The Blackburn Institute’s 2023 Annual Symposium will take place on Friday, August 25 and Saturday, August 26, 2023 at the Bryant Conference Center. Please see the schedule below for event times, dates, and audiences.
Please read each event carefully to ensure that you are included in the invited audience(s).
Friday
Check-In/Advisory Board Meet and Greet
11 – 11:50 a.m., Advisory Board and Blackburn Society only
Advisory Board/Fellows Lunch
12 – 1:15 p.m., Advisory Board and Blackburn Society only
Advisory Board Meeting
1:30 – 4:30 p.m., Advisory Board and Blackburn Society only
Fellows Feature Webinar: Demystifying AI: Applications, Approaches, and Responsibility
2 – 3 p.m., Full Blackburn Community
Check-In
4:30 – 5 p.m. Blackburn Students and Fellows
Keynote Speaker: Frank A. Nix Memorial Lecture on Ethical Leadership
5 – 6:15 p.m., Open to all UA community
Keynote Speaker: Joshua Jones, CEO of QuantHub
Blackburn Community Dinner
6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Full Blackburn Community
Late Night Fellows Reunion Activities
9 – 11:59 p.m., Fellows, Advisory Board, and Blackburn Society Only
Saturday
Breakfast with Mimosas
8 – 8:45 a.m., Full Blackburn Community
Breakout Sessions
9 – 10:15 a.m., Full Blackburn Community
Session I: Balancing Progress and Responsibility: Perspectives on Federal AI Policy
Moderator: Ms. Meghan Dorn, Manager of Federal Policy at TechNet
Panelists: Ms. Sophia Warner, Legislative Aide, U.S. House of Representatives; Ms. Yardena Wolf, Chief of
Staff, U.S. House of Representatives
Session II: The Future of Rural Health: AI-Powered, Smart, and Connected
Presenter: Dr. Jiaqi Gong, Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Alabama and the Director of the Sensor-Accelerated Intelligent Learning Laboratory (SAIL Lab)
Session III: Bevill State’s Carl Elliott Institute: Inspired by the Blackburn Model
Presenter: Mr. Patrick Dutton, Associate PATHWAYS Supply Chain Planning Specialist, Northrop Grumman
Coffee Break
10:15 – 10:35 a.m., Full Blackburn Community
Breakout Sessions
10:40 – 11:55 a.m., Full Blackburn Community
Session IV: Utilizing AI to Support City Processes and Citizen Engagement
Moderator: Dr. Stephen Dawe, Chief Technology Officer, City of Opelika
Panelists: Dr. Kenny Brock, President & Chair, Alabama Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence; Dr. David Paradice, Harbert Eminent Scholar in Information Systems and Analytics, Harber College of Business; Mr. Andrew Albrecht, Co-founder & CEO, AUBix
Session V: Fairness and Representation in Automated Speech Recognition
Presenter: Mr. Jay Cunningham, Doctoral Candidate in Human Centered Design and Engineering at the University of Washington
Session VI: Utilizing Psychedelic Medicine to Alleviate Alabama’s Mental Health Crisis
Panelists: Ms. Fanicy Sears, Owner of eMotion Therapy, LLC, Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist; Mr. Kenton Bartlett, Owner of Kenton Bartlett Counseling, Licensed Professional Counselor; Dr. Dave Barnhart, Pastor of Saint Junia United Methodist Church and Author; Mr. David Carn, Attorney at McLaughlin, PC
Blackburn Community Lunch
12 – 1:15 p.m., Full Blackburn Community
Breakout Sessions
1:30 – 2:45 p.m., Full Blackburn Community
Session VII: Afterward: Hearing the Voices of Alabama Victims, Survivors, and Communities Impacted by Violence
Presenters: Ms. Leah Nelson, Research Director, Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice; and Mr. Ronald McKeithen, Re-entry Coordinator and Advocate, Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice
Session VIII: Responsible AI Technology: A Tool for Political Campaigns and Civic Engagements
Presenter: Mr. Suhail Kahn, Director of State and Local Government Affairs, Microsoft
Session IX: Navigating the Autonomous Future of Traffic Safety
Presenter: Dr. Jeremy Pate, Director, The University of Alabama Center for Advanced Public Safety
Closing Coffee and Dessert Break
3 – 3:30 p.m., Full Blackburn Community
New Student Reflections or Pre-Trip Meeting for Huntsville Travel Experience
3:30 – 5 p.m., Blackburn Students Only