Past Events

The aim of this session was to showcase the varied impacts of Artificial Intelligence on higher education. We explored Artificial Intelligence in the context of Union's liberal arts model of education, which emphasizes the technical aspects and humanist aspects of a topic like AI in equal measure. We heard faculty and student perspectives on issues such as the ethics around AI, philosophical aspects of machine intelligence, and the use of AI technology to solve complex problems. The participants were selected by the Co-Directors of the Templeton Institute to showcase diverse views on AI at the College. This event brought together short lightning talks on these topics with roughly a half-hour discussion among panelists and with the audience.

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (2023) and Union College Multidisciplinary Faculty Panel to Explore the Film (February 2024)

The Templeton Institute and Proctors Theater partnered with Film Studies, Physics and Astronomy, and History at Union to screen Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023) at Proctors' GE Theatre. The screening was free to all members of our community, who presented their Union College ID card at the Box Office at Proctors for the 7 PM showing on Tuesday, February 13th. Additionally, buses began running at 6:30 PM that evening from the campus's Old Chapel traffic circle for students, staff, and faculty whom were looking for transport from campus to the theater (with return buses starting at 10 PM that evening). Complimentary refreshments for the Union community (who presented Union ID cards) were also served at Proctors during the event.

Following this screening, the TI hosted a multidisciplinary faculty panel exploring Nolan's film. This panel was held during Common Hour on Thursday, February 15th at O'Brien Center 117. Refreshments began at 12:30 PM that afternoon in the lower lobby of O'Brien, and our interdisciplinary panel began promptly at 12:55 PM in 117, where Prof. Chad Orzel (Physics and Astronomy), Prof. Mark Walker (History, STS), and Prof. Jenelle Troxell (English, Film Studies, GSWS) gave short talks examining the film and held a Q&A with our audience.

This panel was part of the Templeton Institute’s programming around our two-year theme focusing on Artificial Intelligence. We wanted to begin this programming with the various ways that faculty at Union are experimenting with Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT in their classrooms around campus. This panel was the first in a series of events that the Templeton Institute is planning—through both internal and external speakers—to address how AI is impacting higher education and especially in relation to matters of research and teaching. Speakers Included: Salil Benegal, Joseph B. Board Assistant Professor in Political Science; Robyn Reed, Outreach and Student Engagement Librarian at Schaffer Library; Andrea Pedeferri, Adjunct Faculty in Philosophy; and Nick Webb, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Director of Data Analytics.

Renowned AI expert was the keynote speaker at annual engineering and liberal arts symposium (September 2023)

Francesca Rossi, a globally recognized authority in generative artificial intelligence, delivered a talk titled "Artificial Intelligence: Latest Advances, Ethical Issues, and its Impact on Education."