Vice Dean for AI Initiatives
Matthew Connelly, Professor of History, has been appointed as Vice Dean for AI Initiatives for a period of three years. In view of the enormous challenges and opportunities presented by AI, and the complex array of questions requiring broad-based research and critical analysis, Professor Connelly will work to develop and implement strategies to ensure that Arts & Sciences takes a proactive approach to AI.
He will lead a growing array of initiatives in partnership with the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, including new courses and curricular innovation focused on undergraduates. These will be designed to support students in learning how to use AI ethically and effectively, and to put Columbia at the forefront in preparing undergraduate students to be leaders and citizens in an AI-saturated society.
Professor Connelly will also coordinate and be a key partner in university-wide conversations on AI, develop and maintain partnerships with other institutions, and provide expert input on AI-related policy and regulation related to higher education and research. One particular area of concern is how AI companies are using academic labor to train their models, and the need for universities to develop our own strategy for capitalizing on the value of our scholarship in support of higher education’s mission.
“Matt has been a well-known expert in applying AI to humanities and social science research and public policy challenges for over a decade,” said Amy E. Hungerford, Dean and Executive Vice President for Arts and Sciences. “As an alumnus of Columbia College as well as a faculty member, he knows undergraduate programs intimately and will ensure an approach to AI that is comprehensive, ethical, and forward-thinking.”
Ivy+ Mellon Leadership Fellow and Director of Special Initiatives
Denise Cruz, Chair and Professor of English and Comparative Literature, will serve as an Ivy+ Mellon Leadership Fellow within the Office of the Dean and Executive Vice President for the 2024-25 academic year. In addition to her regular teaching, chairing, and research activities, a portion of her time will be spent advancing vital academic projects that reach across different divisions of Arts and Sciences.
Under the auspices of her Ivy+ Mellon Fellowship, Professor Cruz will serve as Director of Special Initiatives for the Arts and Sciences, building and directing new initiatives that seek to enhance the academic experience for students across our undergraduate schools, with an immediate focus on the student experience in our largest majors.
The goal of this effort – a collaboration with Josef Sorett, Dean of Columbia College and Vice President for Undergraduate Education – will be to identify concrete ways to enhance student relationships with tenured faculty early in their careers, cultivate research experiences for all students in the context of coursework, and ensure that students both before and after their declaration of a major feel a sense of welcome and belonging that builds on their first-year experience and that fast-tracks their connections to faculty and peers. As part of this effort, Professor Cruz will also work with Dean Sorett to consider how advising structures (professional and within departments) can best support students across all four years of their time as undergraduates.
“We know that majors are pivotal to a student’s identity, academic trajectory, and overall experience at Columbia,” said Dean Hungerford. “I am grateful to Denise for leading our important work in this area and for her many other contributions as an award-winning teacher, scholar, and department chair.”
