Recently, I was speaking with Dr. Alexis Smith Macklin, Executive Director of Carlow鈥檚 Center for Teaching, Research, and Learning (CTRL). She told me a story that鈥檚 stayed with me.
She described a faculty member using LUMI, an AI-powered tool in Brightspace, for the first time. Students in her Foundations of Writing class were struggling with thesis statements; a hurdle for many first years. 鈥淚nstead of spending hours creating extra practice materials,鈥� said Dr. Macklin, 鈥淚 suggested she try LUMI. I watched her eyes widen as her course content was almost instantly transformed into flashcards, practice quizzes, and study plans.鈥�
This led to the faculty member鈥檚 students creating their own personalized study guides and support materials, uploading course content into tools like CoPilot and ChatGPT. These aren鈥檛 the higher-ed applications of AI that tend to make headlines, but they are the building blocks of more accessible future forms of learning.
Alexis summed it up perfectly: 鈥淭he real innovation isn鈥檛 the tech itself. It鈥檚 the way we teach people to use it.鈥�
Redefining Innovation
Every university talks about innovation. But at Carlow, it means something different.
Innovation here isn鈥檛 defined by the size of a lab or the sophistication of our tools, though we鈥檙e proud of both. What makes Carlow unique is how our students learn to harness technology. They gain technical fluency, yes, but they also learn to apply it toward creating a better future for their communities.
Our mission has always been rooted in creating a more just and merciful world. Our values don鈥檛 change just because the tools evolve. Of Carlow鈥檚 five values, Mercy is the heart, and the lens through which we learn to see the world.
You can see Mercy in the way we are preparing students not just to adapt to a changing world, but to lead it with empathy, creativity, and integrity. That鈥檚 the thread connecting every story, every lab, and every classroom at Carlow.
Behind the Scenes: Telling the Story
Earlier this year, our marketing and creative teams partnered with CTRL to produce a video showcasing Carlow鈥檚 approach to innovation. I spent time listening to faculty and seeing firsthand how technology is being used across disciplines.
I walked away inspired 鈥� not just by the tools, but by the human stories behind them:
- In the Campus School, middle schoolers light up as they program robots to navigate mazes, solving real-world problems one careful adjustment at a time.
- In our STEM Curriculum & Instruction program, graduate students learn to code alongside the children they鈥檒l one day teach 鈥� preparing to inspire curiosity and confidence in their own classrooms.
- In business leadership courses, students wrestle with tough questions about AI and automation, exploring how innovation can empower people rather than replace them.
These were the stories we wanted to capture on film 鈥� not just a showcase of what Carlow has, but a reflection of who Carlow is.
Looking Ahead
I keep thinking about the story Alexis told me about the faculty member using AI for the first time. It wasn鈥檛 just about the rush of seeing teaching materials created instantly that would have taken hours to put together; it was about realizing she had the power to inspire curiosity and possibility in her students鈥� lives and help them take responsibility for their own learning journey. That鈥檚 what innovation looks like at Carlow. While the technology itself is certainly impressive, what I鈥檓 truly moved by is the way our students and faculty bring it to life with purpose. It鈥檚 the intention behind every lesson and every breakthrough.
For me, that鈥檚 what makes this work so rewarding. Every time I hear stories like this, I鈥檓 reminded why telling Carlow鈥檚 story matters. Because behind every piece of technology, there鈥檚 a human story. And at Carlow, those stories are shaping the future.
John V. Cardone is 麻豆精品’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications. In addition to guiding Carlow鈥檚 high-level brand vision, he oversees the implementation and integration of the brand story in content and digital marketing, social media, corporate communications, and website development.