CELT-cast

Podcast: CELTcast – The Podcast of the Center for Excellence in Learning and TeachingInstitution: Concordia University Wisconsin & Ann Arbor (CUWAA)Hosts: Kate Robertson and Kari BjerkeProducer: Ashley CurtinGuests: Dr. Bruna Damiana HeinsfeldFeatured Article: Universities risk becoming passive arms of Silicon Valley if they don't question how AI shapes truth, a professor saysBruna Damiana Heinsfeld is an assistant professor of learning technologies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Her research interests center on the field of Critical Studies in Education and Technology, focusing on critically examining the complex intersections of technology, society, and education. She was recently cited in this article from Business Insider, which led to our CUW team reaching out to her for an appearance on CELT-cast.

Podcast: CELTcast – The Podcast of the Center for Excellence in Learning and TeachingInstitution: Concordia University Wisconsin & Ann Arbor (CUWAA)Hosts: Kate Robertson, Natalie Upson, and Kari BjerkeProducer: Ashley CurtinGuests: Dr. Lane FreemanFeatured Article: The AI Sandwich: Human-First, Human-Last in an AI-Rich Educational EnvironmentDr. Lane Freeman is a nationally recognized educator, consultant, and thought-leader in online learning and artificial-intelligence integration. Lane serves as State Director of Online Learning for the North Carolina Community College System, leading policy, faculty development, and strategy for 58 colleges. Lane has presented at OLC Accelerate, the AVID National Conference, Inside Higher Ed webinars, and technology summits from Florida to South Dakota. His workshops empower K–12 districts, community colleges, universities, and workforce partners to harness AI for personalized learning, assessment innovation, and workforce up-skilling.

CELTcast Episode 11Podcast: CELTcast – The Podcast of the Center for Excellence in Learning and TeachingInstitution: Concordia University Wisconsin & Ann Arbor (CUWAA)Hosts: Kate Robertson & Kari BjerkeProducer: Ashley CurtinGuests: Dr. Don SaucierFeatured Article: Lessons Learned from Students Using AI Inappropriately in My Class Dr. Don Saucier is a university distinguished teaching scholar and professor of psychological sciences, and faculty director of the Teaching and Learning Center at Kansas State University. His numerous awards and honors include the Putting Students First Award for Outstanding Service to Students, University Distinguished Faculty Award for Mentoring of Undergraduate Students in Research, William L. Stamey Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award from the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Dr. Ron and Rae Iman Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching. Dr. Saucier’s research interests center on expressions of antisocial and prosocial behavior. Our podcast conversation with him focuses on the student experience with the use of AI in assignments and how instructors can set students up for success regarding AI usage and policies.

CELTcast Episode 10Podcast: CELTcast – The Podcast of the Center for Excellence in Learning and TeachingInstitution: Concordia University Wisconsin & Ann Arbor (CUWAA)Hosts: Kate Robertson & Kari BjerkeProducer: Ashley CurtinGuests: Dr. Sean Cho AyresFeatured Article: How I rehumanize the college classroom for the AI-augmented ageDr. Sean Cho Ayres is a poet, AI ethics researcher, and educator currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the English Department at Kennesaw State University. He completed his PhD in Creative Writing and Literature at the University of Cincinnati, where he worked at the Digital Scholarship Center and served on the editorial teams of The Cincinnati Review and Acre Books. He currently serves as Editor in Chief of The Account: A Journal of Poetry, Prose, and Thought and Poetry Editor at Overhead Lit. Across his scholarship, poetry, and public-facing essays, he aims to develop approaches that treat AI as a human story—one shaped by labor, culture, and care—and to advocate for creative practices that foreground transparency, ethics, and the lived experiences behind technologies.additional article: Human Error Is the Point: On Teaching College During the Rise of AIHere is a little blurb about the extra article: This essay is a thoughtful, honest reflection on teaching in the age of AI, reminding us that the awkward moments, mistakes, and human messiness in the classroom are actually where learning happens—and why those things still matter more than ever.

