CMC’s Artificial Intelligence & Community Conference: Co-Creating Our Future is free for the public. Parking is also free through the campus. Preregistration is strongly encouraged but same day registration will be taken at check in tables at the Bell Center Community Room as well as the top of the 100 quad stairs through out the event.
To register:
Keynote Address #1
Human First AI Principles
By Cheryl Strauss Einhorn
9 to 10 AM | Room: Community Room
As generative AI becomes increasingly embedded in classrooms and course design, students and educators are grappling with a critical tension: how to take advantage of AI’s speed and fluency without diluting the judgment, context, and expertise that make us human. While AI can support instructional work, it cannot replace the nuanced understanding educators bring to their disciplines and the intention that students have for their learning goals.
In this keynote, we will examine five practical principles that help educators and students integrate AI into their work while preserving what makes them and their learning experience uniquely valuable. The session will introduce these principles, offer examples, and share how to translate these ideas into strong everyday decisions.
You’ll learn how to:
Ensure AI supports, rather than replaces, human expertise and judgment
Use AI thoughtfully in course design, classroom preparation and usage while maintaining clear human goals and accountability
Design learning experiences that remain rigorous, contextual, and meaningful while taking advantage of AI-supported efficiencies
Speaker Bio: Cheryl Strauss Einhorn is the creator of the AREA Method, a decision-making system for individuals, companies, and nonprofits to solve complex problems. Cheryl is the founder of the decision-sciences company Decisive, offering leadership training, curriculum, coaching, and professional development services, and is an adjunct professor at Cornell University. She is the author of the award-winning books Problem Solved about personal and professional decision-making and Investing in Financial Research about financial and investment decisions and Problem Solver, about the psychology of decision-making and Problem Solver Profiles. For more information, check out Cheryl’s TED talk and visit areamethod.com.
A meet-and-greet with book signings will be held immediately after Cheryl’s keynote address. Copies of her book The Human Edge: Smarter Decisions in the Age of AI will be available.
Session 1 – 10:10 to 11 AM
Exploring AI as a Translation Layer for Neurodivergent Thought
By James Stiegelbauer
Session: 1 | Room: 217/218
AI tools are increasingly accessible, but most users engage with them without understanding how output quality depends on the instructions given. This talk explores how AI can function as a translation layer—helping convert complex or nonlinear thought into clearer language for school, work, and everyday communication—without losing the original meaning. Drawing on an interdisciplinary background spanning military service, professional film editing, and current academic work in psychology, the presenter examines both the practical utility and the genuine risks of this approach, including instruction drift, output flattening, and the subtler danger of agency erosion over time. This is a hands-on session—participants will work directly with AI tools in real time, guided through structured exercises designed to make the translation process visible and controllable. No prior AI experience required.
Speaker Bio: James brings an unusual interdisciplinary background to this topic, shaped by military service, broadcasting, film post-production, and current training in psychology. He worked in aerospace maintenance in the U.S. Air Force, then moved into public affairs and broadcasting after attending the Defense Information School, at Fort Meade. His military background included multiple overseas assignments and deployments, giving him experience in technical, operational, and communication-intensive environments. He holds associate degrees in Aerospace Maintenance Technology and Public Affairs from the Community College of the Air Force, a B.F.A. in Film, and an M.F.A. in Film Editing from the AFI Conservatory. After graduating from AFI, he built a career in film and television post-production and taught at AFI, including instruction in Avid Media Composer certification, online workflows, turnover, and finishing. He is currently completing an A.A. in Psychology at Copper Mountain College, graduating in May 2026, and plans to apply to psychology Ph.D. programs in Fall 2026 for Fall 2027 admission. His academic interests include neurodivergent cognition, communication, attention, and the use of AI as a translation layer for complex thought in academic, professional, and everyday settings.
Slow Teaching in the Age of Smart Machines: Resisting Self-Exploitation and the McDonaldization of Education
By Michael Danza
Session: 1 | Room: 219
What happens when artificial intelligence enters a higher education system already defined by speed, metrics, and burnout? This session brings together insights from slow pedagogy, critical sociology, and contemporary critiques of work culture to examine how faculty and students are caught between two powerful pressures: the normalization of misery (“this is just what school and work feel like”) and the demand to love our work so much that we accept overwork and diminishing conditions.
Drawing on ideas from slow teaching, The Slow Professor, The McDonaldization of Society, The Burnout Society, and The Alignment Problem, this talk explores how AI risks accelerating efficiency, standardization, and self-exploitation in education if left unexamined. At the same time, it asks a different question: can AI be aligned with slower, more humane forms of teaching and learning?
Speaker Bio: Mike Danza lives in Joshua Tree with his wife and three children. He has taught sociology at CMC since 2007. He loves this community and believes we need more community-building events!
The Use of AI in the Child Welfare System: Potential Improvements and drawbacks of AI and the importance of human realtionships for individuals impacted by foster care and child and family services
By Kristi Chastain
Session: 1 | Room: 225
With the utilization of artificial intelligence increasing across disciplines, communities, and
organizations, the current presentation explores potential opportunities, drawbacks, and
impacts of AI utilization within the child welfare system and by individuals impacted by the
child welfare system.
Speaker Bio: Kristi Chastain holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Psychology from California State University San Bernardino and a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University. Kristi currently practices as an Associate Clinical Social Worker.
Your doctor is merging with AI- here is how
By Reid Lancaster, DO
Session:1 | Room: 101
We will showcase the everyday use of AI in the primary care health setting as well as speculate about trends to what is to come. Spoiler- it is changing everything and the patient has so much to gain… and lose.
No Speaker Bio Provided
What Does it Mean to be Human?
By Dean Pieper
Session: 1 | Room: 119
Across many cultures, creation narratives often begin not with struggle and alienation, but with an ordered, abundant, and harmonious beginning. Humans live near divine beings, animals are intelligible or peaceful, food is plentiful, death is absent or distant, and conflict has not yet fully entered the world. Anthropologically and psychologically, these stories can be read as expressing a recurring human tendency to imagine a perfect origin and then project hopes for a restored future. In that sense, many creation stories link memory, myth, and utopia, in other words, the best world is imagined as something we once had and might regain.
Some AI futurists are actively pursuing or speculating about the creation of an “all-knowing” god-like entity through artificial intelligence. This vision is rooted in the belief that AI could eventually surpass human intelligence and assume roles traditionally associated with divinity – offering wisdom, guidance, and even salvation.
I plan to examine the question of “what does it mean to be human?” through three books – Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari, and A Hunter -Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life by Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying – in light of the human propensity to the intimacy with God and creation.
Speaker Bio: Professor of History, Anthropology, and Native American Studies
Researching Social Change with AI: Exploring the Evolution of the Boy Scouts of America
By Fawn Cambon
Session: Session 1 | Room: 103
This session presents a behind-the-scenes look at the process of developing a behavioral and social science research proposal using AI as a collaborative tool. Centered on the research question, “How has the evolution of the Boy Scouts of America reflected changes in civic engagement and social inclusion, and how is this transformation perceived today?”, the presentation highlights how AI supported each stage of the research journey.
From refining a research question and identifying variables, to organizing literature, developing methodology, and strengthening academic writing, AI was used to enhance—not replace—critical thinking. The session also addresses important considerations such as bias, ethical use, and maintaining academic integrity when incorporating AI into scholarly work.
In addition to the research process, the presenter brings a unique personal perspective as a former Boy Scout leader and the parent of an Eagle Scout, offering insight into how institutional changes are experienced at the individual and community level. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for integrating AI into their own academic or professional work in meaningful and responsible ways.
