Last month, faculty and staff from across Portland State University (PSU) gathered for the inaugural one-day InnovAIte Symposium, marking the culmination of our first cohort’s journey through the InnovAIte Academy. The high energy event brought together participants, faculty, and external partners for a full day of sharing presentations, testing hands-on demonstrations, networking with new colleagues, and reflecting on how generative AI can enhance research, teaching and operations at our university.
About the InnovAIte Academy
Launched in July 2025, the InnovAIte Academy invited faculty and staff from all departments to join one of three tracks—Research, Teaching, or Operations—and equipped them with the tools to integrate generative AI into their work. Participants who completed the course received a "PSU InnovAIte Foundations" credential as well as an AI Competencies credential from Coursera.
"The InnovAIte Academy was a great opportunity to work with faculty and staff across a wide range of disciplines, both to explore potential AI use cases and to connect with colleagues across campus. I'm looking forward to working with our next cohort soon!" said Justin Moore, Director of Technology Infrastructure at PSU.
Participants reported that the experience helped them move from curiosity about AI to concrete application—streamlining administrative workflows, redesigning assignments for teaching, or enabling new lines of research inquiry. The Academy’s structured mix of learning + peer collaboration + project work proved an effective formula.
Participants worked on a wide range of projects incorporating AI into their work, from streamlining workflows to enhancing student learning experiences and optimizing data analysis.
"Connecting with a community of colleagues who are openly and curiously exploring the many dimensions of AI was fun. I walked away with practical ideas for research and a peek into possible futures in higher ed," said John Bershaw, participant and panelist.
Building Community and Sharing Ideas
At the InnovAIte Symposium, a keynote address was delivered by Sara Tangdall, the Senior Principal of AI Ethics & Compliance at Nike, who spoke about her work at Google building one of the first AI governance teams, Google's Responsible Innovation team. Tangdall stressed the importance of building governance and ethics into product development, before launch. She also emphasized that operationalizing key principles and processes so they’re actually used across teams is an important part of using AI responsibly. For more information on PSU's approach to AI, see the university's AI Philosophy and Principles and Ethical Use Guidelines.
The morning also included a panel discussion on emerging AI trends in higher education, moderated by PSU's Kathi Inman Berens. Panelists were Iris De Lis, John Bershaw, Staci Martin, Arsh Haque, and Melissa Scholl. The panel was followed by breakout sessions where cohort members showcased how they applied their learning. Participants demonstrated prototypes, process improvements, and new workflows built during the program.
Attendees toured poster-style displays of cohort projects, engaged in peer feedback, and closed the day with a reflection on how to scale the innovations campus-wide. The energy in the room was contagious: colleagues from operations, teaching and research tracks exchanged ideas and laid the groundwork for cross-unit collaboration.
"In doing my project, I learned that there is a tremendous need and opportunity for institutions like PSU to strategically and thoughtfully coordinate the adoption of and ongoing education around technologies and tools like generative AI at the institutional level, as well as at the division level, so that it can be used as effectively as possible in alignment with our mission, vision, and values, with a relentless focus on student, faculty, and staff wellbeing and success," said participant and panelist Iris De Lis.
Looking Ahead
With the successful wrap of our first cohort and symposium, we’re excited to build momentum for the next iteration of InnovAIte Academy. Upcoming plans include expanded cross-track collaboration, campus-wide showcases, and scaling promising solutions into operational practice. If you’re interested in staying in the loop, subscribe to Innovations & Discoveries, the biweekly newsletter of Research & Graduate Studies.
RGS would like to thank all participants, facilitators, and supporters for making this launch such a vibrant success. The InnovAIte Academy has positioned PSU to lead in AI literacy, application and responsible innovation.