Organising Committee
The organizing team brings together complementary expertise in responsible AI, STEM education, educational assessment, advising, data science, and community-engaged learning. Collectively, we work across K–16 education, higher education, informal STEM learning, and applied AI systems, with experience spanning human-centered AI design, psychometrics, career pathway development, industry partnerships, and institutional leadership. Our shared goal is to advance principled, evidence-based approaches to AI-supported STEM learning and career exploration that connect research, practice, and policy.
Sugana Chawla
Associate Professor of the Practice, Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society, University of Notre Dame
With a background in Environmental Science and Education, she works at the intersection of STEM education, data science, and community engagement. Her work focuses on preparing students and educators to meaningfully engage with data and emerging technologies, while fostering pathways into STEM fields. She also serves as the Data Science Education Program Director for the iTREDS program.
Si Chen
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Notre Dame Learning & Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society, University of Notre Dame
Her research focuses on human-centered and responsible AI for education, particularly in STEM and K–16 contexts. With a background in Human–Computer Interaction and working with students with disabilities, she uses mixed-methods and design-based research to develop AI systems that support exploration and sensemaking while maintaining educator oversight and ethical safeguards.
Julia Qian
Associate Advising Professor & Director of Advising Strategy, Assessment, and Policy, College of Engineering, University of Notre Dame
Her work focuses on holistic student development, belonging, and student engagement through evidence-based advising practices. She is interested in technology integration in higher education, personalized skill coaching, and assessment-driven policy implementation to support student success.
Gina Svarovsky
Senior Executive Director for Research Engagement & Professor of the Practice, Institute for Educational Initiatives, University of Notre Dame
Her research focuses on how youth develop interest, skills, and engineering ways of thinking across formal and informal STEM learning environments. She studies how authentic, practice-based experiences support pathways into engineering, particularly for youth and families historically underrepresented in STEM.
Ying (Alison) Cheng
Sweeney Family Collegiate Professor of Quantitative Psychology and Education, Fellow of Institute for Educational Initiatives, University of Notre Dame
An expert in educational assessment and psychometrics, she integrates statistical modeling, data mining, and artificial intelligence to design fair, interpretable, and efficient measurement systems. Her work advances statistics and data science education and develops assessment frameworks that align with evolving demands in quantitative literacy and AI-enabled learning environments.
Rick Johnson
Associate Professor of the Practice & Managing Director, Applied Analytics and Emerging Technology Lab, Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society, University of Notre Dame
He leads applied data science and AI initiatives connecting industry and community partners, including K–12 mobile game development projects designed to inspire STEM and healthcare career pathways. He also directs a data and AI-focused summer internship program.
Nitesh V. Chawla
Frank M. Freimann Professor & Lucy Family Director of Data & AI Academic Strategy, University of Notre Dame
His primary research interests are in artificial intelligence and data science, motivated by how we can build interdisciplinary bridges to chart the path from innovation to translational research—advancing the common good. He is a Fellow of AAAI, ACM, AAAS, and IEEE, and a founder of multiple companies, including Aunalytics.
Ronald Metoyer
Vice President and Associate Provost for Teaching and Learning & Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Notre Dame
His research in human–computer interaction examines how data and emerging technologies can be designed to expand opportunity and support learners and educators, particularly those historically underserved. His leadership bridges research and institutional practice, advancing responsible integration of AI and data-driven tools in teaching and learning.
Contact Us
For inquiries regarding the workshop, please reach out to our team:
Workshop Proposal
Interested in knowing more about our workshop? Our workshop proposal is available here.