AI & Agency:
Reshaping Learning
and Work

Naila Catilo

Moderator · Assistant Professor, Theater and Africana Studies · SUNY Buffalo State University

A native of Buffalo, New York, Naila Catilo is a cum laude graduate of Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts program and holds an MFA from the University at Buffalo. She merges artistry and scholarship to tell Black stories in America.

She recently served as choreographer for Black Roots Summer, named Best Theater by the New York Times and praised by Broadway World for her directing and choreography. Her research and performance project “The Movement of Joy” archives stories of Black women’s joy across the country; she hosts the podcast This is Joy on the Alive Podcast network. She is dance director and company member of Ujima Theater, an Interfaith America fellow for the Black Interfaith Project with the Smithsonian African American Museum, and can be found at @naila_moves_joy and themovementofjoy.com.

Dr. Joaquin O. Carbonara

Panelist · Professor of Mathematics; leads Data Science and Analytics · SUNY Buffalo State

Dr. Carbonara holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of California, San Diego, and an M.S. in Computer Science from the University at Buffalo. Born in Venezuela, he was a member of El Sistema (music for social justice); he studied at the University of Florence, Italy, as an exchange student.

His work integrates artificial intelligence into scholarly research and teaching, including new curricula and community workshops on augmented human intelligence. Recent publications address machine learning, large language models, and statistics. He has reviewed grants for the NSF and NIH, co-chaired major conferences, and as principal investigator has secured over $1.5 million in external funding, including NSF support for undergraduate research and professional master’s programs in applied mathematics and data analytics.

Dr. Steven Petersen

Panelist · Professor of Philosophy · Niagara University

Steve Petersen has published on the philosophy of artificial intelligence since 2006. For the past decade his research has centered on the “alignment problem” for artificial superintelligence, using algorithmic information theory to formalize how AI systems represent the world—a technical approach aimed at ensuring AI systems share human-compatible abstractions.

His research has been supported by the Future of Life Institute and the Center for AI Safety.

Angela C. Thering, Ph.D.

Discussant · Instructional Consultant for AI and Technology-Enabled Pedagogy, University at Buffalo · Lecturer, Higher Education Administration and Adult Education, Buffalo State University

With more than twenty years of higher education experience, Dr. Thering creates innovative, inclusive, and AI-enhanced learning environments.

A contributor to the SUNY FACT2 Guide to Optimizing AI in Higher Education, she integrates Universal Design for Learning, accessibility, and ethical AI practices to enhance teaching and learning. Guided by a commitment to equity, innovation, and access, she works to ensure that advances in AI and digital design strengthen, rather than replace, the human connections at the heart of education.

Danielle Ophir

Discussant · UX designer

Danielle Ophir is a Product and UX Designer specializing in human-centered AI design. She currently serves as Head of Product at Recovery Jobs, where she leads the development of AI-driven job placement tools for the recovery community.

Danielle’s work bridges design, technology, and ethics, with experience spanning industries from food safety to addiction recovery. She holds a BFA and BA from Haifa University and professional certifications in UX/UI Design and Front-End Development. Her approach combines design thinking, systems thinking, and behavioral research to create products that are transparent, inclusive, and genuinely human-centered.

Danielle has also led projects for major clients such as Verizon, PepsiCo, and General Mills, and was a finalist in the 2024 Buffalo Emerging Technology Awards in the “Rising Star” category.

Zhen Liu

Conference organizer · Department of Economics, University at Buffalo · Data Science and Analytics Program, Buffalo State University

Zhen Liu works on computer models for automating and testing investment strategies while teaching in the Department of Economics at UB. Experience from 1999–2016 shaped his view that most individuals are not suited to discretionary investment decisions, but can benefit greatly from computing tools and systematic methods. He began learning Python independently in 2016.

Since 2018, with UB’s Computer Science and Engineering Department and Dr. Charles Tirone, he co-created Computational Investment (ECO578 and CSE578). Since 2023 he has taught Introduction to AI in Investment (DSA587) in Buffalo State’s Data Science and Analytics Program. These courses introduce market data, technical analysis, options, and Python-based algorithmic tools through hands-on, project-based work so students can support sound investment decisions and the common good.

Sam Marrazzo

Conference organizer · Chief Innovation Officer, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC)

As Chief Innovation Officer of the BNMC, Sam Marrazzo focuses on the future: driving economic opportunity, positioning local companies for growth, and retaining and attracting young people to the region. He leads efforts to develop an innovative, reliable, and secure information technology environment across the organization and community.

He develops innovation strategy and fosters collaboration with industry, education, and start-ups so organizations can prepare for and capitalize on emerging technologies—helping companies rethink practices and culture as technology reshapes the economy.

Sam’s career spans accounting and supply chain systems, logistics, sales, and transportation, with more than 25 years in IT across Fortune 200 companies including Praxair, Avnet, and McGraw Hill. He has guest lectured at UB and helped bring technology events to the region, including the 2017 TopCoder Open and various hackathons and gaming competitions. He holds a BA in Business Systems from Daemen College and an MBA from the UB School of Management, served four years in the United States Navy, and is a board member of InfoTech WNY.

Rachael J. Webb, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Instructional Innovation

Office of Curriculum, Assessment and Teaching Transformation · University at Buffalo

Leveraging Agentic AI for University Teaching

Agentic AI is moving beyond simple text generation toward systems that can decide and act unassisted. This session will cover how AI agents differ from traditional chatbots, like ChatGPT, and explore what that shift means specifically for university teaching and learning. Designed for faculty, instructional designers, and academic support staff, the session focuses on how agentic AI can be used to support core academic work. The presenter will demo how to create a course-specific agent using ChatGPT and other platforms. The workshop centers on pedagogical intent, academic integrity, and alignment with learning outcomes. Attendees will see how agents can be designed with constraints and instructional purpose in mind: mirroring the realities of teaching, assessment, and student support in universities. We will also explore some threats agentic AI poses to university teaching and how students can use agents to shortcut learning.