Center for Faculty Development
WORKSHOPS
Page Content
The Center for Faculty Development (CFDFREEMississippi) and the Office of Online Learning (onlineFREEMississippi) are available for one-on-one consultations through email and virtual meetings.
Workshops & Events by Topic
GEMS, LLMs, and AI: Oh My!
The "Great and Powerful" AI doesn’t have to be a mysterious force behind a curtain.
In this hands-on, play-focused workshop, we move beyond the hype of generic AI-generated
content to explore the power of Collaborative AI.
Instead of relying on the vast, unfiltered knowledge of a general LLM, we will focus on how educators can use their own faculty expertise to "curate the magic." In this workshop, participants will learn to guide tools like Gemini, NotebookLM, and Custom Gems using their own original course materials, instructor-created content, and research. The goal is to build AI collaborators that are deeply connected to your voice and your curriculum, supporting responsible and context-aware use in the classroom.
From "Teaching the Tool" to "Adaptive Thinking": AI is always changing and will continue to do so but essential skills like critical thinning and learning to learn will remain constant. This session isn’t just a software tutorial. We are focusing on the "Heart, Brains, and Courage" of AI use:
- Brains (Critical Thinking): Evaluating AI outputs against your disciplinary expertise.
- Heart (Responsible Use): Ensuring AI-human collaboration respects original scholarship and student learning.
- Courage (Adaptive Thinking): Building the "learning-to-learn" mindset that prepares you for whatever version of AI emerges over the horizon next year.
What to Expect: Play in the Land of Oz. This workshop is designed as a sandbox for exploration so participants can expect a low-stress, fun environment that does not require your ‘strictly work’ hat. You will have the time and space to:
- Converse with Models: Experience what it actually feels like to treat Gemini as a thought partner, not just a search engine.
- Build Your Own "Gems": Transform your syllabus or lecture notes into a specialized AI assistant that knows your specific teaching style.
- Explore Multimodal Potential: Experiment with Gemini in various modes—text, voice, and analysis—to see where it fits (and where it doesn't) in your workflow.
Takeaway Participants will leave not just knowing how to click buttons in a specific app, but with a foundational understanding of how to lead AI tools through the lens of your own expertise—no matter how much the technology shifts and changes.
Friday, February 13, 2026
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Virtual Session | Zoom
Guest Speaker Justin Cary, Program Director for CHAI: AI Analysis, Application, and
Ethics in Society, UNC-Chapel Hill
Justin Cary currently serves as Program Director for CHAI: AI Analysis, Application, and Ethics in Society. This exciting new Interdisciplinary Studies degree concentration offering both a Major and Minor supports the vision of UNC Charlotte's College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences of a future in which graduates studying and using AI center human skills, ethical frameworks, and critical thinking, preparing them to address the complex and important questions and challenges facing the world today. For over ten years, Cary has served students at Charlotte as a Senior Lecturer in the Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Studies Department and is a firm believer in the power of technology to empower and support students when used responsibly and critically. Cary fosters creation-first learning environments in his writing courses through AI Literacy to create agency for students, reshaping and redesigning educational experiences that foster active learning with AI, collaborative conversations, critical reflection, evaluation of AI outputs and much more. As an AI Faculty Fellow with Charlotte's Center for Teaching and Learning, Cary loves working with colleagues to learn, collaborate, and innovate with AI in teaching and learning and entering into key critical conversations about the role of emerging technologies in higher education. Cary is also a big gamer so feel free to challenge him to a round of Mario Kart any day of week!
Experience AI in Action: MAIN, Google, and Carahsoft Host a Gemini and Notebook LM Workshop
Registration will be opened in a phased approach. Early registration is now open to USM faculty, staff, and administrators only. Beginning in late February, the registration will open to MAIN partners across the state. We do expect to reach capacity for this workshop. Please register ASAP to reserve your seat. Lunch will be provided.
Tuesday, March 31
9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Thad Cochran Center, Grand Ballroom, Hattiesburg, MS
Register Here: MAIN x Google/Carahsoft Workshop @ USM Tickets | Eventbrite
José Bowen: Teaching with AI
Teaching with AI with Dr. José Bowen, author of Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning. Dr. Bowen will lead a full day of interactive workshops on April 10, 2026.
Friday, April 10, 2026
8:30 a.m.–2:45 p.m.
In Person Session | Harkins Hall 120
Ctrl+Alt+Succeed: Foundations of Excel Spreadsheet Skills
The Center for Faculty Development in conjunction with the Office of Institutional
Research bring you this beginner-friendly Excel workshop, to introduce the essential
tools you need to confidently work with spreadsheets. In this "Level 1" workshop,
participants will learn how to navigate through Excel, use basic data entry, identify
and use basic tools, and distinguish the differences between data types. No prior
Excel experience is required. Please bring your laptop for this hands-on workshop!
