University of Cincinnati
01/23/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/23/2026 10:27
Register to attend the 2026 UC conference on artificial intelligence and emerging tech
Register to attend the 2026 UC conference on artificial intelligence and emerging tech
Conference takes place Feb. 18 at Tangeman University Center
6 minute read January 23, 2026 Share on facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Print StoryLike
UC Digital Technology Solutions invites current University of Cincinnati students, faculty and staff to attend its AI & Emerging Technology Symposium in Tangeman University Center Wednesday, Feb. 18, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
"AI is transforming the way we learn, work and innovate, and UC is meeting that moment with purpose," said UC Vice President and Chief Digital Officer Bharath Prabhakaran. "This year's symposium highlights the incredible ideas emerging across our campuses and reinforces our commitment to preparing every Bearcat to thrive in an AI-driven world."
This year's theme is "Bearcats AI Ready! Powering the Future of Work, Research, and Learning." The day-long event will include keynote presentations from industry leaders and Bearcat-led breakout sessions exploring how UC students, faculty, and staff are supporting responsible, innovative AI adoption across the university.
Morning and afternoon keynote presentations will take place in TUC Great Hall.
- Morning Keynote, 10:45 a.m. - "From Cloud to Cognition - How AI Is Reshaping the Future of Higher Education and Athletics," presented by Joe Mulford, Principal Business Development Manager, Amazon Web Services (AWS). Drawing on his experience working with universities nationwide-and his prior leadership as Chief Revenue Officer at UC Berkeley Athletics-Joe will share practical insights into how institutions are using AI-powered analytics, machine learning, and generative AI to improve decision-making, personalize engagement, streamline operations, and drive sustainable growth.
- Afternoon Keynote, 3:15 p.m. - Panel Discussion, moderated by distinguished UC professor and the Brian H. Rowe Endowed Chair in Aerospace Engineering Dr. Kelly Cohen, Ph.D. With over three decades of experience, Dr. Cohen has pioneered fuzzy logic-based AI systems that emulate human reasoning, championed ethical and explainable AI, and mentored a generation of students who are now transforming industries around the world. He will lead a panel of experts in a discussion around AI, ethics, transparency, and human-centered design.
Breakout sessions led by UC students, faculty and staff will run concurrently from 9:30-10:30 a.m., 12:45-1:45 p.m., and 2-3 p.m. in TUC meeting rooms.
The DTS AI & Emerging Technology Symposium is free to attend and open to all UC students, faculty and staff.
Event details & registration
Visit the AI & Emerging Technology Symposium app for the detailed agenda, presentation descriptions, speaker bios, and more!
You can also download the symposium mobile app to your iOS or Android device.
Please register to attend in the symposium app. You will receive an automated email from [email protected] with a confirmation code to complete your registration. If you do not see the email in your inbox, check your spam folder.
Keynote speakers
Morning Keynote, 10:45 a.m., TUC Great Hall: Joe Mulford, AWS right arrow down arrow
Joe is a Principal Business Development Manager at AWS, where he works with college athletics and advancement leaders across the United States to drive digital transformation through cloud, data, and artificial intelligence. In his role, Joe partners with institutional leaders and AWS teams to demonstrate how AI-powered analytics, automation, and machine learning can improve decision-making, personalize engagement, streamline operations, and unlock new revenue opportunities across higher education.
At AWS, Joe helps organizations translate AI from concept to impact-showing how services such as machine learning platforms, generative AI, and intelligent data services can be responsibly embedded into existing workflows to support athletics, fundraising, alumni engagement, and student success initiatives.
Prior to AWS, Joe spent more than five years as Chief Revenue Officer for University of California, Berkeley Athletics, where he led innovative revenue and marketing strategies and helped modernize digital engagement models for one of the nation's most visible collegiate athletic programs.
Afternoon Keynote, 3:15 p.m., TUC Great Hall: Panel Discussion, moderated by Dr. Kelly Cohen right arrow down arrow
University of Cincinnati distinguished professor and the Brian H. Rowe Endowed Chair in Aerospace Engineering Dr. Kelly Cohen, Ph.D., has served on faculty since 2007 in the College of Engineering & Applied Science's Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. He also holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and currently directs the AI Bio Lab within UC's Digital Futures initiative.
Dr. Cohen earned his B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. Dr. Cohen's academic career spans more than three decades and combines deep expertise in aerospace engineering with pioneering work in artificial intelligence, intelligent systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). His research interests include responsible and explainable AI, fuzzy logic and genetic fuzzy systems, assured autonomy, multi-agent decision-making, collaborative robotics, and advanced aerospace control technologies.
He has secured substantial research funding from a wide range of federal agencies-including NSF, NIH, USAF, DHS, DOT, and NASA-and industry partners for projects involving UAVs, safety-critical AI, and AI-enabled bio-medical applications. Dr. Cohen's leadership roles include serving as President of the North American Fuzzy Information Processing Society (NAFIPS) and previous interim head of UC's aerospace engineering department.
Questions?
Please email [email protected].
Inclement Weather Plan right arrow down arrow
The DTS AI & Emerging Technology Symposium will be held in-person from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in Tangeman University Center. In the event of inclement weather, the event and all keynote and breakout presentations will take place online.
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University of Cincinnati published this content on January 23, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on January 23, 2026 at 16:27 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]