CITI BEAT August 2025

FOCUS ON AI

The Adobe Education Team presents:

Beyond the Plagiarism Panic: Rethinking Learning and Leadership in the Age of AI

Free Webinar: Tuesday, August 19 11 am EST

"AI is already transforming the classroom, and in higher education, it’s prompting some tough questions. Should we ban it? Call it cheating? Pretend it’s not happening? This session takes a different route. Instead of reacting with plagiarism panic, colleges and universities have a chance to lead by reimagining how AI fits into teaching, learning, and assessment. We’ll look at how institutions are using AI to foster student creativity, critical thinking, and career readiness, while still upholding academic integrity."

We’ll dive into:

• How to use AI to boost student engagement, faculty innovation, and institutional distinction
• Ways to support faculty in building assignments that are authentic, accountable, and intellectually challenging — not easily gamed by AI
• Approaches that empower students to explain, critique, and stand behind their AI-assisted work (just like they’ll need to in the workforce)
• Policy and guidance frameworks that support ethical AI use — from idea development to research support — without going full automation
• Tactics to preserve and promote critical thinking when it’s tempting to let AI take the wheel

To register, click the button below:

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENING......

IN YOUR CITI

MEET OUR NEW CITI FACULTY FELLOWS!

CITI is proud to welcome our newest team members! After a competitive search among an exceptionally talented pool of faculty, we are delighted to introduce the 2025–2026 CITI Faculty Fellows:

Dr. Bao Maddux joined WSSU in 2022. Prior to her appointment at WSSU, Dr. Bao Maddux earned her Ph.D degree in Statistics at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. With her extensive expertise in statistical learning techniques, Dr. Maddux hopes to facilitate CITI workshops to equip WSSU faculty with practical strategies amid the emergence of AI.

In her free time, Dr. Maddux enjoys running and drawing.

Zaire McPhearson holds a Master of Fine Arts from Duke University and a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts with a concentration in Digital Media from South Carolina State University. She currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Graphic Design in the Department of Art and Visual Studies, where she is committed to fostering creativity, critical thinking, and cultural awareness in the next generation of artists and designers.

She is a multimedia artist, curator, and educator from Charlotte, North Carolina, whose practice spans sculpture, graphic design, textile quilts, photography, and oil painting. McPhearson considers her work a love letter to Black womanhood, centering themes of spirituality, Black resistance, family heritage, and Black culture. Through an interdisciplinary approach, her work reclaims narratives, honors ancestral histories, and reimagines representations of Black identity in contemporary art.

She previously served as a Visiting Professor at Duke University, where she taught photography and bookmaking courses, and as a Visiting Professor at Wake Forest University, where she taught both upper-level and introductory sculpture courses.

Darien Robinson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Justice Studies from Winston-Salem State University and a Master of Crime Scene Investigation from George Washington University. Robinson has worked as a Forensic Service Technician with the Winston-Salem Police Department from 2016 to 2020. During that time, Robinson gained invaluable experience processing crime scenes ranging from breaking and entering to Homicides. Ultimately, during his last two years, he was promoted to Forensic Services Squad Supervisor, where he led a team of five Forensic Service technicians and one Police Processing Technician.

Currently, he serves as a Lecturer at Winston-Salem State University, teaching in the Justice Studies Department. His research interests include examining reliability and best practices of latent fingerprint development techniques.

NEW FACULTY SYMPOSIUM: AUGUST 21

On August 21, CITI will host the 2025-2026 New Faculty Symposium from 3:30 to 5:00 pm at the Center for Design Innovation. The symposium is designed to provide the following for our new faculty:

• To orient faculty to the WSSU mission, legacy, and student experience.
• To build community and support systems among faculty.
• To foster excellence in teaching, research, and service.
• To encourage professional development and interdisciplinary collaboration.

SPOTLIGHT ON:

Dr. Wanda White-Walker

We’re proud to share that Dr. Wanda White-Walker, Director of the Center for Innovative and Transformative Instruction (CITI), has been featured in Education Technology Insights with an article that’s sparking important conversations across higher ed.

📄 Teach the Future Now: How Generative AI is Reshaping the College Classroom and Higher Education

"In an exclusive interview with Education Technology Insights, Dr. White-Walker shares invaluable insights on how Generative AI is transforming higher education, demanding that educators embrace ethical integration, foster critical thinking, and prepare students to partner with technology for future-ready learning" (education.com).

DON'T FEAR...WE'RE HERE!

The Center for Innovative and Transformative Instruction (CITI) is an inclusive, supportive, and collaborative common area for faculty, staff and administrators to pursue innovation and transformation in higher education teaching and learning, including the scholarship of teaching & learning (SoTL).​ CITI will keep you updated on the latest innovative and transformative instructional methods and technologies.​ CITI Team personnel are all experienced college faculty with a strong background in teaching and learning, course design, instructional technology, and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). ​