In 2023, while serving as the associate director of faculty development at a STEM-focused university, I cofounded and chaired an AI impact group endorsed by executive leadership. No stranger to AI, this institution features a supercomputer and a building named after the senior vice president of software engineering at NVIDIA, a global leader in AI. There, I witnessed faculty from across disciplines come together without hesitation to engage in essential, and at times contentious, dialogue. Through active participation in the group, I learned the necessity of engaging in critical thinking on four vital areas: ethics, DEI, technological determinism, and fragmentary thinking. The purpose of this article is to provide leadership with a framework for fostering robust conversations about AI.
Reciprocity over Hierarchy: Designing and Implementing a Student-Led Reverse Mentoring Program
Many academic leaders, including administrators and faculty members, participate in traditional mentoring programs that prioritize hierarchy. But these programs typically don’t foster engagement and connection between students and faculty or
Marquita Lyons-Smith and Keva Suitte
October 19, 2026
