Program
Time | Session | Location |
|---|---|---|
11:30 AM – 12:50 PM | Kickoff Lunch | Cather Dining Center |
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Panel Discussion | Cather Dining Center |
2:15 PM – 4:15 PM | Concurrent Workshops | Cather Dining Center |
4:15 PM – 4:30 PM | Wrap-Up | Cather Dining Center |
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM | Social Event | Don't Panic Labs |
Kickoff Lunch
11:30 AM – 12:50 PM
Three campus leaders share their perspectives on the significance of AI for our institution:
- Jennifer Nelson, Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation
- Lance Perez, Dean, College of Engineering
- Kathy Farrell, Dean, College of Business
Panel Discussion: The Future of Work in an AI-Transformed World
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Leaders from across diverse sectors discuss how AI is reshaping industries, workflows, and the skills our graduates will need.
Moderator
Mark Riley, College of Engineering
Panelists
- Josh Jones, Nelnet — Financial services and AI implementation
- Derek Nordgren, Hudl — Sports technology and technical career growth
- Santosh Pitla, UNL — Digital agriculture and autonomous systems
- Bobby Brauer, Bayer Crop Science — Agricultural data and decision-making
- Will Greenwood, MathWorks — Engineering software and AI in education
- Hilary Kasel, Google — Workforce development and AI-ready teams
- Jean Claude Niyomugabo, UNL Graduate Student — Student perspective on AI and agriculture
This session will be streamed for registered participants who cannot attend in person.
Concurrent Workshops
2:15 PM – 4:15 PM
Three hands-on sessions exploring AI applications in different contexts. Participants choose one track.
Track A: Research & Innovation
Facilitators
- Mark Stone
- Mubarak Zouriq
Partners
- MathWorks
How is AI accelerating discovery and changing the research landscape? From literature review to deep learning for scientific discovery.
Track B: Productivity
Facilitators
- Tareq Daher
- Hilary Kasel
Partner
AI for everyday work — from quick wins that save time today to agentic tools that transform workflows. For anyone looking to work smarter.
Track C: Teaching & Learning
Facilitators
- Asa Stone
- Derek Heeren
Partner
Integrating AI into education responsibly. Policies, course design, academic integrity, and the future of teaching and learning.
Social Event
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM at Don't Panic Labs
Build community, strengthen connections, and continue conversations. Hosted by Google with refreshments from The Post.
Questions?
Contact us at prairie@nebraska.edu with questions about the Launch Event.