Podcast: CELTcast – The Podcast of the Center for Excellence in Learning and TeachingInstitution: Concordia University Wisconsin & Ann Arbor (CUWAA)Hosts: Rob Balza & Kate RobertsonProducer: Ashley CurtinGuests: Dr. Jennifer SmithFeatured Article: The Importance of Connection in the Age of AIDr. Jennifer Smith is an assistant professor and internship coordinator in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Kansas State University. Dr. Smith’s primary research interest is how technology is impacting the psychology of intimate relationships and contributing to the epidemic of loneliness. Our podcast conversation with her centers on college students’ need for relationships and connection, and how AI use intersects with those needs.

CELTcast Episode 4: Brains, Not Bots — Promoting Human Thinking in the Age of AI Podcast: CELTcast – The Podcast of the Center for Excellence in Learning and TeachingInstitution: Concordia University Wisconsin & Ann Arbor (CUWAA)Hosts: Rob Balza & Kate RobertsonProducer: Ashley CurtinGuests: Dr. Tara Salinas (University of San Diego) and Dr. Ed Love (Western Washington University)Featured Article: “Brains, Not Bots: Developing Thinkers in the Age of AI” – Psychology TodayIn this episode of CELTcast, Rob and Kate dive into one of the most pressing questions facing higher education today:How can we promote authentic, human thinking in the age of artificial intelligence?Our guests are both accomplished scholars and co-authors of the Psychology Today article “Brains, Not Bots: Developing Thinkers in the Age of AI.” Together, they explore the tension between AI’s growing capabilities and our enduring need for critical thought, empathy, and ethical reflection.Dr. Salinas, a professor of business ethics and Chair of the Management Department at the Knauss School of Business at the University of San Diego, focuses her research on ethical leadership and corporate culture development.Dr. Love, Professor of Marketing and Department Chair at Western Washington University’s College of Business & Economics, studies decision theory and how people form preferences in marketing contexts.

CELT-cast: Beyond the First Response—Prompting with Purpose in University ClassroomsHosts: Kate Robertson and Rob Balza, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Concordia University Wisconsin & Ann ArborGuest: Dr. Lisa Delgado-Brown, Assistant Professor of Education at the University of TampaProduced by: Ashley CurtinEpisode SummaryIn this episode, hosts Rob Balza and Dr. Kate Robertson delve into the evolving landscape of AI in higher education with guest Dr. Lisa Delgado-Brown of the University of Tampa. Dr. Delgado-Brown discusses her work in integrating AI throughout the curriculum in her sophomore education courses, focusing on the critical shift from simply accepting AI output to engaging in thoughtful, ethical prompt engineering.

CELT-cast: AI and the Flipped Classroom: Moving from Content Coverage to Skill DevelopmentHosts: Kate Robertson and Rob Balza, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Concordia University Wisconsin & Ann ArborGuest: Jarek Janio, Faculty Coordinator for the School of Continuing Education at Santa Ana College and the California Outcomes Assessment Coordinators Hub.Produced by: Ashley CurtinEpisode SummaryIn this episode, hosts Rob Balza and Kate Robertson welcome Yarek Janio of Santa Ana College and the California Outcomes Assessment Coordinators Hub to discuss his recent article in The Evolution, Modern Campus Illumination on how artificial intelligence is flipping the classroom. The conversation focuses on the monumental cultural shift brought on by AI and the need for faculty to evolve from delivering content to cultivating essential skills in students.