(Disclaimer – AI was used to help write this title and description)
Speaker Bio: Fawn is both a student and a Classified Employee at Copper Mountain College, bringing a dual perspective to higher education as both a learner and a professional. She is currently enrolled in Behavioral and Social Science Research Methods (PSY 005), where she is developing a research proposal examining the evolution of the Boy Scouts of America and its reflection of broader societal shifts in civic engagement and inclusion. She is a former Boy Scout leader and the proud parent of an accomplished Eagle Scout, experiences that inform her academic interests and provide a personal connection to her research topic. In addition to her current studies, she has earned eight associate degrees and has a professional background in organizational systems, data management, and regulatory compliance. She is particularly interested in how AI can be used to support research, writing, and learning while maintaining critical thinking and academic integrity.
A Digital Ethnography of Antisemitic Discourse within the Groyper Movement
By Josclyn Vincent
Session: Session 1 | Room: 103
This project represents the early phase of a study examining the digital spread of antisemitism and neo-Nazi subcultures, focusing specifically on the “groyper” movement. By analyzing platforms with limited content moderation, such as Twitter, Instagram, and 4chan, the research explores how extremist ideologies circulate online. Existing scholarship, including work by Daniel Craig Botha on 4chan’s /pol/ board, helps frame the study.
Artificial intelligence was used as a research support tool during this phase. GoogleLLM assisted in locating specific methodological details, data collection information, and findings within academic sources that had already been reviewed. AI was also used to help format the proposal and explore potential sampling strategies. This project demonstrates how large language models can streamline the organization and retrieval of complex academic information during early-stage research.
Speaker Bio: Josclyn is currently completing her AA-T in Psychology and is preparing to transfer to Arizona State University, where she will pursue a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in music. This current research project on digital extremist subcultures is being conducted as part of her Psychology 5 Research Methods course. Looking ahead, Josclyn intends to pursue an MS and a research-focused PhD in Psychology, with a specific interest in researching addiction, attention span, and music cognition.
Session 2 – 11:10 AM to Noon
Introducing Personality Attacks – Praxis, Practice, and Equity in Hacking (Society & AI)
By Brandan Whearty
Session: 2 | Room: 225
As AI systems become more popular at all levels of society and culture, methods of adapting to, challenging, and problematizing both the equity outcomes and central controls of these software packages are becoming more common. One of the fastest growing means of repurposing these systems around moral guardrails and vendor-defined limits is called a “personality attack.” This non-mathematical non-technical session introduces the concept of a personality attack in a simple and accessible way, and explores practical applications of this idea in the areas of AI, education, and social adaptability. Particular attention is paid to the equity implications of personality attacks directed at systems of structural violence in the lived experience of students and faculty during late capitalism.
No Speaker Bio Provided
Building a Generative Art Practice
By Rachel Deane
Session: Session 2 | Room: Art Room
In the age of fast-moving innovation amplified by the introduction of AI it is very powerful to slow down and build practices that reconnect us to our own creativity and human nature. This workshop will not teach academic art concepts; rather, it will invite participants to make art that serves as a relaxation or grounding tool that can be used over and over again when self-regulation is needed. We will ask our inner-critics to leave the room, we will connect with our emotions and unique points-of-view, and we will build sustainable art practices that can act as personal support systems.
No speaker bio provided
Therapists in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Practice, Ethics, and Pathways into the Field
By Michael Danza
Session: 2 | Room: 119
This panel brings together therapists, social workers, and mental health workers to explore a set of open questions about their work in a moment when AI is increasingly part of everyday life. How, if at all, is AI showing up in their practice? Where does it feel useful, where does it feel off-limits, and where are they still figuring it out?
Panelists will reflect on what they’re seeing from clients—especially as more people turn to AI for advice, support, or even something resembling therapy. How do clinicians respond to that? Do they ever recommend these tools, or is the relationship fundamentally different? What seems to work, and what doesn’t?
The conversation will also touch on the practical side of the profession: what the work actually looks like day to day, how people become therapists or counselors, and what students should know if they’re considering this path now. Attendees should come with questions.
Speaker Bio: Chrix Zzyzx, LAMFT is a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist serving the Yucca Valley community. Rachel Holz, ACSW is an Associate Clinical Social Worker serving the Yucca Valley area. Nathen Lester, LMFT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who works with individuals, couples, and families. He serves clients in Yucca Valley through in-person sessions and provides telehealth services to residents across California. Kristi Chastain holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Psychology from California State University San Bernardino and a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University. Kristi currently practices as an Associate Clinical Social Worker.
Potential AI Impacts on Law Enforcement
By Dre Porcher
Session: 2 | Room: 101
AI is changing how people work across nearly every field, and law enforcement is no exception. This session examines how artificial intelligence may affect law enforcement practices and careers through data analysis, reporting, investigations, efficiency, and decision support. It also addresses the challenges that come with adoption, including accuracy, bias, privacy, ethics, and public trust. Attendees will gain a practical, balanced look at what AI may offer, what risks it creates, and why responsible human oversight remains essential.
Dre Porcher is an Investigative Analyst and Marine Corps veteran with more than 15 years of experience in law enforcement, criminal intelligence, and investigative support. His background includes service as a Marine Patrolman, Federal Police Officer, and Criminal Intelligence Analyst before joining NCIS as an Investigative Analyst in 2023. He has supported a wide range of investigations and operations across Marine Corps West and Hawaii, with experience in threat management, cyber-related support, and analytical case work. Dre holds degrees in psychology and applied behavior analysis from National University and is especially interested in how emerging tools like AI can support law enforcement while still requiring strong human judgment, ethics, and accountability. He brings both field experience and analytical curiosity to conversations about the future of technology in public service.
Dre Porcher is speaking in his personal capacity, and the views expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of NCIS.
AI Tools in Math and Science – Examples + Perspectives from Students & Teachers
By Brad Berger
Session: Session 2 | Room: 103
Examples of using various artificial intelligence tools to solve math and science problems will be presented, followed by a panel discussion with students and faculty about the up-side and down-side of AI in an academic environment.
No speaker bio provided
Death Café: Community Conversation on Mortality in the Age of AI
By Lauren Stambaugh, Cathy Jorgensen Itnyre, and Mike Danza
Session 2 | Room: 103
The Death Café movement began in 2004 with Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz, who hosted informal gatherings to encourage open conversations about death. Today, Death Cafés take place around the world in homes, libraries, cafés, and community spaces.
A Death Café is a group-directed discussion about death with no agenda or intended outcomes. It is not therapy or counseling, but a space for open, respectful conversation where people can share perspectives on mortality and reflect on what it means to live a finite life.
As AI becomes more present in everyday life, many people are beginning to turn to it for emotional support, including conversations about grief. Death Cafés predate this shift and represent an established, human-centered way of engaging these questions—raising the question of what might be lost, or gained, as more of these conversations move into digital spaces.
Speaker Bio: Lauren Stambaugh is a resident of the High Desert and works as a death doula and pet doula. She provides end-of-life planning and support, caregiver relief and companionship, therapy dog visits, and guidance on eco-friendly funeral options. Cathy Jorgensen Itnyre has been teaching Perspectives on Death and Dying at CMC since 1990. For many years in the early 2000s she served on the governing board of Hospice of Morongo Basin. She is currently on the governing board of Hi-Desert Hospital. Michael Danza has been faculty at CMC since 2007. He teaches sociology classes, Psychology Research Methods, and Perspectives on Death and Dying.
Lunch/Activities
CMC Campus Club Picnic
Noon to 1 PM
By CMC Inter-Club Council
The 300 Quad
Lunch and Snow Cones provided (first 75 attendees)
Jorge’s Cafe open Noon to 7 PM for food and drink
Artistic Intelligence: Poetry to Art Analog Image Generator
By Chloe Allred & Natalie Raymond
Session 3+ Noon–2 PM | Art Room
This AI-free art workshop session will be hosted by the artist/poet Natalie Raymond and CMC art professor Chloe Allred. In this workshop participants will create art in response to poetry in a variety of tactile artistic mediums (collage, pastels, color pencils, etc). Raymond and Allred will share about their own analog creative practices and collaborating across art forms.
Speaker Bios: Natalie Raymond, MFA, CDMP is an internationally published poet, multi-disciplinary artist, & tech educator based in the Mojave Desert. Her literary work explores the intersection of science, technology, & nature, while playing with imposed forms & experimental structures. She is also the co-founder of a data education company focused on teaching young people foundational data skills.
Website: https://natalieraymond.com
Chloe Allred is an artist and educator based in Joshua Tree, California. Allred graduated summa cum laude from Cornish College of the Arts with a Bachelors in Fine Arts and a concentration in Painting and Printmaking in 2013. She received her Masters in Fine Arts in Painting from Laguna College of Art and Design in 2018. She is a contributing artist and writer for the book, “We Believe You” (published by Henry Holt in 2016) and the cover artist for the poetry collection “Preposition” (published by Undercurrent in 2021.) Her paintings and writing have been featured in Orange Coast Magazine, Huffington Post, USA Today, and the BBC. She is a tenured art professor at Copper Mountain College in Joshua Tree.
Website: https://www.allredchloe.com
Keynote Address #2 – Future Ready or Future Reactive? Literacy, Learning, and AI by Design
Ken Shelton
1–2 PM | Community Room, Bell Center
As school systems around the world race to become “future ready,” one critical question often gets skipped: ready for what, and on whose terms?
This keynote begins where all meaningful educational change must begin — with clarity. What does it mean to be literate in an age shaped by artificial intelligence? What does learning actually require, and who gets to participate fully in it? Before schools can design for the future, they need a foundation that centers participation and empowerment, not just access and efficiency.
Drawing on research, practice, and a diagnostic lens on how AI is reshaping educational systems, this keynote challenges leaders and educators to move from reactive adoption to intentional design. Participants will examine the often-blurred distinctions among experience, feedback, assessment, and evaluation, and understand why those distinctions are not merely semantic but consequential. They will explore how learning design principles can ensure that technology amplifies instructionally effective, accessible practice rather than distort or replace it. Being future-ready is not about having the right tools. It’s about making the right choices, by design, not by default.
Speaker Bio: Ken Shelton is a leading national thought leader on the future of learning in the age of artificial intelligence, helping education systems rethink what teaching, literacy, and leadership must look like in a rapidly changing digital world. Drawing on more than two decades of experience as a classroom educator and learning designer, Ken brings a rare blend of practical insight and big-picture vision to conversations about AI, equity, and innovation. Rather than focusing on tools, he centers people, power, and purpose, challenging leaders to ask not just what AI can do, but what education should be. His work pushes the field beyond compliance and efficiency toward deeper questions of justice, access, and what it means to prepare learners for a technology-driven society.
A sought-after strategist and speaker, Ken helps schools, districts, higher education institutions, and education organizations navigate the ethical, cultural, and pedagogical implications of AI. He partners with leaders to design policies, professional learning frameworks, and systems that position AI as a catalyst for creativity, critical thinking, and inclusion rather than a driver of inequity or surveillance. His thought leadership is rooted in the belief that AI is not simply a technical shift but a civic, cultural, and educational one, requiring leaders to reimagine assessment, authorship, information literacy, and what counts as knowledge. Through keynotes, workshops, and advisory work, Ken inspires audiences to lead with clarity, courage, and a commitment to human-centered innovation.
Ken is the co-author of the best-selling book The Promises and Perils of AI in Education: Ethics and Equity Have Entered the Chat, a foundational text for leaders grappling with the opportunities and risks of AI in learning environments. His influence extends into policy and practice through his service on the California State Superintendent’s Education Technology Task Force and his ongoing collaboration with state agencies, nonprofits, and global education organizations. Recognized with major honors from ISTE and CUE, and as an Apple Distinguished Educator, Google Innovator, and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, Ken is widely respected across the edtech ecosystem as a bridge between educators, policymakers, and technology developers.
Globally, Ken advises ministries of education, international schools, and leading technology companies on responsible and equitable AI design. He serves on multiple Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion boards, helping shape platforms, policies, and hiring practices that center belonging and accessibility. Ultimately, Ken’s work is driven by a singular mission: to ensure that AI expands human potential, strengthens democratic participation, and helps build an education system where every learner is seen, supported, and empowered to shape the future.
Session 3 – 2:15 – 3:15 PM
Critical Hit or Critical Fail? Artificial Intelligence in Role Playing Games
By Michael Danza
Session 3 | Room: 225
This panel brings together longtime players, game masters, and storytellers to explore what happens when AI enters role-playing games (e.g., Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, Shadowrun, Vampire: The Masquerade). Is it a creative ally, a shortcut that changes the feel of play, or just another tool at the table? Panelists will share how they’ve used (or avoided) AI for worldbuilding, art, character creation, NPC dialogue, and improvisation when things go off the rails. The panel will also touch on questions of ethics and creativity. This session is designed to be interactive. Bring your questions, ideas, and skepticism. Whether you’re experimenting with AI or just curious what others are doing with it, the panel will make space for audience questions and discussion throughout.
Speakers: Joe DeSantis, Dre Porcher, Michael Danza, Chrix ZZyyxx, Brandan Whearty, Geoff BrodakSilva
No Speaker bios provided
Democracy and AI
By Nathen Lester
Session 3 | Room: 110
A brief history of democracy and the challenges it has faced, and a consideration of the threats posed to democracy by AI and possible solutions, based on the work of Noah Yuval Harari in his book, Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI.
Speaker Bio: Nathen is a marriage and family therapist (M.Ed., LMFT), and former CMC student, born, raised and living in Joshua Tree. His main areas of inquiry are the development of well-being and meaning in life, and a socially and ecologically sustainable world, using long term thinking and an integrated view of human knowledge.
Conversation Corner: A Compare and Contrast Experience
By Chelsi Chastain
Session 3 | Room: 103
Join us to see how interaction and connection are impacted by generative Ai in an interactive conversation and reflection space.
Speaker Bio: Chelsi Chastain (she/her) serves as the Coordinator of Student Life and Wellness and Associated Students Advisor, leading student engagement, wellness initiatives, and leadership development efforts that foster connection, belonging, and holistic student success. She is passionate about creating inclusive, innovative experiences that support students in thriving both academically and personally.
Using A.I. at Copper Mountain College: A Panel of Students Discussing the Good, Bad, and the Ugly
By Roman Layne
Session 3 | Room: 119
This panel will explore how students at Copper Mountain College are using artificial intelligence in their academic and personal lives. We will discuss the benefits of A.I., including increased efficiency, learning support, and access to information, as well as the potential drawbacks, such as overreliance, academic integrity concerns, and misinformation. The panel will also address the ethical implications of A.I. use in education and how it is shaping the future of learning. By sharing real student experiences, this discussion aims to provide a balanced perspective on the role of A.I. in college today.
Speaker Bio: Roman Layne is a student at Copper Mountain College studying Psychology, Sociology, Liberal Arts: Math and Science, and Behavioral and Liberal Arts: Social Sciences. His academic interests focus on psychology, the impact of technology, social perception, and critical thinking in modern education. He is particularly interested in how human beings think and behave, as well as how emerging tools like artificial intelligence are shaping student learning and academic environments.
Mind, Machine, and Choice: Exploring Intelligence, Agency, and Our Shared Future
By Marci Emily Stonehenge and Nancy Devore
Session: 3 & 4 (2:30-4 PM) | Community Room
This session invites participants to explore intelligence by first examining their own experience of thinking, attention, and agency. Through a brief grounding practice and guided reflection, participants observe how thoughts arise and how a sense of “self” or control may appear. From this shared experience, the discussion expands to consider how intelligence might be understood beyond the human mind, including artificial systems.
Drawing on perspectives from cognitive science and human-centered design, the session also introduces how attention, unconscious processing, and the attribution of agency are studied and understood.
Rather than offering fixed answers, the session supports open inquiry into what intelligence is, how it is recognized, and what follows from these observations. The session closes by connecting these reflections to broader questions about design, ethics, and the kinds of intelligence we may choose to build.
Speaker Bios: Marci Stonehenge is a Mathematics Instructor at Copper Mountain College and a yoga instructor at the LGBTQ Center of the Desert. With a background spanning aerospace engineering, robotics, and advanced mathematics, her work explores how reasoning, embodiment, and technology shape the human experience. Marci integrates cognitive science, philosophy of mind, and contemplative practices into her teaching, inviting students to examine the roots of agency, choice, and meaning in an age of rapidly evolving AI. She is known for creating thoughtful, accessible learning environments that blend intellectual rigor with compassion, curiosity, and grounded reflection. Outside the classroom, Marci is deeply involved in desert community projects, sustainable design, and educational outreach. Her work bridges disciplines: mathematics, restorative yoga, ethical inquiry, and accessible technology to help others engage with both the promise and the challenges of emerging AI.
Nancy DeVore is a business consultant and psychology educator working at the intersection of human behavior, strategy, and transformation. She teaches at the University of Arizona Global Campus and Copper Mountain College, challenging students to think deeper and act with intention.
With a Ph.D. in general psychology from Capella University, she specializes in applied psychology, translating insight into action and driving meaningful, lasting change. Backed by over 20 years of mindfulness practice, Nancy brings clarity and focus, helping others move toward meaningful, lasting results.
Session 4 – 3:30 – 4:30 PM
Use Your Phone to Identify Your Favorite Critters and Plants! A Hands-On Activity Using the iNaturalist, Seek, and Merlin ID apps.
By Brad Berger
Session 4 | Room: 101
A short presentation will be given about the phone applications iNaturalist, Seek (both for plant and animal identification), and Merlin ID (for bird identification).Willing participants will load some or all of these applications onto their phones and the group will then step outdoors for a short walk to try out the apps!
It is recommended that attendees who wish to try out the apps outdoors be prepared for a short walk in the wilder parts of the CMC campus – appropriate outdoor clothing (including a hat) and footwear should be worn. This session is intended for the young (7 and up) and old, and anyone interested in the natural world!
No Speaker Bio provided
D&D and AI
By Joseph DeSantis
Session 4 | Room: 217/218
Workshop with access to computers for you to play around with character development, world building, and bad
puns to embed in your adventures.
Moderators will support participants in phrasing prompts, brainstorming, and game system rules research.
Speaker Bio: Over 30 years of of tabletop role playing game experience as a player and game master. 25 years of experience as a college professor.
Mission Meets Machine: AI’s Role in Nonprofit Work
By Sandy Smith & Janemarie Ofohulu, Basinwide Foundation
Session 4 | Room: 119
AI is moving from experiment to infrastructure. It is completely reasonable to move carefully, especially if you’ve had early experiences where AI output felt unreliable, ineffective, or out of step with your donor’s needs. However, the question is no longer whether to use AI, but how to use it in ways that strengthen trust, deepen relationships, and actually improve fundraising outcomes.
Basin Wide Foundation, established in 1996, is rooted in a simple belief: when locals stand behind locals, the entire community thrives. For nearly three decades, BWF has connected people, small businesses, nonprofits, and local government to resources, funding, and partnerships—supporting everything from scholarships and youth programs to cultural events and community traditions that strengthen the Morongo Basin. This presentation is led by Executive Director Janemarie Ofahulu and Treasurer Sandy Smith, who together help guide the foundation’s mission to improve quality of life and economic vitality across the region.
