Yan Chen joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance this teaching and peer instruction in classrooms. Chen believes one potential use for AI, specifically large language models, is to monitor and analyze peer interactions in real-time. He shared the platform he and colleagues have created to do this, called VizPI, which aims to provide instructors with insights and recommendations to create a more engaging and personalized learning environment for students.

About Chen

Chen is an assistant professor of computer science and directs the Programming with Intelligent Machines and Environments Lab. He is active in the Human-Computer Interaction research community, with projects spanning support tools, learning at scale, real-time data analysis, and computer science education.

Carrie Fearer joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about forest health in the wake of natural disasters. She explained how storms and disturbances affect forest ecosystems, the importance of human interaction in promoting healthy forests, and the opportunities for restoration following catastrophic events. She also emphasized the significance of native species and the role of decomposition in maintaining forest health.

About Fearer

Carrie Fearer is an assistant professor of forest health in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment. Her research focuses on forest pathology, early disease detection, and microbes in tree health. Fearer gained international recognition for identifying the cause agent of beech leaf disease, a new threat to the global nursery trade and native beech species across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Tina Dura joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about subduction zones, particularly the Cascadia Subduction Zone, earthquakes and tsunamis. She explained the mechanics of earthquakes, and how the geological record and fossilized algae are helping researchers better understand past occurrences and predict future ones. Dura emphasized the importance of translating scientific research into actionable information for the public, especially regarding tsunami preparedness and community resilience.

About Dura

Dura is an assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences and an affiliate of the Global Change Center where she leads Virginia Tech’s Coastal Hazards Lab. Her research specializes in subduction zone paleogeodesy, which combines a variety of scientific methods to reconstruct long-term histories of coseismic vertical deformation and tsunami inundation along subduction zone coastlines.