Steering Committee
USD’s AI Steering Committee (AISC) serves as the central body responsible for coordinating USD’s strategic direction on AI. Acting as the principal advisory body to the Provost, the Committee is responsible for establishing an AI strategy that is deeply rooted in our mission, values, and Catholic Intellectual Tradition. The AISC is led by Co-Chairs Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives Nicholas Santilli and Associate Provost Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick.
The AISC is comprised of leaders from across our community:
- Saturino Garcia, Associate Professor, Computer Science
- Johannes Grey, Associate Director, Human Resources
- Elazar Harel, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer
- Charlotte Johnson, Vice President, Student Affairs
- Michael Lovette-Colyer, Vice President, Mission Integration
- Megan Mazza, General Counsel
- Noelle Norton, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
- Darby Vickers, Assistant Professor, Philosophy
- Co-Chair: Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, Associate Provost
- Co-Chair: Nicholas Santilli, Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives
Recognizing that AI has different impacts in different sectors of our community, the AISC oversees five key Working Groups which are tasked with reviewing best practices and recommending policies in their respective domains:
- Teaching and Learning
- Research and Scholarship
- The Student Experience
- Catholic Intellectual Tradition and the Human Experience
- Data, Administration, and Operational Excellence
The AI Steering Committee builds on the Joint Senate-Provost Working Group’s Recommendations on Generative AI and is working in alignment with USD’s commitment to academic freedom. As a result, our approach is one of discernment, rather than expediency, collaboration, rather than mandates. By working together, we can ensure that our strategic approach supports the integral development of our community and the flourishing of society.
Read the AISC’s Original Charge.
Read more about the Working Groups.
To learn more about AI at USD, feel free to contact Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick.