Ball State University held the first ever Artificial Intelligence Symposium in the Student Center Ballroom on February
18, 2026. It was a success, as faculty and staff had the opportunity to explain the advancements of AI and its use in higher education.
With support from the Lilly Endowment, Ball State is planning to submit a multi-million-dollar grant for AI-related funding to use across campus.
Multiple presentations took place at the AI symposium. Nancy Abashian, Dean of University Libraries, Dr. Josh Fisher, Associate Professor of Emerging Media Design and Development, were among the presenters, as well as Anand Marri, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Loren Malm, Vice President of Information Technology, and Dr. Charlene Alexander, Chief Strategy Officer, who served on a panel.
Symposium attendees brainstormed together on what projects could begin with this potential grant funding. Detailed presentations stimulated conversation about future AI tools in higher education.
Associate Vice President for Information Technology Strategy and Creative Innovation, Brandon Smith, believes there is a strong future for AI at Ball State,
“The future of AI at Ball State is exciting! There are still many paths we need to explore, and there is no set way to move forward. But AI is here, and Ball State is adapting to make sure we support all of our students and the realities of a workplace where AI is increasingly used as an efficiency partner.”
Described as a success, Smith explains that the large crowd was able to give a road map of what AI can look like in higher education,
“It was invigorating to see so many people turn up for our inaugural AI Symposium. The goal was to create a space where differing views on AI could all be shared, and we could work together on envisioning the future of AI at Ball State. The Symposium turned out to be an excellent place for this type of collaboration to happen.”
Thank you to everyone within IT who attended the Symposium and helped make this event happen!