive, on-your-feet workshop designed to spark creativity and innovative thinking on how Agentic AI can help support your campus.
- Learn the key differences between Generative and Agentic AI and how to determine which solution best fits your needs.
- Go head-to-head with other teams (there will be prizes!)
- Collaborate with peers and ServiceNow experts in building an Agentic prototype of the winning use case.
3:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Salt River ballroom
Feature keynote
Strategy in the age of chaos with Marina Gorbis
Presented by Marina Gorbis, Executive Director | Institute for the Future
A globally respected futurist, Marina Gorbis will join us to share insights from her recent article, Strategy in the Age of Chaos. Gorbis will surface insights for how organizations can navigate both short-term crisis and long-term innovation while mastering two critical skills: improvisation and imagination.
This keynote is for anyone asking: How do we lead when clarity is rare and transformation is constant? Join us for this powerful discussion and walk away with strategies for not just surviving change, but thriving in it.
3:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Salt River ballroom
Fireside chat
Beyond the chaos: Building futures with foresight
Dr. Chris Howard will join Marina Gorbis onstage for a fireside chat. The two will dive deeper into the topics shared during her keynote and apply insights to the current state of AI and higher education.
Speakers:
- Marina Gorbis, Executive Director | Institute for the Future
- Chris Howard, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer | Arizona State University
4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Lucero Rooftop Lounge and Terrance
Reception
Connect, collaborate and celebrate!
Join us for a welcome reception at the Lucero Rooftop Lounge and Terrance, located on the top floor of the Omni Tempe. Light bites and refreshments will be available.
8:00 a.m.
Salt River ballroom
Doors open! Join us for a continental breakfast.
9:00 - 9:15 a.m.
Salt River ballroom
Welcome address
Event emcee Diana Bowman will welcome our community for day two of Agentic AI and the Student Experience. Diana will introduce an exceptional feature performance from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
Diana Bowman, Associate Dean for Applied Research and Partnerships, Professor of Law | Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
9:15 - 10:00 a.m
Salt River ballroom
Feature keynote
Learning without limits: Access, agency, and AI with Michael Crow
Presented by Michael M. Crow, President | Arizona State University
An internationally recognized leader in higher education, President Crow is a vocal advocate for the transformative potential of technology. Crow will kick off the event by sharing his bold vision for the future of higher education — one where AI empowers learners to drive their own journeys. Drawing from ASU’s leadership in innovation, he’ll explore how agentic AI can help dismantle traditional barriers to education, enable deeply personalized learning experiences, and expand access at scale.
10:00 - 10:45 a.m.
Salt River ballroom
Feature keynote
Cultivating student agency: Agentic AI and the future of higher education
Presented by Danielle Perszyk, Cognitive Scientist, Amazon AGI SF Lab
As artificial intelligence grows more powerful, we stand at a crossroads: will we build agents that diminish or enhance human agency? Dr. Danielle Perszyk, cognitive scientist at the Amazon AGI Lab in San Francisco, explores how agentic AI can transform higher education, not through generic “AI tutors,” but instead through agentic systems that leverage students’ intrinsic curiosity and novel methods of assessment to build a new common ground across knowledge domains. Situating AI within the long arc of human–technology co-evolution, she argues that universities must serve as the nucleus of this new era: interdisciplinary communities where students, teachers, and AI co-design the future of both learning and knowledge production. The goal is not just more efficient learning, but deeper learning, enhanced agency, and a renewed foundation for human flourishing.
11:00 - 11:45 a.m.
Select from one of our seven available breakout sessions
Salt River Ballroom
Agentic AI and the student experience by students, for students
This all-student panel will surface insights into what today’s students want and expect from their university’s AI experience.
