Professional Development Programs

Second Annual AI Showcase Event: March 12, 2026

The Mizzou Professional Development Council is hosting our Second Annual AI Showcase Event, on March 12, 2026 from 12:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Ellis Library.

This year’s event, Preparing Students & Ourselves for AI in the New Workplace, is focused on strengthening dialogue between faculty, staff, industry partners, and alumni about preparing students for an AI‑driven workplace. Together, we’ll explore the AI skills employers are seeking and how organizations and people, including faculty and staff at Mizzou, are integrating AI into their daily work.

Program

12:15: Welcome by Provost Martens (Ellis 114A)

12:30-1:30 p.m.: Career Panel (Ellis 114A):  AI Ready, Not AI Dependent: Helping the Mizzou Community Prepare Students for the New Workplace

Panelists:

  • Craig Benson, Moderator (Director, Mizzou Career Center)
  • Mary Click (AI Strategist, Futurist, and Consciousness Researcher, Mizzou Alum)
  • Chris Harbert (jFounder @ Testery, Mizzou Alum)
  • Jovani Jones (Career Development Coordinator, Mizzou College of Engineering)
  • Misty Larkins (Public Relations and Brand Marketing Leader, Mizzou Alum)
  • Sarah Foster Walters (Career Services Coordinator, College of Education and Human Development)

Breakout Sessions: 1:40-3:50 p.m., Ellis 114A, Ellis 106A, Ellis 25 (T4LC)

1:40-2:20: AI as a Practice Partner: Leveraging AI Simulations to Improve Student Communication Skills (Ellis 114A), Greg Cox

2:30-3:00: Concurrent sessions:  

  • Enhancing Career Exploration Coaching with GenAI (Ellis 114A), Craig Benson, Sydney Thomas
  • Supporting Student’s Job Search with Gen AI: Perspectives from Industry Professionals and Career Services (Ellis 106A), Emily Lorenz, Sarah Foster Walters
  • Online Learning Modules for Secure and Scalable AI-Driven Workflows: How Mizzou Staff and Faculty Can Use AI (Ellis 25, Teaching for Learning Center), Prasad Calyam, Roshan Neupane, Ashish Pandey

3:10-3:50: Chatting about Generous Peer Tutoring: How Writing Center tutors work with AI in Writing Center Work (Ellis 114A), Bailey Boyd, Aaron Harms, Kayla Cayasso

3:50-4:00: Closing Remarks (Ellis 114A)

*All sessions are in person, with a zoom option available. If you would like the zoom link, please contact: Brooke Hartman.

Professional Development Programs

MU is committed to the development of its faculty across the career span and in a wide variety of sectors. The Professional Development (PD) Council gathers representatives from units across the university that offer PD for faculty members. The PD Council provides a space for various units to share current and upcoming PD opportunities with each other, communicate to faculty about PD opportunities, and seek input on the changing topics and needs of faculty members to create PD opportunities that are relevant. The PD Council meets monthly during the academic year with Assistant Provost for Faculty Initiatives, Shruti Rana.

 

Click on the tiles at the bottom of the page to find searchable tables with information about upcoming PD opportunities for faculty members. The PD opportunities and supports listed can be used at all stages of a faculty member’s career, although some are geared more towards early or mid-career development. Certain programs are particularly relevant for postdoctoral scholars. Some programs are offered in-person and others virtually. Please reach out to the individual unit sponsoring a PD program to ask questions about each event. If you have or know of a PD program or opportunity from your unit that you would like us to share below, please email Assistant Provost for Strategic Faculty Initiatives, Shruti Rana.

MU Professional Development Council Members

 

  • Shruti Rana, Chair – Assistant Provost for Strategic Faculty Initiatives
  • Linda Blockus – Director, Office of Undergraduate Research
  • Mary Christie  – Senior Director, Education Programs for Health Affairs, NextGen & Education Navigator for the Institute of Clinical & Translational Science
  • Amy Lannin – Director, Campus Writing Program
  • Dan Gomez-Palacio – Associate Director, Learning & Organizational Development, Office of Human Resources
  • Karina Enriquez De la Cruz – Instructional Design Manager, Missouri Online
  • Victoria (Tori) Mondelli – Founding Director, Teaching for Learning Center
  • Heather Hoffman – Assistant Dean, Graduate School
  • Jeannette Pierce – Associate University Librarian for Research, Access, and Instructional Services, MU Libraries
  • Amanda Carr – Professional Development Senior Coordinator, Division of Research, Innovation & Impact
  • Sarah Traub – Assistant Vice Chancellor, Office of Extension and Engagement

A new eBook from the Teaching for Learning Center

Teaching Strategies & Reflections on AI

Born from a shared mission to prepare educators for a rapidly evolving world, this eBook offers real-world insights, tools, and strategies from Mizzou’s AI Teaching Fellows. Whether you’re just starting or already integrating AI, you’ll find practical, thoughtful ideas to enhance your teaching. Contributing Mizzou faculty authors include: Kevin Brown; Mauro Palmero; Jared Schroeder; and Caroline Waldbuesser.

Read the eBook
Cover of Teaching Strategies & Reflections on AI

Professional Development Council Inaugural Showcase Event on AI, April 4, 2025

 

AI image

The Mizzou Professional Development Council hosted its inaugural showcase event supporting faculty professional development on April 4, 2025.

This year’s event focused on AI and featured Mizzou faculty and was aimed at supporting professional development for faculty and staff. The keynote speaker was Mizzou Journalism Professor Jared Schroeder, “Drawing a New Map: AI and the Flow of Ideas.” Watch a recording of the keynote here.

For questions, please contact Assistant Provost for Strategic Faculty Initiatives Shruti Rana or Brooke Hartman in the Office of the Provost.