No Speaker Bio Provided
AI in Advance STEM
By Bryan Ouk-Gutierrez, Eric Cristinelli, Sean Carter, Om Patel
Session 4 | Room 225
Explore how artificial intelligence engages with complex subjects such as Quantum Mechanics, Special Relativity, and Organic Chemistry. Student presenters will examine where AI excels, where it falls short, and how reliable it is in advanced academic settings. We will also highlight the monetary and environmental costs of AI technologies
Speaker Bio: Bryan Ouk-Gutierrez: CMEC Vice President, ASCMC Secretary, NCAS alumni, transferring to UC Berkeley for Astrophysics. Eric: CMEC Secretary, ASCMC Ambassador, NCAS Alumni, transferring to UC Berkeley for Aerospace Engineering, Sean Carter: CMEC President, ASCMC President, NCAS Alumni, Transferring to UC San Diego for Aerospace Engineering. Om: CMEC member, Transferring to UC San Diego for Mechanical Engineering.
What AI Reveals About Us: Why Intelligence Is Constructed
By Dr. Geoffrey William BrodakSilva PhD
Session: 4 | Room: 103
We tend to treat human intelligence as distinct from machine learning, but this talk challenges that assumption by arguing that the intellect is itself constructed. Unlike intuition, which arises through immediate, embodied recognition, the intellect depends on shared frameworks and systems such as language. This presentation suggests that intelligence is something we build together, shaped by the systems we inherit and create rather than something we simply possess. As such, AI does not so much introduce artificiality to thought as reveal and, at times, conceal it.
Speaker Bio: Geoffrey BrodakSilva theorizes at the intersection of games, myth, and radical social change from the Communication Studies department at California State University, Los Angeles. He earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy, Art and Critical Thought from the European Graduate School.
Human Made: Artistic Intelligence
Student Art Exhibition and Howl Open Mic
By Chloe Allred
3:30 to 6 PM | Bagley Room, Greenleaf Library, 300 Quad
This CMC student art exhibition celebrates the creative process and tactile techniques, from drypoint intaglio etchings, subtractive charcoal drawings, to layered oil paintings. The show includes written and visual meditations from student artists on the ramifications of AI-use. This show features only human-made artwork and is an affirmation from student artists on the importance of the creative process free from AI.
Keynote Address #3
The College Built by People . . . in a World Being Rebuilt by Machines
By Leslie Valmonte
4:45 to 5:45 PM | Community Room, Bell Center
Across the country, AI is rearranging what work looks like, who gets entry-level jobs, and which skills earn a wage premium. For community colleges, the question isn’t whether to respond. It is how to lead. In this 60-minute interactive keynote, Leslie Valmonte, Founder & AI Human Systems Architect for Bridge5D, will walk you through the four dimensions of work being reshaped by AI, the latest data on what is actually happening to the labor market, and three concrete moves we can take this semester. Practical. Research-grounded. Built around the question: what do WE decide AI means for THIS place?
No Speaker bio provided
Session Closing Activity
Sci-Fi Cosplay Trivia Showdown
By Kim Martin
5:45 to 7 PM | Community Room
Dust off your tricorder, tune your sonic screwdriver, and fire up your ship’s translator, because this is not your average conference session. The Sci-Fi Cosplay Trivia Showdown is a high-energy, audience-driven sci-fi trivia showdown where attendees compete in teams, earn cosmic glory, and argue loudly about whether HAL 9000 (2001 Space Odyssey) or Marvin the Paranoid Android (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) is the more tragic AI. Questions span Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, Futurama, Lower Decks, Farscape, and the wider sci-fi universe, with rounds ranging from friendly warm-ups to deep-cut nerd challenges. Cosplay is not just welcome, it is enthusiastically encouraged. Come as your favorite character from any universe and join a room full of people who get the reference. No prizes, no pressure, just the undeniable thrill of knowing things.
All ages and knowledge levels are welcome.
No Speaker bio provided