Summer Academy

Opening Executive Table

10:00am - 10:30am
May 12

Executives: Dr. Aysegul Timor, Dr. Huzefa Kagdi, Dr. Leandro de Castro
Location: FGCU, Cohen Student Union Ballroon
Details:
Florida Gulf Coast University President Dr. Aysegul Timor, U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering Dean Dr. Huzefa Kagdi, and Dendritic Institute Program Director Dr. Leandro De Castro all come together to give consecutive introductory speeches to kick off the Dendritic Summer Academy on AI and Data Science.

Opening Keynote - "Is AI Goint to Take My Job? A Historical Perspective"

10:30am - 11:10am
May 12

Instructors: Dr. Leandro de Castro
Location: FGCU, Cohen Student Union Ballroon
Focus:
In this thought-provoking keynote, we will explore the question on everyone's mind: Is AI going to take my job? By tracing the history of technological revolutions—from the Industrial Age to the Digital Era—we’ll examine how innovation has reshaped the workforce over time. Drawing parallels between past disruptions and today's AI boom, the talk offers a balanced perspective on job displacement, transformation, and creation. Attendees will gain insights into the socio-economic patterns that repeat through history, how societies have adapted, and what this means for workers, educators, and organizations in the age of artificial intelligence. This keynote sets the stage for a forward-thinking dialogue about adaptation, re-skilling, and the human-centered design of AI technologies.

"Data Analysis with Artificial Intelligence" (Training)

2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
May 12-May 16

Instructor: Dr. Leandro de Castro
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus:
This training introduces participants to core concepts and practical techniques in data analysis enhanced by artificial intelligence. Through a blend of theory and hands-on exercises, participants will explore the basics of data analysis and how AI methods can uncover patterns, automate insights, and drive decision-making from data. The training emphasizes the use of AI tools for real-world applications in various fields.

Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the foundations of data analysis and its integration with AI
- Evaluate and visualize data insights
- Use data to inform decisions in various settings
- Apply AI tools to analyze structured datasets

"AI Ethics" (Training)

4:20pm - 6:20pm EDT
May 12-May 16

Instructor: Dr. Chrissann Ruehle
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus: 
This session explores the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, emphasizing responsible design, deployment, and societal impact. The training examines real-world cases and frameworks that guide the development of fair and transparent AI systems. The follow-up webinar expands the conversation with a broader audience and industry-relevant insights.

Learning Outcomes:
- Identify ethical issues in AI systems, such as bias and surveillance
- Analyze the societal impact of AI technologies
- Explore frameworks for ethical decision-making in AI development
- Communicate ethical concerns in academic, corporate, or public policy contexts

"AI Productivity Tools" (Workshop)*

2:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
May 19

Instructor: Dr. Leandro de Castro
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus:
This hands-on workshop empowers participants to boost productivity using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and other AI assistants. It covers prompt engineering, document automation, creative content generation, and workflow integration, tailored to both academic and professional environments.

Learning Outcomes:
- Use AI tools to automate repetitive tasks and enhance creativity
- Develop effective prompts for a variety of productivity use cases
- Evaluate the strengths and limitations of AI-assisted work

* Multiple offerings of the same course, content is the same for each offering.

* Multiple offerings of the same course, content is the same for each offering.

"AI and Digital Marketing" (Workshop)

2:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
May 20

Instructor: Dr. Chrissann Ruehle
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus: 
Explore how AI is revolutionizing digital marketing—from personalized content to customer behavior prediction. This workshop covers key AI applications in social media analysis, SEO, targeted advertising, and marketing automation. Participants will learn how to enhance strategy with data-driven insights.

Learning Outcomes:
- Identify key AI technologies transforming digital marketing and evaluate their potential application in customer engagement, personalization, content creation, and campaign optimization.
- Develop practical strategies for implementing AI tools within existing marketing workflows to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
- Demonstrate the ability to assess appropriate AI solutions for specific marketing challenges, evaluate results using marketing analytics tools, and create an adoption roadmap tailored to organizational needs.
- Analyze the ethical considerations and compliance requirements when leveraging AI in marketing initiatives, including data privacy, transparency, and bias mitigation.

"AI Ethics" (Webinar)

4:30pm - 6:00pm EDT
May 21

Instructor: Dr. Chrissann Ruehle
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus:
This session explores the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, emphasizing responsible design, deployment, and societal impact. The training examines real-world cases and frameworks that guide the development of fair and transparent AI systems. The follow-up webinar expands the conversation with a broader audience and industry-relevant insights.

Learning Outcomes:
- Analyze ethical implications of AI across multiple domains using real-world case studies, with particular focus on responsible design principles and broader societal impacts.
- Apply established ethical frameworks to evaluate AI systems for fairness, transparency, and accountability, developing practical criteria for responsible AI implementation.
- Formulate strategies to address ethical challenges in AI development and deployment that balance innovation with social responsibility, preparing participants to engage in broader industry conversations.

"AI for Software Testing" (Training)

May 22 @ 2:00pm - 6:20pm EDT
May 23 @ 9:00am - 1:20pm EDT

Instructor: MS Julio Lima
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus: 
This training explores the intersection of software testing and AI. Participants will learn how machine learning and automated tools can improve software quality assurance by detecting bugs, generating test cases, and reducing human effort.

Learning Outcomes:
- Identify opportunities for AI in the software testing pipeline
- Use AI-based tools for bug detection and test case generation
- Understand the challenges of integrating AI in DevOps
- Assess AI testing tools for various software projects

"From 0 to Chatting with AI in Four Hours" (Workshop)

2:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
May 27

Instructor: Dr. Jaffar S. Hameed
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus: 
This crash course introduces participants to conversational AI. Attendees will learn how to access local chatbot applications using no code or build chatbot applications with Python with minimal code. By the end, they will deploy a working AI chatbot capable of basic interactions and data retrieval.

Learning Outcomes:
- Overview of Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models
- Understanding how conversational AI systems work
- Building local chatbot tools with no coding
- Building and deploying a basic chatbot using python
- Customize chatbot flows and integrate external data sources
- Reflect on chatbot applications in education, service, and business

"AI History: Past, Present, and Future" (Webinar)

2:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
May 28

Instructor: Dr. Leandro de Castro
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus:
This webinar provides a sweeping overview of the evolution of Artificial Intelligence. It explores key milestones, technological breakthroughs, and major paradigm shifts that have shaped AI. Participants will gain a historical perspective that situates modern AI advances within a broader scientific and societal context.

Learning Outcomes:
- Describe major developments in AI from the 1950s to today
- Identify key figures, theories, and technologies that advanced AI
- Understand how AI trends have shifted over time
- Anticipate future directions in the field of AI

"AI and Its Many Faces" (Webinar)

4:30pm - 6:00pm EDT
May 29

Instructor: Dr. Leandro de Castro
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus: 
AI is not a monolith—this webinar explores the breadth of AI subfields, from computer vision and natural language processing to computational intelligence and natural computing. It provides a tour of diverse AI fields, applications and their real-world impact.

Learning Outcomes:
- Identify the major subfields within Artificial Intelligence
- Compare different AI approaches and their use cases
- Gain exposure to emerging and interdisciplinary AI research areas

"How do Machines Learn" (Webinar)

4:30pm - 6:00pm EDT
May 30

Instructor: Dr. Leandro de Castro
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus: 
This interactive webinar demystifies how machines learn from data. Participants will explore the fundamentals of machine learning, including paradigms such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning, semi-supervised learning, and evolution—all explained in an accessible way.

Learning Outcomes:
- Explain the basic learning paradigms in AI
- Understand how algorithms learn
- Recognize the strengths and limitations of common learning paradigms

"Teaching and Learning with AI" (Workshop)

2:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
June 3

Instructor: Dr. Leandro de Castro
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus: 
This workshop introduces educators and professionals to AI tools that enhance teaching, assessment, student engagement, and learning. Participants will experiment with platforms that support instructional design, content creation, and personalized learning experiences.

Learning Outcomes:
- Use AI tools for educational content creation and assessment
- Explore platforms that support personalized learning
- Apply AI to enhance teaching efficiency and student engagement
- Understand responsible use of AI in educational settings

"AI Productivity Tools" (Workshop)*

2:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
June 4

Instructor: Dr. Leandro de Castro
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus:
This hands-on workshop empowers participants to boost productivity using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and other AI assistants. It covers prompt engineering, document automation, creative content generation, and workflow integration, tailored to both academic and professional environments.

Learning Outcomes:
- Use AI tools to automate repetitive tasks and enhance creativity
- Develop effective prompts for a variety of productivity use cases
- Evaluate the strengths and limitations of AI-assisted work

* Multiple offerings of the same course, content is the same for each offering.

* Multiple offerings of the same course, content is the same for each offering.

"AI for Cybersecurity" (Workshop)

2:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
June 5

Instructor: Dr. Chengyi Qu
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus: 
Explore how AI can detect and respond to cybersecurity threats. This workshop covers real-world use cases involving intrusion detection, phishing recognition, and anomaly detection through machine learning and automation.

Learning Outcomes:
- Understand how AI is used in cybersecurity systems
- Apply basic ML models for detecting threats
- Explore the role of automation in incident response
- Evaluate challenges in implementing secure AI systems

"Developing Machine Learning Solutions Using AI" (Training)

2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
June 16-June 20

Instructor: Dr. Vinod Ahuja
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus: 
In this advanced training, participants will learn to design and implement machine learning solutions using modern AI platforms. They will go from data preprocessing to model evaluation and deployment through a guided project.

Learning Outcomes:
- Design end-to-end ML pipelines
- Implement supervised learning models
- Evaluate and tune model performance
- Deploy machine learning solutions using standard tools

"Coding with Artificial Intelligence" (Training)

4:20pm - 6:20pm EDT
June 16-June 20

Instructor: Dr. Vinod Ahuja
Location: FGCU, Holmes Hall, Room TBD
Focus:
This hands-on training introduces the use of AI tools in coding—from auto-completion and code generation to debugging support. Participants will work with platforms like GitHub Copilot and AI-based IDE features to streamline software development.

Learning Outcomes:
- Use AI tools for code completion and refactoring
- Boost productivity in software development with AI assistance
- Understand how AI integrates with modern IDEs
- Reflect on the ethical implications of AI-generated code