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
Schedule At A Glance
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 | Blackburn Auditorium
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Registration, Check-In & Breakfast |
| 9:30 AM – 9:35 AM | Welcome: Howard University Leadership |
| 9:35 AM – 9:40 AM | Welcome: Jerome Johnson II, Director of Professional Services – U.S. Federal, Aerospace & Defense, AWS |
| 9:40 AM – 9:50 AM | Opening Remarks: Dr. Margie Vela, Strategic Academic Initiatives, Machine Learning University, AWS |
| 9:50 AM – 10:15 AM | AWS-MLU Faculty Fellows Recognition: AWS-MLU Team |
| 10:15 AM – 10:45 AM | Plenary Keynote: TBD |
Breakout Sessions — Morning
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM | Early Career/Interns Panel |
| 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM | Senior Leader Panel |
Lunch
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch |
Breakout Sessions — Afternoon
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM | GenAI Hands-On Lab |
Closing Plenary | Blackburn Auditorium
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM | Student Team App Presentations (Top 5 Peer-Selected Apps from Cloud Connect) |
| 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM | Byte-Size Connections Networking Hour (Optional) |
Day 2: September 22, 2026
Amazon Headquarters-2
1770 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202
Distinguished Host: TBD
Amazon Immersion Day
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Breakfast, Registration & Poster Set-Up |
| 9:30 AM – 9:40 AM | Welcome: Dr. Margie Vela, Strategic Academic Initiatives, Machine Learning University, AWS |
Building with Amazon: Campus Collaboration Pathways
| Time | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Poster Sessions
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 10:50 AM – 11:35 AM | Student Poster Session |
| 11:35 AM – 12:20 PM | Faculty Poster Session |
Innovation Table Luncheon: Bring It to the Table
| Time | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch | TBD |
| 1:30 PM – 1:35 PM | Closing Remarks | Amazon |
Optional Tours
| Time | Tour | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| 1:35 PM – 3:00 PM | Amazon AI Experience | Precious Tate |
| 1:35 PM – 3:00 PM | AWS Skills Center | Gerry Brooks |
| 1:35 PM – 3:00 PM | Amazon Headquarters 2 (HQ2) | TBD |
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 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