Presenter: Christopher Lowe, Data Literacy Program Manager & Statistical Analyst, Institutional Research Office
Thursday, February 26
11:00 am -12:00 pm
Hybrid Session | IC 319 & Teams
Graduate Program Mentorship Series
The Southern Miss Graduate School, in partnership with the Center for Faculty Development, is offering a Graduate Faculty Mentor Training Program during the 2025–2026 academic year. This program, led by experienced faculty trained through CIMER, will provide practical guidance on effective mentoring, addressing disparities, and building strong mentor–mentee relationships. Faculty interested in enhancing their mentorship skills are encouraged to register.
For any questions, feel free to reach out to Shaadi Shoubaki, Assistant Director for Professional Development and Outreach, at Shaadi.ShoubakiFREEMississippi.
Increasing Access and Reducing Barrier for Graduate Students
Tuesday, February 10
12:00 - 1:30pm
Hybrid Session | IC 319 & Zoom
Fostering Well-Being & Cultivating Ethical Behavior
Tuesday, March 3
12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
Hybrid Session | IC 319 & Zoom
ORSD-Research Development Training & Engagement Winter Grant Writing Series
Part Two: The Proposal Writing Retreat
Close out the first month of the new semester with a full day of productive writing in a relaxed atmosphere among your colleagues! ORSD has partnered with The Writing Center to provide space and resources for you to create a document that is ready-for-review by a Program Officer. Writing Center staff will be available to assist with writing style nuances, while ORSD staff will offer guidance on additional parts of the proposal development process. The ultimate goal for The Writing Retreat is for you to walk away, confidently, with a well-written project summary on which a Program Officer could provide feedback relative to the sponsor's mission and priorities.
Friday, February 20, 2026
8:30-11:00 a.m. | Break for Lunch | 1:00-4:00 p.m.
The Writing Center, Cook Library (Hattiesburg Campus)
In-person Session Only
Show Up & Write! Sessions for Spring 2026
Show Up & Write! is hosted weekly on Teams by the Center for Faculty Development and provides a quiet, virtual space for dedicated writing time. The writing group aims to support faculty, staff, and graduate research by designating time for writing and increasing productivity through peer support and personal accountability. While in this virtual writing space, plan to focus your time on productive writing for an article, book chapter, grant proposal, blog, or other project.
Show Up & Write! will meet on Teams every Tuesday this spring from 11:00 am - 1:00 p.m. beginning January 27, and concluding April 29, 2026.
Mark the dates on your calendar:
February 10, 24
March 3, 10, 24, 31
April 7, 14, 21, 28
These sessions are come-and-go as needed for your schedule and do not include peer exchange. Faculty, staff and graduate students from all disciplines and ranks are welcome to attend. If this peaks your interest, fill out the information below for a reminder/calendar invite along with the Teams information to join virtually.
Facilitating Experiential Learning in Online Classes
With the proliferation of online classes and programs, how can we still incorporate experiential learning opportunities so that students can apply their skills and/or learn in authentic professional settings? Experiential learning is an important tool for developing career ready students, but it requires preparation and planning to ensure success. During this session, faculty who facilitate different types of online experiential learning, including group project-based learning, internships, field research and service-learning, will share how they facilitate these experiences, advice for best practices and lessons learned.
Presenters:
Christy Kayser, Director, Center for Community Engagement;
Kendrick Buford, Center for STEM Education and Director, Academic Integrity
Ann Marie Kinnell, School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Professional Development
Alexis Tymkiw Stoner, School of Marketing
Friday, Feb. 27, 2026
1:00 - 2:15 pm,
Hybrid Session | IC 319 & Teams
Workshops & Events by Date
February 2026
Show Up & Write! Sessions for Spring 2026
Show Up & Write! is hosted weekly on Teams by the Center for Faculty Development and
provides a quiet, virtual space for dedicated writing time. The writing group aims
to support faculty, staff, and graduate research by designating time for writing and
increasing productivity through peer support and personal accountability. While in
this virtual writing space, plan to focus your time on productive writing for an article,
book chapter, grant proposal, blog, or other project.
Show Up & Write! will meet on Teams every Tuesday this spring from 11:00 am - 1:00 p.m. beginning January 27, and concluding April 29, 2026.
Mark the dates on your calendar:
February 10, 24
March 3, 10, 24, 31
April 7, 14, 21, 28
These sessions are come-and-go as needed for your schedule and do not include peer exchange. Faculty, staff and graduate students from all disciplines and ranks are welcome to attend. If this peaks your interest, fill out the information below for a reminder/calendar invite along with the Teams information to join virtually.
Graduate Program Mentorship Series
Increasing Access and Reducing Barrier for Graduate Students
The Southern Miss Graduate School, in partnership with the Center for Faculty Development, is offering a Graduate Faculty Mentor Training Program during the 2025–2026 academic year. This program, led by experienced faculty trained through CIMER, will provide practical guidance on effective mentoring, addressing disparities, and building strong mentor–mentee relationships. Faculty interested in enhancing their mentorship skills are encouraged to register.
For any questions, feel free to reach out to Shaadi Shoubaki, Assistant Director for Professional Development and Outreach, at Shaadi.Shoubaki@usm.edu.
Tuesday, February 10
12:00pm to 1:30pm
Hybrid Session | IC 319 & Zoom
GEMS, LLMs, and AI: Oh My!
The "Great and Powerful" AI doesn’t have to be a mysterious force behind a curtain. In this hands-on, play-focused workshop, we move beyond the hype of generic AI-generated content to explore the power of Collaborative AI.
Instead of relying on the vast, unfiltered knowledge of a general LLM, we will focus on how educators can use their own faculty expertise to "curate the magic." In this workshop, participants will learn to guide tools like Gemini, NotebookLM, and Custom Gems using their own original course materials, instructor-created content, and research. The goal is to build AI collaborators that are deeply connected to your voice and your curriculum, supporting responsible and context-aware use in the classroom.
From "Teaching the Tool" to "Adaptive Thinking": AI is always changing and will continue to do so but essential skills like critical thinning and learning to learn will remain constant. This session isn’t just a software tutorial. We are focusing on the "Heart, Brains, and Courage" of AI use:
- Brains (Critical Thinking): Evaluating AI outputs against your disciplinary expertise.
- Heart (Responsible Use): Ensuring AI-human collaboration respects original scholarship and student learning.
- Courage (Adaptive Thinking): Building the "learning-to-learn" mindset that prepares you for whatever version of AI emerges over the horizon next year.
What to Expect: Play in the Land of Oz. This workshop is designed as a sandbox for exploration so participants can expect a low-stress, fun environment that does not require your ‘strictly work’ hat. You will have the time and space to:
- Converse with Models: Experience what it actually feels like to treat Gemini as a thought partner, not just a search engine.
- Build Your Own "Gems": Transform your syllabus or lecture notes into a specialized AI assistant that knows your specific teaching style.
- Explore Multimodal Potential: Experiment with Gemini in various modes—text, voice, and analysis—to see where it fits (and where it doesn't) in your workflow.
Takeaway Participants will leave not just knowing how to click buttons in a specific app, but with a foundational understanding of how to lead AI tools through the lens of your own expertise—no matter how much the technology shifts and changes.
Friday, February 13, 2026
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Virtual Session | Zoom
Guest Speaker Justin Cary, Program Director for CHAI: AI Analysis, Application, and
Ethics in Society, UNC-Chapel Hill
Justin Cary currently serves as Program Director for CHAI: AI Analysis, Application, and Ethics in Society. This exciting new Interdisciplinary Studies degree concentration offering both a Major and Minor supports the vision of UNC Charlotte's College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences of a future in which graduates studying and using AI center human skills, ethical frameworks, and critical thinking, preparing them to address the complex and important questions and challenges facing the world today. For over ten years, Cary has served students at Charlotte as a Senior Lecturer in the Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Studies Department and is a firm believer in the power of technology to empower and support students when used responsibly and critically. Cary fosters creation-first learning environments in his writing courses through AI Literacy to create agency for students, reshaping and redesigning educational experiences that foster active learning with AI, collaborative conversations, critical reflection, evaluation of AI outputs and much more. As an AI Faculty Fellow with Charlotte's Center for Teaching and Learning, Cary loves working with colleagues to learn, collaborate, and innovate with AI in teaching and learning and entering into key critical conversations about the role of emerging technologies in higher education. Cary is also a big gamer so feel free to challenge him to a round of Mario Kart any day of week!
ORSD-Research Development Training & Engagement Winter Grant Writing Series
Part Two: The Proposal Writing Retreat
Close out the first month of the new semester with a full day of productive writing in a relaxed atmosphere among your colleagues! ORSD has partnered with The Writing Center to provide space and resources for you to create a document that is ready-for-review by a Program Officer. Writing Center staff will be available to assist with writing style nuances, while ORSD staff will offer guidance on additional parts of the proposal development process. The ultimate goal for The Writing Retreat is for you to walk away, confidently, with a well-written project summary on which a Program Officer could provide feedback relative to the sponsor's mission and priorities.
Friday, February 20, 2026
8:30-11:00 a.m. | Break for Lunch | 1:00-4:00 p.m.
