AI Summit 2026

Dr. Helen Crompton is the Executive Director of the Research Institute for Digital Innovation in Learning at ODUGlobal, Professor of Instructional Technology, and Director of the Virtual Reality Lab at Old Dominion University. Dr. Crompton earned her Ph.D. in educational technology and mathematics education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Recognized for her outstanding contributions, Dr. Crompton has achieved a place on Stanford's esteemed list of the top 2% of scientists worldwide. Her exceptional work in technology integration has garnered her numerous accolades, including the SCHEV award for the Outstanding Professor of Virginia. Dr. Crompton's expertise extends beyond academia, as she frequently serves as a consultant for various governments, bilateral and multilateral organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank, leveraging her knowledge and experience to drive meaningful change in the field of educational technology.

Dr. Tiera Tanksley's scholarship theorizes a critical race technology theory (CRTT) in education, extends conventional education research to include socio-technical and techno-structural analyses of artificially intelligent (AI) technologies. Dr. Tanksley's research examines anti-Blackness as “the default setting” of AI and examines the socio-emotional, mental health and educational consequences of algorithmic racism in the lives and schooling experiences of Black youth. Her work simultaneously recognizes Black youth as digital activists and civic agitators, and examines the complex ways they subvert, resist and rewrite racially biased technologies to produce more just and joyous digital experiences for Communities of Color across the diaspora.