Inaugural AIM Symposium Highlights AI Research and Learning Innovation at UMD

The University of Maryland’s Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM) brought together more than 400 students, faculty and staff from across campus for its inaugural AIM Research and Learning Symposium on May 5, highlighting the breadth of AI research and teaching supported by the institute.

Held in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union Grand Ballroom, the symposium program highlighted AIM-funded research projects and undergraduate and graduate courses, showcasing how UMD’s hub for AI fosters collaboration across disciplines, with participation from nearly every college and multiple campus units.

“AI is advancing rapidly, but what makes AIM at UMD special is our goal to bring together scholars from a wide range of disciplines to shape its future in a way that uplifts people and society,” said Hal Daumé III, director of AIM and a Volpi-Cupal Endowed Professor of Computer Science and Language Science. “This symposium is about building a community that can lead in responsible AI innovation.”

The program featured a presentation by Erica Jiang, venture partner at Loyal VC, who discussed recent advances in artificial intelligence and emphasized the importance of maintaining human-centered perspectives. She concluded: “In the age of AI, be more human.”

Three AIM-sponsored research teams presented work on AI and robotics for biobased, sustainable antimicrobial food packaging, AI-powered digital twinning for public health and AI-driven sensor fusion for Arctic sea ice mapping. 

A panel on the future of AI funding included Elizabeth Albro, commissioner of the National Center for Education Research at the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education; Amen Ra Mashariki, director of AI and data strategies at the Bezos Earth Fund; and Titilola Harley, senior program officer at the Gates Foundation. The discussion was moderated by Jing Liu, associate professor in education policy and director of the Center for Education Data Science and Innovation at UMD.

The afternoon featured an interactive poster session with more than 75 research projects and courses from students and faculty across campus, followed by a panel from AIM course development grant recipients highlighting new AI-focused courses that illustrate the integration of AI across the curriculum. The program also included AIM affiliate research lightning talks, where researchers delivered brief presentations on work spanning disciplines from computer science and public health to education and the arts, underscoring the symposium’s emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world impact.

The event concluded with a keynote address by Nicol Turner Lee, senior fellow in governance studies and director of the Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution, followed by closing remarks from Patrick O’Shea, vice president for research at the University of Maryland.