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Speakers:
- Darian Choi, Westmont College (getting additional details)
- Anitah Murungi, graduate student pursuing a Master’s in Global Management student at the Thunderbird School of Global Management and AI Acceleration student intern
- Abraham Lozano Serna, graduate student pursuing a Master’s degree in Robotics and Autonomous Systems, AI Acceleration intern
- Shristi Pathak, Graduate student in computer science, AI-CIC student intern
Moderator: Camille Campbell, ASU student
Ballroom 1 | Track: Transform the student experience
Innovation incoming: Navigating technology transformation in higher education
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Speaker info coming soon!
ASU Host: John Rome, Deputy CIO, ASU
This dynamic, rapid-fire panel discussion brings together distinguished leaders from higher education institutions and technology companies to explore pressing challenges facing universities today. Our expert panelists will share practical insights and strategic perspectives on critical decisions shaping the future of education technology. This session will discuss; Build vs. Buy: Evaluating when to develop custom solutions versus implementing existing platforms; Ethical AI Implementation: Ensuring responsible use of artificial intelligence in academic settings; Data Consolidation Strategies: Breaking down silos and creating unified data ecosystems; Technology Integration: Balancing innovation with existing infrastructure and Change Management: Fostering adoption of new technologies across campus.
Join us for this engaging session as our panelists share real-world experiences, lessons learned, and actionable strategies for navigating technology transformation in higher education. Attendees will gain valuable insights to help inform their own institutional technology decisions and roadmaps.
Ballroom 2 | Track: Advance AI readiness
AI with purpose: Rethinking curriculum, academic planning and student success
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Presenters:
- Chatham Vidanagamage, Artificial Intelligence & Product Engineering Leader | La Trobe University
ASU Host: Gemma Garcia, Executive Director, Learning Technology,Office of the University Provost, ASU
How can universities use Artificial Intelligence as a strategic partner in shaping student success?
Universities stand at the forefront of shaping student success in an era defined by Artificial Intelligence. How can AI evolve from isolated pilots to a strategic enabler transforming academic planning and student progression. In this session, we showcase how La Trobe University is using AI to drive transformational change embedding AI into the heart of academic decision-making. From curriculum design & oversight, subject scheduling to student progression and alternate exit pathways, we demonstrate how AI is helping us rethink higher education operations for agility, efficiency, and equity.
Our use of AI includes advanced planning algorithms that optimise subject offerings, identify overlapping subjects, and enable smooth teach-out transitions. This session showcases how universities can leverage AI to streamline logistics, and create pathways for all students.
Ballroom 3 | Track: Advance AI readiness
The future is yesterday - well past time for higher education to build and deploy today
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Panelists:
- Vince Kelen, Chief Information Officer | UC San Diego
- Nitzan Pelman, CEO, Climb Together
- David Wiley, Associate Professor and Academic Affairs Fellow
- Amin Qazi, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer | AQL Labs
ASU Host: Danielle McNamara, Executive Director and Professor, Learning Engineering Institute, ASU
This session will bring together distinguished researchers, mission-driven builders, and education impact investors focused on architecting and building new AI-driven models to enhance and improve learning, student supports, and new thresholds of operational excellence within higher education, ultimately seeking to scale step-level improvements in the student experience.
Amber | Track: Empower teaching and learning
Deploying classroom agentic learning tools that adapt, engage, and transform
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Presenters:
- Bobby Sprinkle, CTO, Florida State University
- Dr. Paul Marty, Professor in the School of Information in the College of Communication, Florida State University
- Rick Burnette, Senior Vice Provost and Chief Strategy Officer, Florida State University
ASU Host: Stuart Rice, Executive Director of Learning Experience, ASU Enterprise Technology
As institutions move beyond static digital tools, agentic AI presents a new paradigm for adaptive, student-centered learning. This session highlights how Florida State University successfully deployed agentic AI tools to personalize instruction, provide real-time feedback, and foster deeper student engagement. Discover how we transitioned from concept to classroom, ensuring equity, privacy, and scalability.
