Propel AI is a faculty development program designed to grow competence in cutting-edge
AI technology, foster creativity in the ways faculty engage with AI and connect faculty
members across disciplinary lines to inspire new collaborative partnerships.
Propel AI Visiting Expert for Friday, November 15: Tom Mitchell
Tom Mitchell is the founding chair of the machine learning department at Carnegie
Mellon University. His current work proposes AI as a revolutionary tool in online
education, using training data to illustrate how students learn and applying large
natural language models to build AI tutoring agents.
Propel AI (Artificial Intelligence) grows faculty competence in cutting-edge AI technologies
and the rapidly changing landscape of AI research. The program incubates brand new
research initiatives in AI and enhances interdisciplinarity collaborative partnerships.
Program participants will engage in six one-day workshops led by expert guests with
a focus on hands-on skill building, creative planning and built-in networking. They
will also match with a group of fellow Propel AI scholars with intersecting interests
for guided small group conversations.
Program Length: Academic Year
Number of In-Person Sessions: 6 Half-Day Sessions
Eligible Faculty Rank: All
Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for Propel AI, faculty members must:
Be employed at USC Columbia, the USC schools of medicine in Columbia or Greenville,
a four-year USC comprehensive institution or a USC Palmetto College campus.
Hold a faculty or research faculty position - all faculty ranks are eligible.
Demonstrate a proven record of or abiding interest in interdisciplinary scholarship.
Have specific intentions and at least two defined goals for their work in the program
- no prior knowledge of AI is required.
Not be a participant in the Propel program simultaneously.
Participant Expectations
Propel AI participants are expected to:
Attend six in-person program sessions on Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Arrive at all invited speaker sessionswith prepared questions and ideas.
Participate in assigned interdisciplinary scholar peer group activities.
Define and achieve two to three goals by participating in the program.
Complete before and after self-reflection surveys.
Complete small projects, trainings or workshops between sessions as appropriate for their AI interests and goals.
Inventory their skills and competencies as part of a new “AI Community of Scholars” that will be made available to USC faculty
and students.
Post-Program Opportunities
Once they finish the program, participants will have:
The opportunity to apply for dedicated ASPIRE seed funding through the Office of the Vice President for Research to support meritorious projects
emerging from the Propel AI program.
A warm welcome into the campus-wide Propel AI scholar network, which will facilitate sharing the specialized expertise and skillsets of participating
faculty members to enable collaboration.
External promotion via an outward-facing site featuring all Propel AI scholars.
Propel AI Faculty Leads
Emily Manetta, Ph.D.
Professor and Director of Linguistics Program English Language and Literature Linguistics Program College of Arts and Sciences