On Friday, Nov. 7, the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences (CBCS) hosted the Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality in Behavioral Sciences Town Hall in collaboration with the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing.
Julie Serovich, PhD, dean of CBCS, opened the town hall with welcoming remarks, noting that AI and VR have influenced every discipline within the college.
"AI and virtual reality have impacted every single unit in this college 鈥� from the aging population to criminology to communication sciences and disorders and all our behavioral health disciplines," she said. She also reflected on the Mental Health America Conference she attended in October in Washington, D.C., which featured panels on development, academia, and youth engagement in the mental health field.
Lawrence Hall, Distinguished University Professor and associate dean of research innovation in the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing (front) and Chae Jaynes, associate professor in the Department of Criminology, attend the town hall.
Faculty from both colleges presented their research. Projects explored how immersive and data-driven technologies can improve health outcomes, enhance learning environments, and expand access to care for diverse populations.
Speakers included:
- Tammy Jorgensen Smith, PhD, CRC, associate professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies, presented "Delivering Innovative Vocational Education through Virtual Reality Technology (DIVE-VRT) Program."
- Soonhyung Kwon, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Social Work, presented "Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of a Virtual Reality-Based Positive Psychological Intervention on Mental Health Among Older Korean Immigrants."
- Michelle Arnold, PhD, AuD, associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, presented "Using AI Models for Clinical Documentation and Other Supports in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology."
- George Burruss, PhD, professor and chair in the Department of Criminology, presented "Building trust in digital response: The role of chatbots in cybercrime prevention."
- Julia Woodward, PhD, assistant professor in the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, presented "Designing Augmented Reality Interfaces for Adults vs. Children."
- Alison Salloum, PhD, LCSW, professor in the School of Social Work, and Shaun Canavan, PhD, associate professor in the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, presented "Developing an AI tool to assess posttraumatic stress disorder in children."
Lawrence Hall gives his closing remarks at the Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality in Behavioral Sciences Town Hall.
Closing remarks were delivered by Lawrence Hall, PhD, Distinguished University Professor and associate dean of research innovation at the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing.
"There is great research going on and some challenges that you all are attacking," Hall said. "Problems can be overcome, and I think you all are here to overcome those. Faculty want to collaborate, and we want to continue to have collaborations and conversations within our colleges."
Find the town hall program and the presentations to learn more about behavioral sciences research taking place within CBCS and the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing.