This week, we are running our new AI, Algorithmic Integrity, and Autonomy Innovation Center (AI3C) middle school camp for girls. This AI+Healthcare+Humanoids culturally responsive camp is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR grant project as an outreach to the state of South Carolina to broaden participation in engineering and computing and to help improve healthcare. Led by Dr. Eva Singleton and co-taught with Dr. Oguzhan Oruc, the middle school students are learning about topics that empower and encourage them as African American girls. We are happy to work with students from nearby schools like Charleston Charter School for Math and Science, Military Magnet Academy, and Sedgefield Middle School.
Curiosity Driven Research
Driven by their curiosity, the students are researching topics related to community health. In parallel, they are learning how to program the Nao humanoid robots using Choreographe and Python.
Connections to Their Communities
The culturally responsive humanoid robotics curriculum, developed by Dr. Williams in collaboration with Dr. Kimberly Scott through an NSF National Robotics Initiative grant, has been adapted and used by Dr. Singleton for the Charleston Low Country area and will be used throughout the state. Students are learning about topics related to their identity and asset-building, reflection, social justice, and the ethics around computing, engineering, healthcare, and artificial intelligence.
Creating Value for Diverse People
Each day, they work together in teams to design and build a working prototype to describe their solution for a health care issue using the robots and other materials in a skit.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to the AI-enabled Devices for Personalized and Transformative Healthcare for South Carolina (ADAPT-SC) lead institution, Clemson, and the many other universities and colleges we are collaborating with. This camp is being conducted by The Citadel’s AI, Algorithmic Integrity, and Autonomy Innovation (AI3) Center as an outreach. AI3C is also conducting research and workforce development with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Machine Learning University (MLU) for AI and Healthcare in South Carolina. Thanks to our Dr. Eva Singleton, Dr. Oguzhan Oruc, and our other camp counselors (who helped teach) and volunteers, Dr. Nahid Vesali, Dr. Deirdre Ragan, Col. Linda Riedel, Mrs. Anitra Williams, and Mrs. LaSonya Calhoun. Also a shoutout to Provost Sally Selden and Dr. Kevin Bower for speaking to the campers and providing Citadel swag. Also a shoutout to Ms. Kathleen Baert and Ms. Adrianna Williams for their early work in co-creating the culturally responsive robotics curriculum as students at Marquette University w/ Dr. Williams and Dr. Scott.
Pictures: AI+Heathcare+Humanoids middle school camp leaders, counselors, volunteers and students. Dr. Eva Singleton, Dr. Nahid Vesali, Dr. Oguzhan Oruc, and Mrs. Anitra Williams guiding the students. Photos by Dr. Andrew B. Williams
© 2024 Andrew B. Williams
About the Author: Andrew B. Williams is Dean of Engineering and Louis S. LeTellier Chair for The Citadel School of Engineering. He was recently named on of Business Insider’s Cloudverse 100 and humbly holds the designation of AWS Education Champion. He sits on the AWS Machine Learning Advisory Board and is a certified AWS Cloud Practitioner. He is proud to have recently received a Generative AI for Large Language Models certification from DeepLearning.AI and AWS. Andrew has also held positions at Spelman College, University of Kansas, University of Iowa, Marquette University, Apple, GE, and Allied Signal Aerospace Company. He is author of the book, Out of the Box: Building Robots, Transforming Lives. The views expressed on this blog are solely my own.
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