June 5, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Rao Contributes to Article About AI and Academic Integrity

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Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao contributed to a story written by UMW alum, Ryan Kailath, published in the Gothamist. Rao was quoted in the article titled “Columbia suspended him after he built a cheating app. Now he’s raised $5.3M for it” which was published in Gothamist and Hoodline. Kailath is a reporter with WNYC in NY. He saw Rao referenced in another article and reached out about this story. Read the article:
https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/columbia-suspended-him-after-he-built-a-cheating-app-now-hes-raised-53m-for-it
https://hoodline.com/2025/05/former-columbia-student-suspended-for-ai-tool-sparks-debate-and-success-with-5-3m-startup/

Rao Speaks on AI in While in London

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Rao speaks about AI with prep school students in London

Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao spoke at the TechEx Global event as part of the AI & Big Data Expo in Olympia, London last week. At the conference Rao chaired a panel discussion called “Getting to Production-Ready: Challenges and Best Practices for Deploying AI.” The panel was on Feb 5, 2025, and included panelists from Experian, Wolfram, Pfizer and Open University. TechEx advertised the session as a standout panel with a SRO audience.

In addition, a student at Latymer Upper School (a prep school in the UK; recently celebrating its 400th anniversary) attended the panel at the Expo and invited Rao to speak to her school’s AI club. She recently founded the club and was awarded a grant from the Royal Society to support the club’s work on a chatbot for their school. Rao met with the club for an hour and gave a presentation about AI in education. He said, “It was a fun group of students to talk to with lots of great questions.”

Rao Participates in AI Collaboratory

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Professor of Communication Anand Rao

Professor of Communication in the Department of Communication and Digital Studies, Anand Rao, has been selected to serve on the National Communication Association’s (NCA) Collaboratory on Artificial Intelligence, a groundbreaking initiative that brings together educators, scholars, and communication professionals to address the rapidly evolving impact of AI in higher education. As part of the collaborative team, Dr. Rao will participate in the inaugural NCAi Collaboratory session at the NCA Convention on November 22, which aims to develop community-driven responses to AI integration in communication pedagogy, research, and assessment. The session will feature breakout discussions where communication scholars and faculty can explore various topics related to AI’s impact on the field. Dr. Rao will lead a focused discussion on AI Chatbots in Communication.

The Collaboratory, supported by the Teaching and Learning Council and highlighted as one of First Vice President Dr. Jeanetta Sims’ Spotlight Panels, focuses on leveraging human intelligence and creativity alongside artificial intelligence. This initiative will establish ongoing collaborative structures to foster community resources and facilitate crucial discussions about AI’s role in communication education. For more information about the Collaboratory and to access AI resources, visit: https://www.natcom.org/spectra/ncai-collaboratory-and-generative-ai-resources

UMW Faculty Share Knowledge and Insight on ‘With Good Reason’ Radio Program

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Mary Washington faculty share expertise on ‘With Good Reason,’ a national radio program that inspires thought, discovery and action through public engagement and dialogue on topics that shape our world.

Mary Washington faculty share expertise on ‘With Good Reason,’ a national radio program that inspires thought, discovery and action through public engagement and dialogue on topics that shape our world.

Imposter syndrome, photoshopping, the complexities of foreign alliances, political humor, the magic of Disney World and shared musical experiences – these are just a few of the topics on which University of Mary Washington professors have contributed their expertise over the radio airwaves this past year.

UMW is proud to announce the continued success of its collaboration with Virginia Humanities’ With Good Reason radio program, which brings the research and insights of Virginia’s top educators to audiences across the nation. Each week, over 100,000 listeners tune in to 128 radio stations throughout Virginia, Washington, D.C., and 38 states to hear thought-provoking discussions with leading academics. Thousands more listen to the episodes through iTunes podcasts.

The partnership between UMW and Virginia Humanities helps showcase valuable work in Virginia’s higher education system. Since last summer, a dozen Mary Washington faculty members were featured on With Good Reason, either as new guests or in re-aired episodes that continue to draw audiences. Read more.

Rao Invited to OpenAI Higher Ed Forum in NYC

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Professor of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao attended the exclusive OpenAI Higher Ed Forum on October 10, 2024, in New York City. The event, hosted by OpenAI, brought together influential leaders in higher education to discuss the future of AI in academia.

The forum, held at the historic Puck Building, featured presentations and discussions with prominent figures in AI and education, including OpenAI executives and renowned academics. Speakers addressed crucial topics such as the future of AI in higher education, building AI-powered universities, and frontline applications of AI in academic settings.

Dr. Rao’s participation in this high-level gathering underscores UMW’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements in education. “Attending the OpenAI Higher Ed Forum was an invaluable opportunity to engage with leaders shaping the intersection of AI and higher education,” said Dr. Rao. “The insights gained will be instrumental in enhancing our approach to integrating AI technologies at UMW.”

By representing UMW at this event, Dr. Rao has positioned the university to be part of the ongoing dialogue about AI’s role in transforming higher education.

Rao a Panelist at AI Conference in Amsterdam

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Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Anand Rao attended the AI & Big Data Expo in Amsterdam, NL, on October 1-2, 2024. He was the moderator and panelist for a session titled “Barriers to Navigate: People, Processes and Technology.” Researchers and industry leaders joined him on the panel for the day 1 track, “Unleashing the Power of Data for All.” The expo was part of TechEx Europe, which is expected to draw over 7,000 participants.

Rao Shares AI Expertise With ‘The Atlantic’

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Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication Anand Rao

Professor of Communication Anand Rao spoke to The Atlantic – Online Feature for an article titled “The Metacognition Revolution,” which was published in August. In the interview, Rao discussed the special topics course he taught in Fall 2023, DGST 301N: ChatGPT and Generative AI, and the importance of introducing and using AI in the classroom in order to demonstrate both the dangers and opportunities associated with its use. He also discussed how, by building their chatbots, students developed a healthy skepticism of AI as they better understood some of its limitations. Read more.

Rao Pens Article on AI in ‘Higher Education Digest’

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Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication and Department Chair Anand Rao co-wrote an article titled “Our Students’ Future in an AI-World is Debatable” in Higher Education Digest. “As fears of undetectable AI-powered cheating sweep through college campuses, many in higher education are sounding the alarm about its disruptive potential,” the article begins. “But while the threat of ChatGPT-assisted term papers may keep academics up at night, the actual problem facing higher education is much more significant: how can we prepare our students for the AI-driven workplace of the future?” Read more.

Rao Offers AI Webinar to Small Businesses

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Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication Anand Rao co-presented a webinar about AI for Small Businesses on April 3, 2024. My co-presenter was Steve Gladis and the webinar was hosted by the George Mason Enterprise Center. The title was “Level 2: Building Chatbots for Small Business.” The webinar is part of a series offered by Rao and Gladis. The third webinar will be hosted in May by the Mason Enterprise Center.

Rao Speaks to NC State Faculty About AI in Education

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Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Anand Rao was invited by NC State University’s Campus Writing and Speaking Program to speak with faculty about AI in education. He gave a presentation on Monday, March 18, 2024, titled “Argumentation, Communication, and Critical Thinking: Teaching Durable Skills to Prepare Our Students for Success in an AI-World” and then ran a faculty workshop on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, titled “Building Chatbots for AI Literacy.” Both presentation and workshop built upon work that Rao has done over the last two years on AI in education as he works to develop models for student AI literacy and how to incorporate AI technology into classrooms in a responsible way.