Bronze | Track: Transform the student experience
One platform to agent them all: Agentic AI for assuring student success
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Presenters:
- Irving Hidrogo Montemayor, Director of Artificial Intelligence for Education | Tecnológico de Monterrey
- Edrei Robles, AI in Education Leader | Tecnológico de Monterrey
ASU Host: Faith Dalzell, Assistant Director, Enterprise and Global Projects, ASU
The Student Accompaniment Model (SAM) at Tecnológico de Monterrey is an integrated support framework that links each student with Academic Program Advisors and Mentors, in order to ensure the completion of the student’ success path from admission to alumni stages. The SAM is now layering agentic AI that turns scattered records into immediate insight: an early-alert system and a dropout predictor that send risk pings to advisors and mentors; a student student profile that reveals academic and non-academic context; RAG-based virtual assistants answer policy questions about graduation requirements in natural language; a multiple-scenarios simulator lets staff test different combinations of interventions and decisions before they act; and an LLM content builder drafts personalized descriptions of social service and study-abroad options for students. These services feed a single, role-aware platform that surfaces the next-best action while humans stay firmly in control.
Crimson | Track: Transform the student experience
Foundations for Agentic AI: System Prompting Essentials Using Playlab AI
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Presenters:
- Christyna Serrano, Head of Community Learning & Growth; Berkeley Changemaker Professional Faculty
Discover the core principles behind effective agentic AI through system prompting and configuration strategies. In this 50-minute breakout session, we'll explore how thoughtful prompt design and model configuration create the foundation for AI systems that can eventually operate autonomously in educational settings. Using Playlab as our demonstration platform, participants will see live examples of building educational chatbots while learning the prompt engineering fundamentals that enable more sophisticated AI workflows. We'll cover key concepts, including system prompt architecture, model selection strategies, and configuration approaches that support intelligent decision-making. Whether you follow along hands-on or observe the demonstrations, you'll leave with practical knowledge about the building blocks of agentic AI and actionable strategies for implementing these concepts in your own educational context.
Please bring a laptop if you'd like to follow along with hands-on activities. The session will include live demonstrations for all participants, regardless of device availability.
11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Salt River ballroom
Meet back in the Salt River ballroom for lunch, networking and the program!
12:15 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Salt River ballroom
Keynote
State of AI, education and the marketplace with Claire Zau
Presented by Claire Zau, Partner and AI Lead | GSV Ventures
Claire Zau is a leading voice at the intersection of AI, education and investment. Join to hear Claire unpack the rapidly evolving state of AI and its growing influence on education and the broader marketplace. Drawing from her work at GSV Ventures and insights from her widely read AI Education newsletter, Claire will explore emerging trends, investment patterns and the shifting expectations for learners, institutions and employers. With a sharp eye on the global landscape, she will provide an insight into how agentic AI is reconfiguring value creation and workforce readiness.
12:45 p.m. - 1:40 p.m.
Salt River ballroom
Mainstage panel
Diving deeper: AI, education, and the marketplace
Claire Zau will be joined by a reaction panel of education and industry leaders to continue the discussion on AI, education and the marketplace. Together, they will explore what stakeholders must do to keep pace with the AI moment.
Panelists:
- Claire Zau, Partner and AI Lead | GSV Ventures
- Todd Howson, Chief Technology Officer | InStride
- Jonathan Covell, Chief Information and Digital Officer | Macquarie University
- Alex Usher, President, Higher Education Strategy Associates
Moderator:
- Deborah Quazzo, Managing Partner | GSV Ventures
1:40 - 2:00 p.m.
Salt River ballroom
Award recognition
Announcing our 2025 Humanitarian Award
Lev Gonick, Chief Information Officer at ASU, will present this year's Humanitarian Award to Angela Gunder, Chief Executive Officer and Founder at Opened Culture.
The Humanitarian Award was established to honor a remarkable individual whose work exemplifies the power of leadership, compassion and systems change. Angela has made a lasting impact through her dedication to student-focused innovation, and her work reminds us that technology must always serve humans first.
2:15 - 3:00 p.m.
