OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
JANUARY 2026
AI in the classroom Q&A: Lois Stepney
“The use of AI has helped transform students’ ability to gain real-world practice skills in ways that many students find helpful in developing their competence and confidence as graduate social work students," said Lois Stepney, assistant clinical professor in the College of Social Work. "For example, doing a suicide risk assessment for the first time can be scary and can feel awkward, but this is a necessary — and potentially lifesaving — skill we want our students to develop."
Berger-Wolf elected Fellow of AAAI
Tanya Berger-Wolf has been elected as a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), the premier international AI organization. She is recognized for significant contributions to advancing AI for science, biodiversity and conservation.
Berger-Wolf is director of the Translational Data Analytics Institute and a professor of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Computer Science Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering.
CityScene Magazine: The Ohio State University introduces university-wide AI programming
CityScene Magazine covered the AI Fluency initiative in a late December story, featuring Assistant Professor Vince Castillo (Fisher College of Business) and Assistant Professor Tina Tallon (School of Music) and their use of AI in teaching.
Google AI Pro, Coursera Learning Paths and Canvas AI Assistants: Empowering Buckeyes with AI skills and tools
Ohio State is growing the AI toolkit across our campuses with new tools and learning opportunities, including Google AI Pro, Coursera Google AI Learning Paths and Canvas AI Assistants for teaching and learning. Explore how Buckeyes can build practical, responsible AI skills.
AI Highlights
- AI Business: Responsible AI center to combine research with industry know-how
- Deloitte Tech Trends 2026: AI goes physical: Navigating the convergence of AI and robotics
- Spectrum News 1: How AI has evolved in the classroom over the past year
- msn: Ohio State invests heavily in AI to prepare future workforce
Opportunities
Professional development incentive for the AI Fluency Teaching Endorsement
Don't miss out on the professional development incentive for earning the Teaching and Learning to Build AI Fluency teaching endorsement. This endorsement, which is open to all who teach and support instruction at Ohio State, helps educators understand AI and support students’ AI fluency through teaching.
Faculty and staff who earn the endorsement between December 2025 and August 2027 will be eligible to receive a $300 professional development incentive. Graduate students who earn the endorsement may be eligible for a transcript milestone recognizing their achievement.
Share your AI story
We are actively finding ways to share, celebrate and support high-impact work related to AI Fluency at Ohio State. Fill out the survey in the link below if you are interested in sharing your work, and your lessons learned, with others. We would love to hear more about your experiences, challenges, ideas and advice for using AI in the classroom.
Teaching support for AI Fluency
The Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning provides a range of resources and learning opportunities to build your knowledge and skills around AI Fluency. Available to all who teach at Ohio State, the offerings will guide you to make informed decisions about designing learning activities that incorporate AI, communicating transparent expectations for AI use and employing teaching strategies that promote students’ acquisition of AI knowledge and skills.
Upcoming Events
- Jan. 20: Teaching AI Fluency with Authenticity and Vulnerability: Engaging with AI Tools
- Jan. 23: Teaching to Develop AI Fluency at Ohio State
- Jan. 27: AI-Infused Course Design Institute
- Feb. 2: Supporting Student Development of AI Fluency
- Feb. 12: Designing Assignments for Teaching about and with Generative AI
- Feb. 13: Drake Institute Spring 2026 Book Club: Generative AI in Higher Education: The ChatGPT Effect Session 1
AI Fluency at Ohio State archive
An archive of past editions of AI Fluency at Ohio State is now available at the link below.
Subscribe to the AI Fluency newsletter
If you did not receive the newsletter directly, you can subscribe to AI Fluency at Ohio State at the link below. Please share with others who are interested in staying up to date on AI Fluency news and developments.