Upcoming Series ยท Summer 2026

Agentic AI for Research, Teaching, and Operations

A three-part workshop series for USC faculty, researchers, and staff.

Agentic AI systems such as advanced coding and reasoning tools like Codex represent a new generation of intelligent assistants capable of planning, executing, and iterating on complex tasks with minimal human intervention. These systems can write and debug code, analyze data, synthesize knowledge, and autonomously carry out multi-step workflows, making them powerful collaborators in academic environments. As these tools become increasingly available to the University of South Carolina community, it is essential that faculty, researchers, instructors, and staff understand how to effectively and responsibly integrate them into their daily work. This workshop series is designed to provide that foundation.

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Dates May 8, 15, 22 ยท 2026
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Time 10 AM โ€“ 12 PM
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Format Hands-on, guided
Your Instructors
Meet the Team
Dr. Homayoun Valafar
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Dr. Homayoun Valafar

Director, AI Institute
Kuba Jerzmanowski
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Kuba Jerzmanowski

AI/ML Engineer I
Christopher Lee
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Christopher Lee

AI/ML Engineer II
Andrew Smith
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Andrew Smith

AI/ML Engineer II
The Series
Three Sessions, Three Perspectives
May
08
2026 ยท Thursday
๐Ÿ•™ 10 AM โ€“ 12 PM

Agentic AI as a Research Assistant

Accelerating Discovery and Funding Success

Modern AI systems can act as collaborative research assistants capable of literature synthesis, hypothesis generation, data analysis, and grant development.

  • Conduct structured literature reviews efficiently
  • Support hypothesis exploration and experimental design
  • Assist in grant writing and proposal structuring
  • Enable data interpretation and visualization
  • Promote ethical and rigorous AI use in research
Ideal for: Faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and research staff.
May
15
2026 ยท Thursday
๐Ÿ•™ 10 AM โ€“ 12 PM

Agentic AI as a Teaching Assistant

Enhancing Instruction and Student Engagement

Agentic AI can function as a scalable teaching partner supporting course design, content generation, assessment, and personalized learning.

  • Assist in lecture preparation and materials creation
  • Develop adaptive assignments and assessments
  • Generate diverse explanations and examples
  • Support grading and feedback workflows
  • Establish responsible AI classroom policies
Ideal for: Faculty, lecturers, and instructional designers.
May
22
2026 ยท Thursday
๐Ÿ•™ 10 AM โ€“ 12 PM

Agentic AI as an Assistant to Administrators

Streamlining Operations and Decision-Making

Administrative staff can use agentic AI to automate tasks, improve communication, and support decisions.

  • Automate email drafting and scheduling
  • Generate reports and summaries
  • Support workflow automation
  • Improve communications
  • Ensure responsible use with sensitive data
Ideal for: Administrative staff, coordinators, and leadership teams.
What to Expect
Workshop Features & Outcomes
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Hands-on, guided exercises
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Real-world academic use cases
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Reusable templates and workflows
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No advanced programming required
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Custom examples tailored to university environments

Outcome

Participants will leave with practical AI workflows they can immediately apply to increase productivity, improve quality and consistency, reduce time spent on repetitive tasks, and enable more strategic and creative work.

Interested in attending?

Registration details coming soon. Reach out for questions about content, custom sessions for your department, or to be notified when registration opens.