Select from one of our seven available breakout sessions
Silver River ballroom | Track: Future-ready career pathways
Visioning to achieve scale
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Panelists:
- Sarkis Daglian, Director of AI and Enterprise Cloud, UC Irvine
- Jennie Sanders, Vice President of Instruction, Western Governors University
- Victoria Maloy, Associate Director of Academic Technologies, University of Iowa
Host and moderator:
- Kyle Bowen, Deputy Chief Information Officer, ASU Enterprise Technology
This session brings together scholars and practitioners to critically examine what it means to “scale” with artificial intelligence in higher education and beyond. Through data-driven perspectives and early research, panelists will explore how institutions can move beyond isolated pilots to envision sustainable, systemic integration of AI at scale.
Ballroom 1 | Track: Advance AI readiness
AI in the workforce
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Panelists:
- Amy Diaz, President, Gateway Community College
- Aviva Legatt, AI Fluency, Implementation, and Ethics Advisory, University of Pennsylvania
Host and moderator:
- Raghu Santaman, McCord Chair of Business
AI is reshaping industries and redefining the skills graduates need to succeed. This panel brings together leaders from business, education, and workforce development to explore how institutions and employers can collaborate to prepare students for an AI-driven economy. Panelists will share perspectives on cultivating transferable skills, building adaptable career pathways, and strengthening partnerships between higher education and industry. Attendees will gain insights into strategies that ensure students are not only job-ready but future-ready.
Ballroom 2 | Track: Empower teaching and learning
Transforming the generative AI class with generative agents
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Presenter:
- David Smiley, Assistant Teaching Professor | Notre Dame
Host:
- Elizabeth Reilley, Executive Director | ASU Enterprise Technology
We report on transforming our “Generative AI in the Wild” course by integrating agentic workflows to replace traditional instructional tools. Taught over four semesters to large cohorts, the course previously used foundational model access, Chainforge simulations, Google Workspace, and an LMS. To unify the user experience, streamline information gathering, and provide real-time feedback for both individual and group work—during class and on homework—we are developing automated modules with the n8n agentic workflow system. The modular agentic design is expected to provide unique feedback and learning opportunities with controlled autonomous decision making. We will share lessons learned from the system development process and present outcome data from our Fall 2025 implementation. The design and development team—comprised of faculty and students—integrates a range of pedagogical and computational perspectives in the project.
Ballroom 3 | Future-ready career pathways
Student-led labs driving AI for education
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Speakers:
- Amanda Federico, Program Coordinator, Next Lab | Arizona State University
- Carly Haggard is a third year double major in Data Analytics and Mathematics at Westmont College
- Mike Ryu, Director of Engineering, CATLab and Assistant Professor of Computer Science | Westmont College
Host:
- Dan Munnerley, Executive Director, Next Lab, Arizona State University
Two universities, two labs, one mission: Placing today’s students at the center of AI for tomorrow.
In this session, hear from a mix of undergraduate students at Westmont College and Arizona State University who are playing an active role in the design and development of AI systems at their institution.
Students from ASU Next Lab will present EdgeAI, an AI solution expanding access to education in remote and underserved areas, while Westmont’s CATLab students will showcase an agentic AI platform that helps students navigate complex academic systems and processes.
ASU’s Dan Munnerely will facilitate a discussion with university’s leaders Amanda Federico (ASU Next Lab) and Mike Ryu (Westmont’s CATLab) on the state of AI and how they have designed their labs to empower student-lead innovations on campus.
Crimson | Track: Transform the student experience
ASU on-campus event registration: From manual to AI "magical"
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Speakers:
- John Spirko, Principal Executive Enterprise Architect, ServiceNow
- Rudy Bellavia Vice President, Office of Business and Finance, Arizona State University
ASU Host: Kimberly Clark, Deputy Chief Information Officer, ASU Enterprise Technology
Each year, ASU hosts thousands of on-campus events. The process for students to request and register events was using a webform and approvals became cumbersome and outgrew its current ability to expand into the future. Executives, students, and employees lacked visibility into the status of the approval, often leaving users stuck in the middle and frustrated. With ServiceNow, ASU is transforming this process, allowing agentic data and automated processes to drive faster decision-making, improving the speed of delivery and overall constituent experience. Additionally, ServiceNow leveraged its own Agentic AI "Factory" to quickly spin-up a prototype of this application, building the art of the possible quickly for ASU.
