As part of a grant project funded by the AI3 Institute, a group of instructors participated in a faculty development program, Fostering Writing-to-Learn Skills with Critical AI Literacy: A Faculty Development and Student Support Program. This program was developed to support instructors across campus with navigating/integrating AI in their courses specifically around writing intensive/involved assignments. We would like to invite anyone interested to the culmination of this program, a mini-symposium, where the participants will share practical changes they made or are making around writing intensive/involved assignments and AI.

Location: Wang 201

A light lunch will be served. Please register by Friday, November 7th.

Department of Writing and Rhetoric Lecture

Escaping Human Judgment? The Politics of AI under Authoritarianism

Much of the recent debate around AI-decision making assumes that human involvement is a safeguard: humans bring context, accountability, and fairness to otherwise impersonal algorithmic systems. But whether human or algorithmic judgment is preferred depends on the complex interaction between an individual's social position and the configuration of power in which that judgment takes place.

Speaker: Zheng Fu, PRODIG+ Fellow

Location: Humanities 1008

Description:

As artificial intelligence and data science reshape the global information landscape, libraries are emerging as key players in both technological innovation and ethical stewardship. This international Zoom discussion brings together library professionals and educators from the U.S., Philippines, and Hong Kong to explore how institutions are integrating AI and data into their pedagogy and services.

Panelists will share concrete examples from their own libraries--ranging from data literacy initiatives to increasing discoverability. The conversation will also examine regional trends in librarianship, spotlighting how institutions in Asia are navigating the evolving role of data and AI.

Join us for a global conversation that highlights the transformative potential of libraries as hubs for innovation and critical inquiry in the age of AI.

Register for this free Zoom panel.

Panelists:

Ahmad Pratama is a Faculty Member and Associate Librarian at Stony Brook University Libraries, where he is working to build a comprehensive, campus-wide data literacy program within the Libraries. As the Data Literacies Lead, his work focuses on empowering students, faculty, and staff to critically and ethically engage with data and AI, including the development of a credit-bearing course in Critical Data & AI Literacies supported by an EDGE Fund Award from the Provost's Office. Previously, Dr. Pratama served as an Associate Professor of Information Technology, and his research and teaching explore the intersections of technology, policy, and society with a focus on data, AI, and innovation in higher education.

Dan Anthony Dorado is a full-time faculty member at the U.P. School of Library and Information Studies, where he teaches information technology, management and marketing, research methodology, and quantitative research. He was also the director of the Diliman Learning Resource Center under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. Before that, he was an Information Specialist at the College of Engineering Library, in charge of the System and Network Administration and The Learning Commons. He completed his master's degree at the Technology Management Center in U.P. Diliman and is currently pursuing his PhD in Data Science. As a member of Sync.Bio.Optics laboratory and the Publics, Archives, and Data (PANDA) Lab, his research specialization covers Computational Methods, Open Education, Critical Data Studies, and Radical Statistics.

Ryun LEE is Associate University Librarian at The Chinese University of Hong Kong Library, leading Digital Initiatives and Library IT and Systems. He drives digital innovation through emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence to enhance services, streamline operations, and support CUHK's mission in research, education, and knowledge advancement. With a background in cataloging and digital repository development, Ryun leads projects in digitization, OCR, data visualization, text and network analysis, GIS, and digital scholarship. He actively promotes knowledge graph applications in Hong Kong studies and oversees efforts to digitize and preserve resources related to Hong Kong and Southern China. His recent work focuses on creating seamless digital experiences and developing data-driven infrastructure. He is currently exploring AI-driven approaches to digitization workflows and entity extraction, aiming to improve access, discovery, and long-term preservation of library materials.

Understand Prompting the crucial part to interface with models

Discover how to prompt effectively by exploring the details behind your AI interactions. This isn't just about basic prompting; it's about understanding how to articulate your ideas clearly. We'll showcase a few prompts and how they work. Discover how giving AI the right details can truly boost your productivity and help you reclaim valuable time in your day.

In this session, you will

  1. Utilize AI models effectively
  2. Understanding different prompts
  3. Find out tips that we use with AI

Register: https://stonybrookuniversity.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dht1o3rNzlZhHka?source=event+manager&session=0805251000ai
Prof. Eugene A. Feinberg, from the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, presents, Recent Developments in Markov Decision Processes Relevant to AI on April 4 at 4p. The talk discusses recent developments in Markov Decision Processes potentially relevant to artificial intelligence. These developments include complexity estimations for exact and approximate algorithms, decision making with incomplete information and multiple criteria, and continuity properties of optimal values and expectations. Dr. Eugene A. Feinberg is currently Distinguished Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics at Stony Brook University. He is an expert on applied probability, stochastic models of operations research, Markov decision processes, and on industrial applications of operations research and statistics. He has published more than 150 papers and edited the Handbook of Markov Decision Processes. His research has been supported by NSF, DOE, DOD, NYSTAR (New York State Office of Science, Technology, and Academic Research), NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) and by industry. He is a Fellow of INFORMS (The Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences) and has received several awards including 2012 IEEE Charles Hirsh Award for developing and implementing smart grid technologies, 2012 IBM Faculty Award, and 2000 Industrial Associates Award from Northrop Grumman. Dr. Feinberg is an Associate Editor for Mathematics of Operations Research and for Applied Mathematics Letters. He is an Area Editor for Operations Research Letters. Refreshments will be provided

Academic Integrity and CELT invite faculty to an open discussion on managing the challenges of classroom technology and AI, handling misconduct suspicions and reports, and accessing resources like syllabus templates and recommended policy language. Our goal is to promote transparency about policies and procedures and empower faculty with easily accessible resources and strategies.

Register here to join.

Join librarian Christine Fena for an interactive workshop that invites you to explore AI tools firsthand, not just as users, but as critical investigators. Through playful experimentation and collaborative discovery, you'll uncover inherent biases, probe algorithmic flaws, and gain a deeper understanding of AI's limitations and societal impacts.

Register for the Zoom workshop here.

Abstract:

Conventional approaches to scientific discovery often prioritize building larger sensors, gathering more data, and scaling up computational power. In this talk, I will present a complementary perspective: extracting insights hidden in the data we already have. The key lies in using AI not as a black-box predictor, but as a tool for interpreting data through its underlying physical process.

I will demonstrate how AI, when integrated with the physics of light propagation, can serve as a computational lens to overcome fundamental limitations in fields ranging from biomedicine to astrophysics. Specifically, I will showcase two compelling applications: non-invasive imaging through scattering biological tissues, and detecting faint exoplanets against the overwhelming brightness of their host stars.

These methods represent a departure from traditional learning-based approaches that rely on fitting models to training labels and hoping for generalization. Instead, with physics-informed strategies that decode how light propagates, we can transform raw measurements into scientifically meaningful insights--without requiring costly hardware upgrades or human-annotated datasets. Finally, I will outline future directions for combining AI with physical principles, enabling us to unlock more phenomena once considered hidden and accelerating discoveries in healthcare, astronomy, and beyond.

Short Bio:

Brandon Y. Feng is a Postdoctoral Associate at MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and a Visiting Scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. His research bridges artificial intelligence and physics to expand the limits of human and machine vision. He develops AI-driven methods that reveal hidden patterns in complex visual data, driving breakthroughs in areas such as exoplanet detection and imaging through scattering tissues. His work has been published in top venues, including Science Advances, CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, and NeurIPS, and has been featured in Science.org, New Scientist, and Phys.org. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, along with a B.A. in Computer Science and Statistics and an M.S. in Statistics from the University of Virginia.

Location: NCS 220