Penn State to host policy forum on AI in rural Pennsylvania | Penn State University

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Policymakers, educators and technology leaders will gather Sept. 24 at Penn State’s University Park campus for a forum examining the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) in rural Pennsylvania.

“The Fair Summit: Futures of AI in Rural Education” will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Dreamery at the Shields Building, bringing together about 50 invited participants, including rural school leaders, community advocacy groups, professors and state officials.

Featured speakers include state Rep. Paul Takac, a member of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee; Ranveer Chandra, vice president of Copilot Tuning for Microsoft’s M365 Copilot; Andrew Ko, chief innovation adviser at the American Association of Superintendents; and Jordan Mroziak, education project director at EDSAFE AI.

Funded through the Harry L. Batschelet Chair of Educational Administration in the Penn State College of Education, the organizing committee worked to bring more than 50 representatives from multiple sectors concerned with rural education and rural communities. These representatives include Carissa Pokorny-Golden, director of school leadership at the Pennsylvania Department of Education; Melissa Sadorf, president of the National Rural Education Association; James Scheirer, chief innovation officer at the Pennsylvania School Boards Association; and Bryan DeWalt, senior policy analyst at the Joint State Government Commission.

The forum will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions and group sessions during which participants will identify challenges, develop ideas and formulate policy recommendations. A final session will focus on priority ranking for urgent next steps in supporting rural schools and communities as they navigate rapid advances in AI findings. Recommendations from the forum will be shared publicly after the event.

Penn State has a long history of research and outreach in rural education, and organizers said the forum underscores the University’s commitment to helping rural schools and communities adapt to emerging technologies. By bringing together state leaders, national experts and local practitioners, the event aims to shape policies that ensure rural students have equitable access to the tools and skills they need in a progressively AI-driven world.

The organizing committee consists of Andy Bater, director of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau State Board; Gerald LeTendre, professor of education in the Penn State College of Education; Tiffany Petricini, associate teaching professor of communication, media and communication at Penn State Behrend; and Sarah Zipf, research project manager for Teaching and Learning with Technology.