On March 15, 2025, CSTS at Missouri S&T co-hosted the 66th Annual Midwest Junto for the History of Science. Attendees from around the region gathered in the Innovation Lab Forum to discuss a wide range of topics.
 
In the evening, the keynote and annual Stuart Pierson Lecture was “ML Ultra: The Epistemic Imaginary of Generative Artificial Counterintelligence,” by Patrick Gamez from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Gamez, formerly of Missouri S&T, studies the philosophy of technology and addressed the challenges of GenAI from that perspective.

In this MinerAI Seminar, Dr. Cihan H. Dagli, professor of systems engineering and founder of Missouri S&T’s Systems Engineering graduate program, outlined how artificial intelligence is reshaping modern health care. He highlighted current applications of machine learning in organ transplant allocation, showing how data-driven models can improve fairness and efficiency in matching donors and recipients. Dagli also discussed the challenges of moving AI systems from research settings into clinical practice, including validation, reliability and the need for responsible decision-support tools. His talk emphasized that real-world implementation—not just model development—is the key to delivering meaningful impact in medical decision-making.

Missouri S&T continued its MinerAI Seminar Series Oct. 1 with a presentation by Dr. Seung-Jong (Jay) Park, Kummer Endowed Professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science. Park’s talk, “AI for Science and Engineering: Use-cases on how to Apply AI Models to Biomedical Research and Robotics,” highlighted practical applications of artificial intelligence models in interdisciplinary domains, including biomedical research and robotic systems. The free seminar, held at 4 p.m. in Room 140 Toomey Hall, is part of a monthly series showcasing innovative AI applications across science and engineering. 

The MinerAI Seminar Series continued Nov. 5 with a talk by Dr. Ryan Cheek, assistant professor of technical communication at Missouri S&T. In his presentation, “Prophecy, Persuasion, and the Incubation of Partisan AI,” Cheek explored how emerging technologies shape political communication, public discourse and ethical decision-making. He discussed the role of crisis messaging, apocalyptic rhetoric and persuasive design in influencing public action, emphasizing the need to understand how AI-driven communication tools may amplify or transform partisan narratives. 

Missouri University of Science and Technology convened experts Nov. 6–7 for Artificial Influence and the Engineering of Mass Persuasion, a two-day interdisciplinary conference exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping persuasive communication. Co-hosted by the Center for Science, Technology and Society (CSTS), the Kummer Institute’s Center for AI and Autonomous Systems, and Miner AI, the event brought together researchers, faculty and students to examine topics such as algorithmic influence, ethical design of AI-driven messaging systems, and the evolving role of automated persuasion in society. Keynote speaker Dr. S. Scott Graham of the University of Texas delivered a talk titled “Science that Sells: How Methods Can Drive Promotional Language Use in Research on Health AI.” Sessions featured panels and papers on algorithmic nudging, cognitive sovereignty, and AI’s impact on public discourse.

Missouri S&T hosted a hands-on MinerAI Seminar Series workshop on Nov. 19 led by Dr. Suman Maity, assistant professor of computer science. The session, “Prompt Engineering Workshop: Mastering the Art of Talking to AI,” introduced participants to strategies for communicating more effectively with large language models. Dr. Maity explained core and advanced prompting techniques—including few-shot, zero-shot and Chain/Program/Tree-of-Thought methods—to help users generate clearer and more reliable AI outputs. The workshop offered practical guidance for students, researchers and staff seeking to improve their AI-assisted work.

MinerAI at Missouri University of Science and Technology hosted a seminar, “Exploring AI and Learning in the Age of Generative Intelligence,” at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, in Room 140 of Toomey Hall on the Missouri S&T campus in Rolla.

