As artificial intelligence continues to impact higher education, the University of Georgia has launched a new faculty initiative aimed at exploring how technology can enhance teaching and learning across disciplines.
The Generative AI and Faculty Fellows Program brought together 15 faculty members to develop, test, and evaluate innovative classroom applications of generative AI during the 2025-2026 school year. Through workshops, collaborative sessions, and individualized support from teaching and learning experts, fellows created AI-supported educational projects aimed at improving student learning and engagement.
Each fellow received a $3,000 stipend to support professional development and educational resources, and the program culminated in a Generative AI and Education Colloquium. There, participants shared their projects and sparked a broader conversation about the future of AI-enhanced education at UGA.
UGA’s first class of GAIT fellows are:
- Mishra AbhinavAssociate Professor, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
- Alison MorrisonClinical Associate Professor, Mary Francis College of Early Education
- candace hollenbeckSenior Lecturer, Terry College of Business
- Cindy Dixonacademic expert at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- Daniel GibbsAssociate Professor, Faculty of Social Welfare
- Drew BensonAssociate Professor, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
- hind thistleClinical Associate Professor, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- julie d’angremond stantonAssociate Professor, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
- Kun YaoSenior Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering
- Lauren HousleyClinical Associate Professor, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
- lindsay hardingSenior Academic Specialist, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
- michael oliveriAssociate Professor, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
- Mohammad Rifat HaiderAssistant Professor, School of Public Health
- noel cardProfessor, Faculty of Family and Consumer Sciences
- Wang QiongAssistant Professor, Faculty of Environmental Design
- Zai XiaomingAssociate Professor, Mary Francis College of Early Education
- Yukyung SeokProfessor, Faculty of Family and Consumer Sciences
Let’s take a look at three projects
The resulting project provided a wide range of ideas for using AI in the classroom.
Lindsay Harding of Franklin College of Arts and Sciences developed ArchPal, an AI-powered writing companion designed to support students throughout the writing process while enhancing critical thinking and authorship. Created in collaboration with Jared Holton, Annika Kappenstein, and seven students, the platform helps users brainstorm ideas, stay organized, reflect on their writing process, and connect with campus resources such as the Jill and Marvin Willis Writing Center and the UGA Library. Rather than writing papers for students, ArchPal acts as a coach and thought partner, guiding students through planning, drafting, and revision. Piloted across humanities, social sciences, and science courses in spring 2026, ArchPal has already attracted interest from other institutions across the University System of Georgia.
Lauren Housley from the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences used generative AI to turn exam reviews into an interactive learning experience through Fog of Fad, an AI-powered fantasy game. Set in a medieval-inspired world, this game guides students through creative challenges and scenarios designed to help them master basic concepts in nutritional science. By blending AI with storytelling and game design, Housley has created an engaging alternative to traditional learning methods that allows students to review and practice concepts before exams in a more immersive way.
Qiong Wang from the School of Environmental Design integrated the use of generative AI with 3D printing in her undergraduate course in landscape ecology, teaching students to use generative AI to create 3D models of shoreline structures that improve shoreline ecosystems. AI-powered generative design now allows all students, regardless of their architecture or design background, to create 3D models of their designs. We also held an event where students presented their work through poster presentations, and several students presented their work at the GAIT Colloquium.
GAIT’s Faculty Fellows project demonstrates how generative AI can begin to reshape teaching and learning in a practical and discipline-specific way. A consistent theme emerged across the project: AI is most powerful when it supports, rather than replaces, critical thinking, creativity, and human judgment.
