Faculty Symposium

Event Overview

The annual Faculty Symposium brings together faculty and the broader UMass Lowell community to celebrate accomplishments and exchange ideas, insights, and opportunities for collaboration. The event features keynote presentations, lightning talks, panel discussions, a faculty recognitions ceremony and more.

We welcome faculty at all career stages, as well as staff who would like to share opportunities with faculty. Attendees are welcome to participate in all or some of the Symposium activities. We hope you will join us to celebrate our collective achievements, learn more about one another's work, and connect informally with colleagues from across campus.

Tentative Agenda

*Creating AI-Resilient Learning Experiences Using Backward Design 

Description: AI is disrupting the process of teaching and learning in ways that require thoughtful and intentional approaches to curriculum design. To embrace the possibilities of AI while preserving the integrity of the educational experience, instructors can leverage the power of AI to clarify their teaching goals and develop more AI-resilient assignments and assessments. During this workshop, participants will apply principles of backward design to develop learning outcomes and assessment tools and practice using the “3C” model of AI prompting. Working in pairs, participants will be guided through sequential AI prompting and iterative revision of AI outputs. A template for developing and communicating AI policies on syllabi will also be shared and discussed. This session is designed for educators in all disciplines with novice to intermediate experience using AI in course development.

The session is led by:

Kevin M Bonney, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology
Assistant Dean of Teaching Innovation, Laney Graduate School
Coordinator of Evaluation and Program Assessment for Education and Training, Winship Cancer Institute
Senior Director, Programs, Office of the Dean of the School of Medicine, Emory University

Registration is required to attend this session. Please register for Creating AI-Resilient Learning Experiences Using Backward Design.

Lightning Talks

Each year, the Faculty Symposium includes lightning talk sessions where faculty and staff share 90-second presentations about their work and opportunities for collaboration. Examples of topics include:

• Current research or creative work
• Research idea in preparation for a proposal
• Teaching innovation that can be adapted to other disciplines
• Community engagement project to encourage interdisciplinary participation
• Work of a Research or Engagement Center to foster collaboration
• University-wide services such as a core research facility, library initiative, or a media teaching lab that can help faculty advance their teaching, research, and scholarship

Lightning talk presenters have the option of preparing a PowerPoint slide that will be displayed during the 90-second presentation. Given the brevity of the presentation, a single slide is recommended. We do not recommend adding video to your slide.

Please register to present a lightning talk. On the form, you will be able to indicate your availability and submit a slide for your presentation. Presentation slots are limited so please register as soon as possible. The deadline for registration is Friday, November 6, 2026 at 5 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) or until all slots are taken.

Please note that the main Faculty Symposium registration form is separate from the lightning talk form. In order to officially register to present a lightning talk, you must complete the lightning talk registration form.