AWS-MLU Fall AI Teaching & Research Symposium
September 21 – 22, 2026
Hosted by Howard University
A Word from the Organizer
Dr. Margie Vela
Lead for Strategic Academic Initiatives
Machine Learning University, Amazon Web Services
Two Days of Innovation, Collaboration, and Excellence in AI Education
September 21–22, 2026
Howard University, Washington, D.C. (Sept 21) & Arlington, VA (Sept 22)
AI Education and Innovation Focus
Agenda
View All Speakers
Day 1: September 21, 2026
Howard University | Armour J. Blackburn Center
2397 6th St NW, Washington, DC 20059
Distinguished Hosts: Jamila Hashil & Joe Briggs
Opening Plenary
| Time | Session | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Registration, Check-In & Breakfast | Blackburn Ballroom |
| 9:30 AM – 9:35 AM | Welcome: Wayne A.I. Frederick, Interim President, Howard University | Blackburn Ballroom |
| 9:35 AM – 9:40 AM | Welcome: Jerome Johnson II, Director of Professional Services – U.S. Federal, Aerospace & Defense, AWS | Blackburn Ballroom |
| 9:40 AM – 10:00 AM | From 3D Printing to Soft Robotics & Drones: Ongoing Projects at Howard University, Dr. Saurav Keshari Aryal, Senior Research Scientist, Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Howard University | Blackburn Ballroom |
| 10:00 AM – 10:20 AM | Using Data from Diverse Sources to Understand the Health and Well-being of People and Communities, Dr. Anietie Andy, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Howard University | Blackburn Ballroom |
| 10:20 AM – 10:50 AM | Plenary Keynote: Charting a New Course: Our Journey toward Education Transformation, Margie Vela, Strategic Academic Initiatives, Machine Learning University, Amazon Web Services | Blackburn Ballroom |
Breakout Sessions — Morning
| Time | Session | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM | Senior Leader Panel Moderator: Lisa Chandler Panelists: Gerard Spivey, Alexis Robinson, Thaddeus Walker | Blackburn Center, Gallery Lounge |
| 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM | Career Panel Moderator: Karen Ohen Panelists: Beth Gomolka, Toechukwu Udegbue, Chris Hall, Annia Matthews | Blackburn Center, Gallery Lounge |
Lunch
| Time | Session | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch | Blackburn Center, Blackburn Ballroom |
Breakout Sessions — Afternoon
| Time | Session | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM | GenAI Hands-On Lab: Amazon Black Employee Network – Tech Chapter (BEN-Tech) | Blackburn Center, Gallery Lounge |
Closing Plenary
| Time | Session | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM | Gen AI Shark Tank: Michael Hoggard, Senior Life Cycle Recruiter, Amazon University Talent Acquisition & Student Teams | Blackburn Ballroom |
| 4:00 PM - 4:10 PM | Closing Remarks: Thansha Sadacharam, Senior Manager, Software Builder Experience, Amazon Web Services | Blackburn Ballroom |
| 4:10 PM – 4:40 PM | Byte-Size Connections Networking Hour | Blackburn Ballroom |
| 4:40 PM | Tour Options |
Day 2: September 22, 2026
Amazon Headquarters-2
1770 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202
Distinguished Host: Jamila Hashil & Joe Briggs
Morning
| Time | Session | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Registration and check-in | WAS-16 Lobby |
| 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Breakfast | Cafe, 13th Floor |
| 9:30 AM – 9:40 AM | Welcome Remarks: Dr. Margie Vela, Strategic Academic Initiatives, Machine Learning University, AWS |
Building with Amazon: Campus Collaboration Pathways
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 9:40 AM – 9:50 AM | Career Choice: Yuanxia Ding |
| 9:50 AM – 10:20 AM | AWS Developer Experience: Lisa Bagley |
| 10:20 AM – 10:50 AM | Amazon BEN-Tech in Higher Education: Willie Mays & Lisa Chandler |
| 10:50 AM – 10:55 AM | Poster Session Intro: Joi Spears |
Poster Sessions (Hors d’evours provided)
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 10:55 AM – 11:15 AM | Group 1 |
| 11:15 AM – 11:35 PM | Group 2 |
| 11:35 AM – 11:55 PM | Group 3 |
| 11:55 AM – 12:15 PM | Group 4 |
Lunch
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 12:15 PM – 1:10 PM | Lunch |
Afternoon
| Time | Session | |
|---|---|---|
| 1:10PM – 1:40 PM | Amazon Internships: Michael Hoggard & Antionna Sudor | |
| 1:40 PM – 2:05 PM | Faculty Recognition Ceremony: Faculty Fellows & Certified (AI Practitioner/Cloud Practitioner) | |
| 2:05 PM – 2:10 PM | Closing Remarks: Dr. Vita Pickrum, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of the Foundation, Oklahoma City Community College |
Optional Tours
| Time | Tour |
|---|---|
| 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | AI Experience Center @ HQ2: Precious Tate |
| 2:10 PM – 3:30 PM | AWS Skills Center: Gerry Brooks |
| 2:10 PM – 3:30 PM | HQ2: Guided Tours |
Last updated 9/16/2026. Schedule subject to change.
Key Experiences
Student & Faculty Research Showcase
Explore innovative research through our poster session during Tuesday’s Amazon Immersion Day, highlighting the impact of AWS-MLU faculty on teaching and research excellence across HBCUs, community colleges, and universities nationwide.
Exclusive Amazon Tours
Choose from multiple tour options showcasing Amazon Headquarters in Arlington:
- Amazon Web Services AI Experience
- Amazon Web Services Skills Center
- Amazon Headquarters 2
AWS-MLU Faculty Fellows Recognition Ceremony
Join us for a special ceremony honoring outstanding AWS-MLU Faculty Fellows contributions to AI education.
Build Amazon Campus Collaborations:
- Amazon BEN-Tech Collaborations
- Amazon Web Services Builder Centers
- Amazon Career Choice
Participate in the Symposium
Participation is open to invited students, faculty, educators, academic leaders, and collaborators across the AWS-MLU learning ecosystem.
Students
from HBCUs, Community Colleges & Other Higher Education Institutions
pursuing degrees in AI, machine learning, data science, and computer science
in non-technical disciplines exploring AI applications in their fields (business, healthcare, education, social sciences, STEM)
interested in careers at Amazon and AWS
engaged in undergraduate or graduate research involving AI
seeking AWS hands-on cloud experience
Faculty & Administrators
from HBCUs, Community Colleges & Other Higher Education Institutions
AWS-MLU Educators Consortium and Transformation Alliance Members
Educators teaching AI courses
Academic leaders focused on technology innovation
Researchers in artificial intelligence and machine learning
Industry Professionals
from Amazon & Amazon Web Services (AWS)
team members
AI practitioners seeking academic collaborations
technology leaders committed to inclusive innovation
Distinguished Scientists
