Title: Seizing Opportunities and Overcoming Obstacles: A Personal Research Journey

Speaker: Alan Lesgold

Abstract: Have you ever had a research dream that seemed out of reach due to insurmountable barriers? In this inspiring talk, I will share my personal journey of turning those dreams into reality and the lessons I learned along the way. From acquiring cutting-edge hardware and software in the early 1980’s for exploring AI in cognitive psychology to attracting mathematically gifted graduate students, I will reveal the strategies that helped me overcome the odds. I'll also tell the story behind securing funding for developing an intelligent tutor for technical work in the late 1980’s, long before its potential was widely recognized. Then, I will discuss how a partnership with Intel Corporation transformed my early, barely functional intelligent tutors into powerful technology that is now, a quarter-century later, being put to important uses – and how that partnership came about. Finally, I will share insights from my current retirement project, which explores the use of AI for understanding open-ended comments from students about their courses and coaching instructors on creating inclusive and effective courses for all their students. Join me as I share the triumphs, challenges, and lessons learned from a lifetime of pushing boundaries. Discover how you, too, can seize opportunities and overcome obstacles in your own research journey.
 

Bio: Alan Lesgold is a cognitive scientist concerned with achieving educational equity using emerging AI tools in this time of exponential change. Initially, Lesgold studied how people learn complex skills, including reading, radiology, and electronics repair. He then developed five generations of intelligent tutoring systems to teach technicians how to solve unexpected problems with complex systems, like machines used to fabricate computer chips. In 1990, he co-founded Pitt’s Intelligent Systems Program, one of the first doctoral programs in artificial intelligence. He received major awards from the American Psychological Association and Educause and an honorary doctorate from Open Universiteit Nederland. With a colleague, Lesgold developed a cloud-based coaching system to guide students in written argument. From 2000 to 2016, he was dean of Pitt’s School of Education. Lesgold has served nonprofit organizations focused on improving education and on work force development and has chaired projects on related topics for the Governor of Pennsylvania and the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. His 2019 book, Learning for the Age of Artificial Intelligence, was published by Routledge. Lesgold currently is senior advisor to Pitt’s Center for Teaching and Learning and a Senior Scientist in its Learning Research and Development Center. He focuses on preparing people to be productive in the age of intelligent systems and on using intelligent systems to improve learning.