The Writing Center, Cook Library (Hattiesburg Campus)
In-person Session Only
Ctrl+Alt+Succeed: Foundations of Excel Spreadsheet Skills
The Center for Faculty Development in conjunction with the Office of Institutional
Research bring you this beginner-friendly Excel workshop, to introduce the essential
tools you need to confidently work with spreadsheets. In this "Level 1" workshop,
participants will learn how to navigate through Excel, use basic data entry, identify
and use basic tools, and distinguish the differences between data types. No prior
Excel experience is required. Please bring your laptop for this hands-on workshop!
Presenter: Christopher Lowe, Data Literacy Program Manager & Statistical Analyst, Institutional Research Office
Thursday, February 26, 2026
11:00 am -12:00 pm
Hybrid Session | IC 319 & Teams
Facilitating Experiential Learning in Online Classes
With the proliferation of online classes and programs, how can we still incorporate
experiential learning opportunities so that students can apply their skills and/or
learn in authentic professional settings? Experiential learning is an important tool
for developing career ready students, but it requires preparation and planning to
ensure success. During this session, faculty who facilitate different types of online
experiential learning, including group project-based learning, internships, field
research and service-learning, will share how they facilitate these experiences, advice
for best practices and lessons learned.
Presenters:
Christy Kayser, Director, Center for Community Engagement;
Kendrick Buford, Center for STEM Education and Director, Academic Integrity
Ann Marie Kinnell, School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Professional Development
Alexis Tymkiw Stoner, School of Marketing
Friday, Feb. 27, 2026
1:00 - 2:15 pm
Hybrid Session | IC 319 & Teams
March 2026
Show Up & Write! Sessions for Spring 2026
Show Up & Write! is hosted weekly on Teams by the Center for Faculty Development and provides a quiet, virtual space for dedicated writing time. The writing group aims to support faculty, staff, and graduate research by designating time for writing and increasing productivity through peer support and personal accountability. While in this virtual writing space, plan to focus your time on productive writing for an article, book chapter, grant proposal, blog, or other project.
Show Up & Write! will meet on Teams every Tuesday this spring from 11:00 am - 1:00 p.m. beginning January 27, and concluding April 29, 2026.
Mark the dates on your calendar:
March 3, 10, 24, 31
April 7, 14, 21, 28
These sessions are come-and-go as needed for your schedule and do not include peer exchange. Faculty, staff and graduate students from all disciplines and ranks are welcome to attend. If this peaks your interest, fill out the information below for a reminder/calendar invite along with the Teams information to join virtually.
Graduate Program Mentorship Series
Fostering Well-Being & Cultivating Ethical Behavior
The Southern Miss Graduate School, in partnership with the Center for Faculty Development, is offering a Graduate Faculty Mentor Training Program during the 2025–2026 academic year. This program, led by experienced faculty trained through CIMER, will provide practical guidance on effective mentoring, addressing disparities, and building strong mentor–mentee relationships. Faculty interested in enhancing their mentorship skills are encouraged to register.
For any questions, feel free to reach out to Shaadi Shoubaki, Assistant Director for
Professional Development and Outreach, at Shaadi.Shoubaki@usm.edu.
Tuesday, March 3
12:00pm to 1:30pm
Hybrid Session | IC 319 & Zoom
Experience AI in Action: MAIN, Google, and Carahsoft Host a Gemini and Notebook LM Workshop
Registration will be opened in a phased approach. Early registration is now open to
USM faculty, staff, and administrators only. Beginning in late February, the registration
will open to MAIN partners across the state. We do expect to reach capacity for this
workshop. Please register ASAP to reserve your seat. Lunch will be provided.
Tuesday, March 31
9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Thad Cochran Center, Grand Ballroom, Hattiesburg, MS
Register Here: MAIN x Google/Carahsoft Workshop @ USM Tickets | Eventbrite
April 2026
Show Up & Write! Sessions for Spring 2026
Show Up & Write! is hosted weekly on Teams by the Center for Faculty Development and provides a quiet, virtual space for dedicated writing time. The writing group aims to support faculty, staff, and graduate research by designating time for writing and increasing productivity through peer support and personal accountability. While in this virtual writing space, plan to focus your time on productive writing for an article, book chapter, grant proposal, blog, or other project.
Show Up & Write! will meet on Teams every Tuesday this spring from 11:00 am - 1:00 p.m. beginning January 27, and concluding April 29, 2026.
Mark the dates on your calendar:
April 7, 14, 21, 28
These sessions are come-and-go as needed for your schedule and do not include peer exchange. Faculty, staff and graduate students from all disciplines and ranks are welcome to attend. If this peaks your interest, fill out the information below for a reminder/calendar invite along with the Teams information to join virtually.
José Bowen: Teaching with AI
Teaching with AI with Dr. José Bowen, author of Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning. Dr. Bowen will lead a full day of interactive workshops on April 10, 2026.
Friday, April 10, 2026
8:30 a.m.–2:45 p.m.
In Person Session | Harkins Hall 120
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