The seminar featured two speakers from the University of Missouri–Kansas City. Dr. Alexis Petri, director of the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence at UMKC, discussed “Critical AI Literacies: Navigating the Andragogical and Heutagogical Terrain of Generative AI,” examining how generative tools are reshaping teaching, learning and critical reflection in higher education. Dr. Larry Wigger, teaching professor of supply chain management at UMKC, presented “Pedagogy versus Heutagogy: Neuroscience-Informed Strategies for AI-Enhanced Classrooms,” connecting economic change, cognitive science and classroom practice to strengthen human reasoning in an AI-driven environment.

A reception followed the talks and included special guest Shu-Ching Chen, Ph.D., executive director of the Data Science and Analytics Innovation Center (dSAIC), a University of Missouri System–wide center.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Missouri S&T recently hosted a seminar titled Data Auditing for Explainable and Fair Machine Learning, presented by Dr. Mohamed Nafea, assistant professor of computer engineering. The talk addressed the growing need for explainability, responsible data governance, and preemptive fairness auditing in high-stakes machine learning applications. Dr. Nafea highlighted recent work on data-auditing methods that assess feature utility and bias without requiring access to trained models, an approach well suited for siloed data and model development. Empirical results across real and synthetic datasets demonstrated the robustness and interpretability of the proposed framework. This work is supported by National Science Foundation award No. 2452330.

MinerAI held a seminar Feb. 11 featuring a panel discussion on the role of artificial intelligence in daily life and future careers.

Students and invited guests from diverse backgrounds shared how they use AI in academic, personal and professional settings. Panelists discussed the benefits and challenges of AI tools and reflected on their expectations for the future of AI technologies.

The seminar was facilitated by Dr. Jonathan Kimball.

Dr. Josh Wilkerson, senior research scientist at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, delivered a talk Feb. 25 titled “Beyond the Chatbot: Creating Agentic AI for Naval Applications.” He discussed the limitations of large language models in mission-critical settings and outlined the shift toward multi-agent, orchestrated AI systems designed for reliability, validation and interoperability, including use of the Model Context Protocol.

Wilkerson highlighted LEXICON, a framework developed at NAWCWD that connects natural language requests to deterministic mission-planning tools, enabling non-experts to access advanced naval capabilities through conversational interfaces. He also addressed AI interpretability, edge deployment challenges and broader applications of agentic AI beyond defense.

Dr. Jossalyn Gale, director of the Writing and Communication Center, and Montrice O’Neal, Missouri S&T’s dean of students, led a seminar titled “Teaching with AI: AI and Academic Integrity” at noon Tuesday, March 3, in Room G-11 of Curtis Laws Wilson Library.

The session explored the role of artificial intelligence in the classroom and its implications for academic integrity. Refreshments were provided.

Gale is director of the Writing & Communication Center and assistant professor of English in the Department of English and Technical Communication at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Eric Verdeyen of Rolla recently gave a talk on how artificial intelligence may be affecting human thinking, creativity and work. He argued that AI’s convenience and efficiency could contribute to “cognitive atrophy,” making deep thinking a skill people may need to practice more intentionally.

Verdeyen is a dentist in Rolla and host of the “Notes & Things” podcast, where he explores AI, robotics, economics and the future of work.

Dan Reardon, associate dean for academic affairs in Missouri S&T’s College of Arts, Sciences, and Education, presented “Teaching With AI: A Year of Co-Teaching, Co-Creation, and Classroom Reality” last Wednesday.

In the talk, Reardon shared how generative AI can be integrated into teaching as a structured co-instructor rather than viewed only through the lens of academic integrity and risk mitigation. Drawing on a year of implementation across two courses, he outlined a co-teaching model in which AI helps generate instructional drafts, formative feedback and learning materials, while the instructor curates and revises the content and maintains disciplinary authority.

He also discussed practical workflows, including pseudonym-based feedback systems, AI-assisted lesson design and student interaction patterns, along with student responses and classroom guardrails. The presentation emphasized that, when used thoughtfully, AI can strengthen instructor presence, clarity and responsiveness in the classroom.