Mark your calendar and join us for Fridays with ITDS, a monthly interview series in a casual, informal virtual learning space spotlighting the unique contributions University faculty, staff, and leadership are providing to teaching and learning at Montclair State University!
Now entering the third year of Generative AI available at our fingertips, faculty in higher education continue to discover new ways to leverage the technology in their classrooms. This semester, Fridays with ITDS aims to spark innovation and creativity by showcasing specific ways GenAI can be your ally and partner in teaching and learning. Specific success stories, upcoming GenAI innovations, and other practical use cases will be shared.
Exploring the Montclair AI Sandbox: Secure, Scalable, and Ready for the Future
When: February 28, 2025 at 10:00am
Where: Live via Zoom
With Generative AI here to stay, how can Montclair harness its power while keeping data secure and academic integrity intact? Join us for an exciting live demonstration of the Montclair AI Sandbox, a cutting-edge platform designed to help faculty and researchers explore AI tools like GPT-4, DALL-E 3, and more in a secure, adaptable environment. The project team, led by Dr. Weitian Wang, Associate Professor in the School of Computing, will discuss its inspiration, features, and applications, and provide a sneak peek at how this tool can elevate teaching, research, and innovation at Montclair.
Weitian Wang is an Associate Professor in the School of Computing at Montclair State University and the Director of Montclair Collaborative Robotics and Smart Systems Laboratory (CRoSS Lab) and NSF MRI MCROS Site. He has longstanding and extensive research experience in robotics, AI, human-robot interaction (HRI), intelligent systems, human factors in HRI, and smart cyber-physical systems. In the past recent years, his research has been supported by over $2.74 million in funding from different federal agencies and organizations. Dr. Wang is the recipient of NSF CAREER Award. He has received 6 Best Paper/Presentation/Mentor Awards in his research activities. Dr. Wang is the recipient of the IEEE R1 Technological Innovation Award for his contributions to collaborative robotics and human-robot interaction research. He is the founder faculty advisor of Montclair Robotics Club. Dr. Wang is an Associate Editor for IEEE TASE, IEEE THMS, and IEEE SMCL. He has served as a conference Program Chair/Associate Editor/Co-chair/Publication Chair/Session Chair/TPC member for over 30 academic conferences in the past years. Dr. Wang is a Member of IEEE North Jersey Section Committee, the Chair of IEEE North Jersey Section Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Chapter, and the Advisor of IEEE Montclair State University Student Branch. He is the founder of Montclair Robotics and AI Seminar Series (RAISe Series).
Jesse Parron is a recent graduate of Montclair State University with a master’s degree in Computer Science. During his time at Montclair, he held various leadership roles, including Founder and Vice President of the Montclair State University Robotics Club and Chair of the IEEE Montclair Student Branch. In these roles, he organized events such as robotic showcases, seminars with industry leaders, and hands-on robotics activities. He also volunteered to educate middle and high school students about robotics, assisted with IEEE conferences, and served as a judge for the Terra North Jersey STEM Fair. Alongside these leadership roles, Jesse worked as a research assistant and lab manager in the Collaborative Robotics and Smart Systems (CRoSS) Lab, where he conducted research on human-robot interactions, focusing on evaluating human physical and physiological biometrics related to trust in robotics. Throughout his research experience, he had the opportunity to publish multiple papers in the robotics field and present my findings at conferences. Jesse’s passion for educating and sharing knowledge led him to pursue an adjunct professor position within the university, which he began the summer after graduation. This role soon evolved into a temporary full-time professor position, where he now teaches a variety of undergraduate classes and oversees 180+ students.
Amaar Rehman is a junior information technology major passionate about creating communities and innovating. In his present roles as Chair of the IEEE Student Branch and President of the Robotics Club, he oversees robotics and artificial intelligence projects. Creating a private AI sandbox environment for research and experimentation while maintaining data privacy and educational advancement is his main goal as the AI Sandbox Project Lead. He has had the amazing chance to work on AI-embedded vision systems for space missions as part of a NASA-sponsored program. To broaden his knowledge of cutting-edge technology, he has also worked on AI vision systems for self-driving applications. In his professional capacity, he works at ALM & Associates Inc. with their technological infrastructure and offers technical support as an IT technician.
Stay tuned for more details!
Future Sessions
As more details emerge, this section will be updated. Do you know a faculty or staff colleague making unique contributions to teaching and learning at the university who may be interested in sharing their work in a live, 30-minute interview format? Recommend colleagues or yourself to join a future session of Fridays with ITDS.
- March 28, 2025
Past Sessions
Interested in seeing what sessions we’ve hosted in the past? Take a look below at some of the topics and guests we’ve featured on Fridays with ITDS!
- Fridays with ITDS — January 31Fridays with ITDS returns on January 31 with our "AI As Your Ally" talk series!Wednesday January 15, 2025
- Fridays With ITDS — November 15On November 15, join ITDS in welcoming Dr. Jennifer Urban to discuss how she's leading a team to develop a SEEDS curriculum course that harnesses virtual reality to teach character development in immersive ways!Friday November 1, 2024
- Fridays With ITDS — October 25Join us on October 25 to learn how WikiEdu can offer students an opportunity to research, synthesize, and enhance articles with reliable sources!Tuesday October 15, 2024
- Fridays With ITDS — September 20Join us on September 20 as we resume Fridays with ITDS to discuss how we can foster collaborative learning to improve student engagement!Monday September 9, 2024
- Fridays with ITDS — April 5Join us for April's session of Fridays with ITDS, focusing on how to foster an inclusive and welcoming classroom!Monday March 25, 2024