Sponsored by ServiceNow
Bronze | Track: Transform the student experience
Personalizing the student journey with equity-driven design and AI
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Presenter:
- Alphia Possamai-Inesedy, Pro Vice Chancellor Student Success | Western Sydney University
ASU Host: Amanda Gulley, Chief of Product and Experience Design, ASU EdPlus
This session reimagines student success through a whole-of-institution initiative that centres students’ voices, lived realities, and ambitions across their first 100 days at university. Created for a region as diverse, dynamic, and complex as Greater Western Sydney—home to many first-in-family, low-SES, migrant, and mature-age learners—the conventional indicators of success are insufficient. The initiative leverages digital personalisation, strengths-based onboarding, and an equity-first mindset to create an ecosystem where every student can thrive.
This initiative is laying the groundwork for agentic AI integration by reshaping the human-to-human experience first. It outlines the early architecture of this transformation—one grounded in behavioural insight, institutional coherence, and deeply contextualised data—and discusses how to set up a foundation for adaptive, student-centred AI systems that will amplify human care.
Amber | Track: Advance AI readiness
A new operating system for higher ed: AI leverage points for institutional transformation
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Panelists:
- Frank Rojas, Vice President for Strategy, Bay Path University
- Jason Ball, Associate Provost and Chief Information Officer, at Florida Atlantic University
Jody Miller-Smith, Assistant Vice President, Academic Enterprise Enrollment Technology and Data Solutions, Arizona State University.
Moderator: Emily Smith, Principal, VP Partner Success, CollegeVine
Join higher education influencer and Principal, VP Partner Success Emily Smith for a dynamic fireside chat with VPs and CIOs from AI-pioneering institutions. Hear candid insights on how AI is becoming part of higher ed’s operating system and discover the critical leverage points where leaders can drive transformation. Learn the strategies and considerations shaping real-world deployments of AI across campus operations.
Sponsored by CollegeVine
3:15 - 4:00 p.m.
Salt River ballroom
Mainstage panel
Insights from campus technology leaders
This panel convenes technology leaders from across North America to share how their institutions are preparing for systemic AI adoption. Together, they will discuss overlapping challenges and distinct approaches to advancing AI readiness while staying grounded in institutional mission and student success.
Panelists:
- Donna Kidwell, Chief Information Officer, University of Toronto
- Kemi Jona, Vice Provost for Online Education and Digital Innovation, University of Virginia
- Phil Komarny, Chief Innovator Officer, Maryville University of Saint Louis
- Feng Hou, Chief Information Officer, St. Louis Community College
Moderator: Brad Wolverton, Editor, The Chronicle of Higher Education
8:00 a.m.
Salt River ballroom
Doors open! Join for a continental breakfast.
8:45 - 9:00 a.m.
Salt River ballroom
Featured programming coming soon!
9:00 - 9:30 a.m.
Salt River ballroom
Feature keynote
Autonomous: Why the Fittest Businesses Embrace AI-First Strategies and Digital Labor with Vala Afshar
Presented by:
- Vala Afshar, best-selling author and Chief Digital Evangelist | Salesforce
- Henry King, best-selling author
Best-selling authors Vala Afshar and Henry King will share insights from their brand new book, Autonomous: Why the Fittest Businesses Embrace AI-First Strategy and Digital Labor. Together, they will explore how business and education leaders will need to challenge all the conventions, standard operating procedures and orthodoxies underpinning businesses designed by humans for humans.
9:30 - 10:10 a.m.