CELTcast: Unplugged Learning in the Age of AI: A Conversation with Dr. Carlo RotellaHosts: Kate Robertson and Rob Balza, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Concordia University Wisconsin & Ann ArborGuest: Dr. Carlo Rotella, Professor of English at Boston CollegeProduced by: Ashley CurtinEpisode SummaryIn this episode of CELT-cast, Rob and Kate are joined by Dr. Carlo Rotella, Professor of English at Boston College and author of the new book What Can Get Out of This? Teaching and Learning in a Classroom Full of Skeptics. A Yale-trained scholar and prolific writer, Dr. Rotella has been reflecting on what it means to truly engage students in an age dominated by artificial intelligence and digital tools.The conversation explores how “unplugged classrooms” that are anchored in discussion, printed books, and chalkboards can still thrive in the digital age. Dr. Rotella shares his approach to teaching skeptical students, his reasons for leaning into traditional forms of learning, and how he sees AI reshaping (but not replacing) the human elements of higher education.

Hosts: Kari Bjerke and Rob Balza, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Concordia University Wisconsin & Ann ArborGuest: Dr. Eugene Kim, Dr. Eugene P. Kim - founder and president of Integrated Education, professor of leadership at Concordia University IrvineProduced by: Ashley Curtin Episode Overview:In this episode of the CELT-cast, we sit down with Dr. Eugene P. Kim, founder and president of Integrated Education, professor of leadership at Concordia University Irvine, and widely published scholar in global education and leadership. With experience ranging from teaching high school science in Los Angeles to leading faculty development initiatives in China, Dr. Kim brings a unique perspective on how artificial intelligence is reshaping education and the workforce. Together, we explore which job sectors and academic disciplines are most vulnerable, or most likely to grow, in the age of AI, whether AI should stand alone as a discipline or be integrated across the curriculum, and how faculty can adapt without becoming overwhelmed.

AI in the Classroom: Panic, Possibility, and the Pedagogy In BetweenHosts: Kate Robertson and Rob Balza, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Concordia University Wisconsin & Ann ArborGuest: Dr. Demian Hommel, Associate Professor of Teaching in Geography and Geospatial Science, Oregon State UniversityEpisode Overview:In this episode, Kate and Rob continue our Faculty Development series exploring artificial intelligence in teaching and learning. They’re joined by Dr. Demian Hommel. A Faculty Fellow in AI Teaching and Learning at Oregon State’s Center for Teaching and Learning and author of the Faculty Focus article, “AI in the Classroom; Panic, Possibility, and the Pedagogy In Between” (August 13, 2025).Together, they discuss how AI is reshaping classroom practices, assessment design, and even how instructors understand their pedagogical identity in a changing educational landscape.

Hosted by: Rob Balza, Kate Robertson, Dr. Kelly Ahuna, and Dr. Michael KienerProduced by: Ashley CurtinAre you experimenting with Artificial Intelligence in your classroom or waiting to see how this technology plays out for a while? Either way, Episode 2 of our new CELT-cast series offers insights and practical ideas that will get you thinking about how this technology will impact higher education! In this episode, Kate Robertson and I interview Dr. Kelly Ahuna, Director of Academic Integrity at the University of Buffalo, and Dr. Michael Kiener, Director of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Maryville University. They teamed up to write an article in Faculty Focus that explores the importance that both faculty and students develop “meta-AI skills,” that is, that is the ability to think critically about how and when to use AI. They offer practical strategies for integrating AI in a discipline-specific way that balances innovation with integrity. If you haven’t checked out our new CELT-cast yet, take a listen. You’ll find it to be fun and informative. Subscribe here:

Hosted by: Rob Balza, Kate Robertson, and Tim RequarthProduced by: Ashley CurtinSkipping the Reps: The Danger of Letting AI Do the Heavy LiftingDr. Tim Requarth is a Research Assistant Professor of Neuroscience & Physiology and Director of Graduate Science Writing at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.Dr. Requarth earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience from Columbia University before transitioning into a prolific career in science journalism and communication. He’s published in Slate, The New York Times, Foreign Policy, Scientific American, and many others…Additionally, he served for nine years as director of NeuWrite, an international workshop series that brings scientists and writers together to refine the communication of scientific ideas.At NYU, Dr. Requarth develops graduate-level curricula focused on writing and the responsible use of generative AI in scientific communication. Here is a link to his latest article in The Transmitter.