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2025 NPSMA CONFERENCE BIOS Jeanne McClure, PhD and Yuru Zhang, North Carolina State University, NC Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are redefining how professionals in STEM conduct research, communicate findings, and manage complex projects. Yet, using these tools effectively—and ethically—requires more than experimentation; it requires understanding how to engage them through structured prompting and a commitment to Responsible AI practices. This 105-minute interactive workshop introduces participants to the evolution of Artificial Intelligence, from early symbolic systems to today’s foundation models that enable both creativity and efficiency in professional work. Participants will build essential AI literacy, gaining an understanding of how large language models (LLMs) operate, their capabilities and limitations, and the professional responsibilities tied to their use—including transparency, data privacy, and human oversight. Building on this foundation, attendees will explore several prompting frameworks that structure effective interaction with LLMs, including Instruction-Context-Input, Chain-of-Thought, Role-Based, and Few-Shot prompting. Through demonstrations and guided activities, participants will apply these frameworks to authentic STEM and Professional Science Master’s (PSM) contexts such as funding proposals, internship development, and science communication. Dr. Jeanne McClure is a postdoctoral fellow at NC State University’s Data Science and AI Academy and founder of Ars Innovate Technologies and Consulting. She specializes in AI integration, prompt engineering, and workforce development, helping faculty, students, and professionals apply large language models in teaching, research, and daily workflows. A three-time NC State graduate with a Ph.D. in Learning Design and Technology, Jeanne bridges learning theory with practical applications in data science and AI. Her work emphasizes ethical AI use, open-source tools, and reproducibility. She is a former NCES fellow, a 2025 Posit Cloud Opportunity Grant recipient, and serves on the UNC System AI Pedagogy Committee. Jeanne is passionate about expanding access to AI and data science education across sectors, supporting professional growth through hands-on learning and innovative, real-world applications. Yuru Zhang is a Ph.D. candidate in Teacher Education and Learning Sciences at North Carolina State University, specializing in Learning Design and Technology. She has extensive K-12 classroom teaching experience. Her research explores AI technology integration in K-12 and higher education teaching settings. Her work focuses on supporting educators through inclusive instructional strategies and AI-based technology-enhanced teaching and learning. She has served as a STEM graduate assistant and has facilitated professional development workshops for teacher candidates at NC State. She aims to prepare future educators to integrate innovative technologies effectively and equitably into diverse classrooms. Workshop: Using Lean Launchpad and the Business Model Canvas to Optimize Your PSM Program Friday, November 7th 9:00 am - 10:30 am Sue Carson, PhD, North Carolina State University Presentation Title: Aligning the Critical and Creative Thinking Process with Your Course or Curriculum Cultivating students’ critical and creative thinking (C&CT) is essential for preparing them to succeed in virtually every discipline and to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives. These skills enable individuals to seek new questions, approach problems from multiple perspectives, identify biases and assumptions, and find innovative solutions. In this session, faculty will align a general C&CT process to their disciplinary process and will perform a course (or curriculum) mapping activity to identify the gaps in opportunities they are providing students to develop these skills. We will point faculty to resources to strategies they can use to fill the gaps. Dr. Carson’s area of scientific expertise is in molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis. She currently serves as the Director of the Master of Microbial Biotechnology Program and as a Fellow in the Office of Faculty Excellence. Prior to this appointment, she led the NC State Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), focused on faculty development to cultivate students’ critical and creative thinking skills across disciplines. During that period, she also acted as Executive Director of Academic Enrichment Programs, overseeing the Office of Undergraduate Research, Fellowship Advising, and the University Honors and Scholars Programs. Dr. Carson spent over ten years leading curriculum development for the NC State Biotechnology Program. She has received multiple awards for teaching excellence and innovation and was a member of the Howard Hughes Science Education Alliance, promoting and implementing inquiry-guided learning and authentic research in undergraduate curricula. She authored three molecular biology lab manuals, and has published numerous peer-reviewed papers in the area of course and curriculum development. She has mentored over 100 undergraduate students in research projects and was the PI and Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Integrative Plant and Microbial Systems Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program for over a decade. Most recently, she completed a 2-year rotation at the National Science Foundation in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources. Within the Triangle community, she has served on the Board of Directors of the Wake County Beekeeping Association and the Triangle Swing Dance Society. 5 MP Poster Presenters: Dr. Tolessa Deksissa, University of the District of Columbia Dr. Meghan Dovick, University of Utah Christine Ricci, MS, University of Connecticut Dr. Binlin Wu, Southern Connecticut State University |