At the University of South Carolina, students aren’t just learning about artificial intelligence; they’re helping shape how it’s used in the classroom and beyond.
Through the Provost Undergraduate AI Fellowship, upper-level South Carolina Honors College students gain hands-on experience with emerging technologies while partnering with faculty to explore AI applications in teaching and research. The Division of Information Technology is providing crucial and innovative AI training and support for participating students, while the South Carolina Honors College is administering the program, which will culminate in a symposium where students and their faculty mentors will showcase their projects.
For the Division of Information Technology, the fellowship highlights how student engagement and academic innovation prepare graduates for what’s next.
“This isn’t just about learning new technology,” said Brice Bible, vice president for information technology and chief information officer. “It’s about how we engage students in meaningful, innovative ways that prepare them for an increasingly complex digital future.”
Turning curiosity into capability
Working alongside faculty, fellows explore how AI can enhance course design, support research and improve learning outcomes, which are skills that translate directly to today’s workforce.
“Working with my faculty mentor, Garrett Pierman, has been an incredibly valuable experience. It’s given me the chance to collaborate with someone who has much more experience in both research, AI history, and teaching,” said Lacy Latham, an Honors senior and AI fellow majoring in pre-law and journalism. “Together, we’re working on restructuring one of his courses that focuses on the development and implications of AI. We want to incorporate more hands-on AI elements to show students how to properly interact with AI.”
Expanding impact across campus
The fellowship’s impact extends beyond its participants. As fellows help integrate AI into coursework, they support teaching approaches that reach classrooms across the university.
In doing so, students build their own expertise while also shaping how their peers engage with emerging technologies.
University leaders see this collaboration between students and faculty as essential to understanding AI’s broader implications.
"I think we’re all eager to see what this program will produce. We know that students and faculty, working together, can make significant contributions to our understanding. What we don’t know is how Artificial Intelligence might accelerate that progress, and what dangers and discoveries might surge into being,” said Steven Lynn, dean of the South Carolina Honors College. “Our students and faculty need to be engaged in understanding and shaping this future, and this project moves us forward.”
This work also aligns with the Division of IT’s broader efforts to support responsible, effective and innovative uses of technology across campus.
“This isn’t just about AI,” said Liz Shirkey, assistant vice president for IT user engagement and experience in the Division of IT. “It’s about adaptability and preparing students for what’s next. By expanding these efforts across campus, we’re strengthening how the university community learns, creates and applies technology.”
Building career-ready skills
Fellows develop in-demand skills, from technical fluency with AI tools to critical thinking about their ethical and responsible use.
These experiences prepare students for a workforce where AI literacy is increasingly essential.
“This fellowship has strengthened my skills in working with AI while also developing my research and course design abilities,” Latham said. “As a pre-law student and journalist, understanding AI is increasingly important, since it’s already influencing how information is created, interpreted, and used.”
A shared commitment to innovation
University leadership views the fellowship as a key investment in the future of teaching and learning.
“The Provost’s AI Fellowship showcases our commitment to preparing students for a rapidly evolving world by connecting them with faculty to advance the responsible use of AI in teaching and research,” said Provost Mary Anne Fitzpatrick.
The university’s broader AI strategy emphasizes coordination between academic and technology leadership.
“Cross-disciplinary AI fluency is increasingly essential for educators and students alike,” said Mark Uline, associate vice president and vice provost for AI strategy. “I am encouraged to see faculty and student teams actively addressing these challenges, and I commend the university for its progressive approach to this initiative.”
By combining student initiative, faculty mentorship and institutional support, the program ensures students are not just adapting to technological change, but helping drive it.
“My biggest takeaway is that AI is still, in many ways, an evolving and not fully understood tool. It’s developing so quickly that even experts are still figuring out its full implications,” Latham reflected. “That’s what makes this fellowship so unique—it’s giving me the opportunity to engage with AI at an early stage and contribute to conversations that are still actively taking shape.”