Metaverse & AI Symposium at The Beach
Friday, April 17, 2026 | @The Horn Center
Save the date! Registration will open in mid-March.
The 3rd annual Metaverse and AI Symposium offers Beach faculty and staff the opportunity to learn about Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and their use in the classroom and discuss important topics related to emerging technological trends in higher education. Attendees will:
- Learn about how XR & AI can transform teaching and learning
- Connect with colleagues and learn about XR & AI resources available to you
- Hear from faculty who are already using XR & AI at The Beach
- Hear from a student panel about their ideas around XR & AI
- Engage in an open mic session to discuss the use and implications of XR & AI technology in the classroom
Schedule
| Time | Activity | People |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30 AM | Check-In & Breakfast | Office of the Provost Team |
| 10:00 AM | Welcome, Land Acknowledgement, and Provost Introduction | Dr. Shariq Ahmed, AVP Academic Technology Services |
| 10:10 AM | Provost Welcome | Dr. Karyn Scissum Gunn, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs |
| 10:20 AM | CSULB Academic Technology Services (ATS) News | Dr. Shariq Ahmed, AVP Academic Technology Services |
| 10:40 AM | CSU Chancellor’s Office News | TBD |
| 11:00 AM | Microsoft Keynote Speaker | Bruce Thompson, Global Higher Education Leader - Microsoft Education |
| 11:30 AM | Break | |
| 11:50 AM | Session 1: Faculty XR Presentation | CSULB Faculty |
| 12:35 PM | Session 2: Faculty AI Presentation | CSULB Faculty |
| 1:15 PM | Lunch | |
| 2:00 PM | Session 3: DOIT & ATS Demo of AI Tools | Afifa Alawi, Instructional Designer, ATS Chad Harris, Instructional Designer, ATS Kerri Sorenson, Training Specialist, ITS Services Management & Operations |
| 2:40 PM | Closing Remarks | Dr. Shariq Ahmed, AVP Academic Technology Services |
Welcome, Land Acknowledgement, & ATS News
Associate Vice President, ATS
Under the direction of Dr. Shariq Ahmed, Academic Technology Services leads the CSULB campus in leveraging technology that effectively supports instruction, creates learning environments, and supports campus staff to foster student success. Dr. Ahmed delivers and supports educational technology to the CSULB campus community by using innovative practices and technologies to develop effective and accessible solutions for a continually evolving educational landscape.
Welcome remarks
Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs
Dr. Karyn Scissum Gunn joined California State University, Long Beach as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs in July 2021. As the chief academic officer for the institution, the provost provides leadership for all academic matters at the university. The provost oversees the quality of academic processes and works to ensure faculty quality and advancement via her leadership. The provost also works to increase student retention, promote student engagement and active learning, and ensure that students achieve their educational goals.
Symposium Goals
- To bring interested faculty and staff together and provide a space to learn about the metaverse, AI, and current resources to support instruction in the metaverse.
- To explore opportunities for instruction in the metaverse and desired outcomes (e.g., increased student access and engagement, improved academic outcomes, etc.).
- To provide faculty and staff a space to connect with each other based on interest and/or experience teaching in the metaverse.
- Disseminate work in AR/VR/AI at CSULB internally to foster an understanding of progress and achievements to date.
- Encourage participation in future events to discuss the future of the metaverse at The Beach.
Sponsored by the CSULB Division of Academic Affairs and Academic Technology Services.
