|
AAMU Research News & Updates
July 2026 | Vol. 1, No. 10
| |
AAMU Hosts Inaugural Generative AI Boot Camp with AWS/ML & Fellows
| |
Alabama A&M University (AAMU) and the Alliance for AI Transformation hosted a hybrid Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Machine Learning University (MLU) Generative AI Boot Camp—the first for AAMU. The two-day event was held on June 23-24 at the Ernest Knight Center on the AAMU campus. Approximately 150 interdisciplinary educators, researchers, institutional leaders, and IT professionals from across the nation explored the integration of generative AI into teaching, research, and workforce development.
The AI Boot Camp was moderated by
Dr. Calvin Briggs, founder & president of the Southern Center for Broadening Participation in STEM, and led by AWS-MLU fellows and AAMU professors
Dr. Kenneth Sartor and Dr. Yinshu Wu. Other AWS-MLU staff and presenters included Dr. Marjorie Vela, head of Academic Strategic Initiatives for MLU, and Data Scientist Jose Cassio dos Santos.
Plans are already underway for the next boot camp—the Agentic AI Boot Camp— that will be held in Huntsville on September 1-2. For more information and to register, visit https://allianceinai.org/events.
| |
New Regulatory Landscape: Implementation of EOs
In response to the recent Executive Orders (EOs) 14224: Designating English as the Official Language of the United States; 14168: Defending Women from Gender Ideology and Restoring Biological Truth; 14201: Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports; 14173: Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity; 14281: Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy; and 14188: Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism, the university is working on implementing several policies and declarations including the antisemitism and Islamophobia policy, pregnancy employee policy, designation of English as the official language for research outreach and Extension services/activities.
The mission of the University is to promote discovery and create and disseminate knowledge, to expand opportunities for all, and to educate a civil populace and the next generation of leaders. The University therefore strives to foster an environment in which all are included, all are given an equal opportunity to learn and explore, in which differences as well as commonalities are celebrated, and in which dissenting viewpoints are not only tolerated but encouraged. Acts of hatred and other intolerant conduct, as well as acts of discrimination that demean our differences, are antithetical to the values of the University and serve to undermine its purpose.
For additional information, please contact
Dr. James. O. Bukenya, director, Office of Research Compliance at (256) 372-5729 or research.compliance@aamu.edu.
| Forestry Fair Brings Summer Camp Students to The Hill | |
More than 300 students from local summer camps gathered at AAMU for the 11th Annual Forestry Fair. The event is designed to introduce youth to forestry, conservation and careers in natural resources through interactive and hands-on experiences.
USDA 1890 National Scholars, Thurgood Marshall College Fund interns and summer forestry research apprentices from the Department of Forestry, Ecology and Wildlife served as guides and presentation assistants, helping younger students navigate the exhibits and activities.
Also among the exhibitors were staff and volunteers from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System at AAMU. Alabama Extension offers a forestry, wildlife and natural resources program that delivers science-based education to help people manage natural resources sustainably and responsibly. Key topics include urban forestry, wildlife management, and timely environmental issues.
| |  | STEM Educators Attend Launch of HSV-MTEP Regional Book Study | |
Dr. Brea Ratliff (AAMU Department of Curriculum and Instruction) hosted the launch of the Huntsville Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership's (HSV-MTEP) regional book study at the AAMU Welcome Center. The opening workshop was facilitated by Dr. Ratliff, Dr. Johanna Massey (AAMU), and Dr. Sarah Dyess (The University of Alabama in Huntsville), bringing together approximately 25 STEM educators, higher education faculty, and educational leaders across North Alabama.
The initiative continued through June and July with biweekly virtual sessions that supported participants in translating research on culturally relevant mathematics teaching into classroom practice through collaborative discussions, instructional design, and action planning. The book study also functions as an Institutional Review Board-approved research study examining the impact of a collaborative regional professional learning community built around the book study model.
| AAMU Students Join Peers at MANRRS Conference | |
AAMU's Morrison Chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) had an opportunity to showcase research and leadership skills during the 40th Annual MANRRS Training Conference in Dallas, Texas, earlier this year. The trip marked AAMU's eighth involvement in the conference in as many years.
MANRRS Morrison Chapter members also spoke with industry leaders and learned about the various avenues that agricultural professionals can explore to shape their careers today.
| NIH Small Business Program Hosts Business and HBCU Conference on NIH Campus | |
A small delegation of AAMU faculty and staff attended the NIH Strengthening Small Business and HBCU Collaborations to Advance Research Conference from June 30 to July 1, 2026. The NIH Small Business Program Office hosted the event on the NIH Campus in Bethesda, Maryland.
The two-day conference focused on driving biomedical research, expanding federal contracting opportunities, and fostering strategic partnerships among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the private sector.
AAMU attendees: Dr. Jeanette Jones, Dianne Kirnes, Dr. Tyeshea Farmer, and Dr. Ebony Weems-Oluremi
| | | Colleagues Author Manuscript on Recruitment and Retention | |
Dr. Samantha Strachan, Dr. Nathan Blom, and doctoral student Kelli Bain's manuscript titled Recruitment and Retention in Action: A Reflection on the Teacher Ambassador Program was recently published in the Journal of Advancing Education Practice.
As teacher preparation programs across the United States grapple with declining enrollments, institutions such as AAMU are exploring unique approaches to improving university students’ interest in the teaching profession. One such approach is the Teacher Ambassador Program, a student-led initiative that empowers current teacher candidates to serve as leaders in recruiting and supporting others who pursue teaching degrees or are interested in entering the teaching pathway. This piece provides an overview of the Teacher Ambassador Program and reflects on how the program can benefit students and institutions.
| | Doctoral Student Kelli Bain | | | | Newsletter submissions for The Bulldog Innovation & Research Review are due on the first Friday of each month. This can include links to timely online news stories or articles about or published by AAMU researchers, upcoming events and activities, new appointments, new funding opportunities or awards, staff promotions, or other newsworthy topics. Send content to wendi.williams@aamu.edu. | | | | | |