Salt River ballroom
Mainstage panel | Global insights
Data tells the story, what we know about AI and learning
While many have opinions on AI, this group is coming with insights grounded in data. Education leaders and researchers from ASU, Stanford University and Monash University will explore the intersection of AI and learner agency through stories grounded in early research and data-driven investigations. By highlighting real-world examples and research findings, the session will invite reflection on both the promises and challenges of AI in fostering more empowered, self-directed, and meaningful learning pathways.
Speakers:
- Michael Henderson, Professor Digital Futures, Director, Hub for Educational Design and Innovation, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Australia
- Chris Agnew, Director, Generative AI for Education Hub, SCALE Initiative, Stanford Accelerator for Learning, Stanford University
Annie Hale, Executive Director and Clinical Assistant Professor, EdPlus at ASU
Moderator:
- Punya Mishra, Director of Innovative Learning Futures, ASU
10:15 - 11:00 a.m.
Salt River ballroom
Mainstage panel | Industry insights
The state of AI: Industry insights and implications
Education and industry leaders are at a pivotal moment to drive forward meaningful AI innovations. Executive leaders from partners at CollegeVine, Microsoft, ServiceNow and IBM will cut through the hype to share market insights, emerging trends and how their organization is driving towards the full potential of agentic AI. Plus gain insights into the future workforce skills needed to ensure higher education is better preparing AI-ready graduates.
Industry leader panelists from:
- Emily Smith, Principal, VP of Partner Success, CollegeVine
- Melissa Libhart - Business Applications Leader, Microsoft SLED
- Sunil Murthy, AI Field CTO, IBM
- Julia Martensen, Innovation Officer, ServiceNow
- Amanda Stange, Head of SLED Sales, Pac West Region, Google
Moderator by: Jean Carlo (J.C.) Bonilla, Chief Operating Officer and Head of AI, Element451
11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Select from one of our five available breakout sessions
Silver River ballroom | Track: Future-ready career pathways
Gaming, VR and AI for student learning
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Speakers:
- Deirdre Quarnstrom, Vice President, Education, Microsoft
- Dan Munnerley, Executive Director, Next Lab, Arizona State University
- Auryan Ratliff, Director of Emerging and Learning Technologies, EdPlus, ASU
- Elina Ollila, Deputy Center Director and Professor of Practice, The GAME School, ASU
Moderator:
- Lisa Flesher Chief of Realm 4 Initiatives and MLF Teachers College Clinical Assistant Professor, EdPlus at ASU
This panel brings together leaders from Microsoft and Arizona State University to explore how immersive worlds, game-based learning and AI-driven tools can spark creativity, deepen engagement and empower students to take greater agency in their learning. From building collaborative virtual environments to designing playful learning ecosystems, panelists will discuss what’s possible now and what’s next. Join us to see how gaming, VR and AI are converging to shape the future of learning.
Ballroom 1+2 | Track: Advance AI readiness
The responsible AI roadmap: Guiding campus agentic solutions for student success
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Presenter:
- Joe Sabado, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Campus AI Exchange, University of California, Santa Barbara
This session introduces the Campus AI Framework, an 8-pillar blueprint, and the Strategic AI Compass, a 5-phase planning tool for intentional, responsible AI adoption. Participants will use maturity models and rubrics to align initiatives with institutional values, prioritize student trust, and foster cross-functional collaboration for student success. Ideal for academic, IT, and student affairs leaders aiming to scale impact, not chaos. Scenarios reflect diverse needs, including first-generation and non-traditional learners.
Ballroom 3 | Track: Future-ready career pathways
Bridging classrooms and careers with AI skills
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Panelists:
- Mike (Dongyub) Ryu, Assistant Professor | Westmont College
- Dan Munnerley, Executive Director | ASU Next Lab
Moderator:
- Michael Torrence, President, Motlow State Community College
As AI reshapes the future of work, preparing students for tomorrow requires more than technical know-how. This session brings together leaders from higher education – across four-year and community college) and industry to explore how transferable skills, strong partnerships, and hands-on experiences can equip learners to thrive in an AI-driven economy. Panelists will share insights on bridging the gap between classroom and career, rethinking workforce readiness, and ensuring students from all types of institutions—community colleges to four-year universities—are empowered to succeed.
Ballroom 3 | Track: Future-ready career pathways
Bridging classrooms and careers with AI skills
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Panelists:
- Stephanie Szuch, Senior Director Student Impact, Education at Work
- Dr. Isac Artzi, Associate Professor, Grand Canyon University
Host and moderator:
- Michael Torrance, President | Motlow State Community College
As AI reshapes the future of work, preparing students for tomorrow requires more than technical know-how. This session brings together leaders from higher education – across four-year and community college) and industry to explore how transferable skills, strong partnerships, and hands-on experiences can equip learners to thrive in an AI-driven economy. Panelists will share insights on bridging the gap between classroom and career, rethinking workforce readiness, and ensuring students from all types of institutions—community colleges to four-year universities—are empowered to succeed.
Amber | Track: Empower teaching and learning
AIgniting learning: Innovations in teaching and assessment at Mapúa
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Presenter:
- Ericson Dimaunahan, Director for Operations, Mapua University, Philippines
ASU Host:
- Bea Rodriguez-Franzen, Assistant Research Professor in Principled Innovation, Global Futures Office of Research Development and Strategy
This session highlights how Mapúa University in the Philippines has strategically integrated AI across teaching, assessment, instructional design, accessibility, and student support. Moving beyond experimentation, Mapúa’s digital ecosystem empowers faculty, enhances learning outcomes, and reflects a cultural shift in pedagogy and innovation. Framed by lessons from the pandemic and a long-term vision, the university positions AI as a core enabler of quality, future-ready education.
Bronze | Track: Transform the student experience
Go Blue AI: Empowering the student experience at the University of Michigan
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Speakers:
- Ben Andries, Emerging Technology Solutions Analyst Lead, UMich
- Don Lambert, Director of IT Infrastructure, UMich
Host:
- Elizabeth Reilley, Executive Director, AI Acceleration, Arizona State University
This session spotlights the University of Michigan’s Go Blue AI mobile app, a campus companion that uses agentic AI to enhance the student experience. By integrating U-M–specific tools, data, and Maizey projects, Go Blue provides proactive, context-aware support while safeguarding privacy. Key features like voice input, image analysis, and location services demonstrate how the app fosters autonomy, engagement, and scalable collaboration across the university community.
12:00 p.m.
Silver River ballroom
Meet back in the main room for lunch service.
12:15 - 12:45 p.m.
Silver River ballroom
Fireside Chat
Agentic AI Learning for All Learners: Engaging Neurodiverse Learners | A fireside chat with Kyrsten Sinema and Lev Gonick.
Join Senator Kyrsten Sinema and Lev Gonick for a dynamic conversation on how AI is unlocking new possibilities and pathways for neurodiverse learners.
Closing remarks
Generative AI in Music: Ethical Integration for Creation, Prototyping, and Production
A presentation from Jorge Costa, Assistant Professor of Student Recording and Engineering Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Join us to watch how generative AI is rapidly reshaping how music is imagined, created, and produced. Its impact is not predetermined and it is up to us to use these tools responsibly and ethically. When approached with intention, AI can serve as a powerful tool for music makers to explore ideas, expand creative possibilities, prototype concepts, support collaboration, and streamline production without replacing the vital role of musicians at the center of the process.
Experience Dreamscape Learn at ASU
We're excited to bring Dreamscape Learn to the Omni Tempe through their new mobile experience.
Dreamscape Learn is ASU's fully immersive learning lab that blends cinematic storytelling with virtual reality, allowing students to enter vivid, interactive worlds as fully rendered avatars.
Sign up to experience the future of learning inside DSL. Please note each session is 45 minutes.
- Wednesday 12:00 - 6:00 p.m.
- Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.


Agentic AI 2025
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See who's speaking
For information about who the keynote speakers are, as well as other panelists and presenters, click on the button below.