CANVAS presentation on autism, AI, and the workforce next week

[Brett Nachman]

Hi everyone,

Join us in one week for our next CANVAS presentation. Check out the details below!

Date: Thurs, Feb 19 at 2pm EST 

Meeting Agenda: Sign up to attend here!

Meeting Link: https://pitt.zoom.us/j/94678534725

Presenters: Ren Butler (PhD Student, Carnegie Mellon University), JiWoong Jang (PhD Student, Carnegie Mellon University), and Dr. Andew Begel (Associate Professor, Carnegie Mellon University)

Presentation Title: Preparing Autistic Students for the AI Workforce: Weaving Technical Skills with Social-Emotional Learning

Presentation Description: As AI becomes more central to society, autistic people risk being left out of AI careers—not because of ability, but because of communication differences and unspoken workplace norms. Many computing programs focus on technical skills while overlooking teamwork and social learning. We describe an NSF-funded program that supports autistic community college students through a multi-week experience combining AI learning, communication practice, and social-emotional skill building, followed by internships. We share lessons from the first year: what worked, what was challenging, and how we adapted in year two. The talk offers practical insights for creating inclusive, neurodiversity-affirming pathways into AI careers.

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Brett Ranon Nachman, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Higher Education

School of Education

University of Pittsburgh

Pronouns: he/him

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