About the Talk:

Join us for a special edition of the OpenAI Forum featuring two standout professors from the University of Maryland, each delivering a 15-minute TED-style talk on how they use AI to transform learning in their disciplines. Attendees will discover practical AI strategies, gain cross-disciplinary insights, and leave inspired to apply AI in their teaching. This session is designed for professors, administrators, university leadership, and curriculum designers.

Pam Orel, principal lecturer of Business & Technical Writing, demonstrates how AI tools reshape writing instruction, making students more precise and reflective communicators in an AI-driven world. Michel Cukier, professor of Reliability and Mechanical Engineering, shows how his students use AI to master Engineering Statistics.

After the talks, forum community members can participate in a live Q&A with the speakers, fostering deeper discussion and insights on AI’s role in education.

About the Speakers:

Pam Orel, MBA, Principal Lecturer English Department @ University of Maryland College Park

Pam Orel is a teacher, writer and prior editor with a background in online, blended and in-person course formats. In the past year, she rebuilt her Business Writing course to better align with university AI goals and student’s growing needs. This included a chatbot that offers more convenient access to course information and announcements for students. She is an advisor to a local student group and also serves on the English department's Working Group on AI. She has mentored roughly a dozen faculty members at the university. Her research interests include teaching with technology, affordability in higher education and supporting students with differing learning styles. She has served in a few leadership roles, including as a panelist for the Office of Student Conduct, where she has served on over 100 panels hearing cases related to academic integrity issues over more than a decade. Prior to joining Rutgers, Pam held teaching and administrative roles in another, New Jersey Big 10 institution. She joined Maryland as a lecturer in 2012; was named Senior Lecturer (2016-2021) and was awarded her current Principal Lecturer rank in 2021.

Michel Cukier, Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Director, Advanced Cybersecurity Experience for Students (ACES) @ University of Maryland College Park

Michel Cukier is a professor of mechanical engineering and the director of the Advanced Cybersecurity Experience for Students (ACES) program. From 1996 to 2001, Cukier was a researcher at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He joined the University of Maryland in 2001 as assistant professor. His research covers dependability and security issues. Cukier has published more than 90 papers in journals and refereed conference proceedings in those areas. He received his doctorate in computer science from the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse, France.