About the Initiative
About AI in Teaching and Learning Across the Network
This initiative, funded by the Offices of the Provost and Chancellor, involves collaboration across and within colleges to expand AI-enhanced teaching and learning at Northeastern. The goal of this initiative is to pioneer and integrate AI-driven pedagogical innovations that enhance learning outcomes, foster digital literacy, and meaningfully improve educational practices across disciplines. Many people contribute to its success:
- AI Teaching and Learning Fellows, faculty from across all campuses
- AI Instructional Assistants, graduate students with technical knowledge who have become oriented to skills such as leading student focus groups and conducting environmental scans of AI-enhanced teaching practices
- CATLR staff, learning specialists who meet regularly with both Fellows and IAs to brainstorm ideas, refine plans, and support the work.
The goal of this work is three-fold: to embed faculty development within colleges in ways that make most sense for the disciplines, encourage innovation in AI-enhanced teaching and learning, and develop a core group that can share their work at university-wide events. The Fellows meet monthly to share ideas, problem-solve, and provide each other with feedback. They also meet monthly with a CATLR buddy. Instructional Assistants meet regularly with their assigned Fellows to advance projects, and weekly as a group with the support of CATLR staff to share progress and receive guidance.
For more information
If you have any questions, please email CATLR at [email protected].
AI in Teaching and Learning Faculty Fellows
Faculty Fellows are appointed by the Associate Deans in their respective colleges. As opposed to a typical fellowship where most of the work is independent, these Fellows frequently interact to network and learn from each other. The result is greater cross-pollination of ideas and insights throughout the university, supported work within colleges, and innovation in the Fellow’s personal practices as educators. The fellowship also comes with specific expectations, as described below.
Fellowship Components
- Co-develop, implement, and document AI-enhanced pedagogical practices, with support from graduate student AI Instructional Assistants.
- Advance AI-enhanced teaching and learning in their colleges by organizing such as events, teaching circles, and work groups.
- Exchange best practices and collectively problem-solve at collaborative monthly meetings that include AI Fellows, CATLR, and Education Innovation leadership.
- Participate in a University-wide teaching and learning event (e.g., panel discussion).
- Contribute to a white paper series in which they share insights gained about AI-enhanced teaching and learning.
2024-2025 AI Faculty Fellows

Carolin Fuchs
Teaching Professor
College of Social Sciences and Humanities

Jennifer Gradecki
Associate Professor
College of Art, Media, and Design

Hemanth Gundavaram
Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs; Director of the Immigrant Justice Clinic; Director of Clinical Programs
School of Law

Thomas Kelley
Teaching Professor
College of Science

Tiffany Kim
Associate Clinical Professor
Bouvé College of Health Sciences

Barbara Larson
Executive Teaching Professor
D’Amore-McKim School of Business

John Rachlin
Associate Teaching Professor
Khoury College of Computer Science

Gunar Schirner
Associate Professor
College of Engineering

John Wilder
Assistant Teaching Professor
College of Professional Studies
AI in Teaching and Learning Instructional Assistants
AI in Teaching and Learning Instructional Assistants help ground the work of the initiative in the student perspective. In addition to contributing their own thoughts and technical skills, the IAs have been trained in practices such as survey development and focus group facilitation, which helps inform the work of the Fellows. With the help of CATLR staff, they learn how to do background information-gathering, such as environmental scans, so that the work of the Fellows is informed by the latest developments in AI-enhanced teaching within and across disciplines.
2025 AI Instructional Assistants

Kruthi Shankar Hedge
MS in Software Engineering, College of Engineering

Muhammad Salman
MS Electrical & Computer Engineering, College of Engineering

Hasnain Sikora
MS in Artificial Intelligence, Khoury College of Computer Sciences

Sebastian Thomas
MS in Artificial Intelligence, Khoury College of Computer Sciences