Register Now! AI Collective Monthly Meetup (In-Person) - May

What is the AI Collective?

Hosted at the futurEDlab  on the City Campus, the AI Collective is a recurring, low-pressure, multidisciplinary forum driven by a collaboration between faculty, staff and the IT Innovation + Research team. It is designed for the GVSU community to discover, discuss, explore, and experiment with AI in a low-stakes environment.

Our May Meetup

• When: Thursday, May 21, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
• Where: In-person at the futurEDlab in the Grandview Collaboration Hub (CEC 322, City Campus).
• Recording: This session will be recorded for future reference.

Agenda Highlights

In this meeting, we plan to continue conversations around AI at GVSU. Here is an outline for our time together:

• Community Builder (10 min): A quick icebreaker to share recent AI trials and successes.
• Topic Presentation (20 min): Short, practical case studies led by GVSU faculty, staff, or students.
• "Show & Tell" Demo (25 min): Live demonstrations of tools, focusing on how to use them, analyze outputs, and spot errors.
• Open Discussion & Q&A (30 min): Facilitated small-group conversations to tackle challenges, brainstorm ideas, and foster collaboration.
• Wrap-up (5 min): Key takeaways and a look ahead to next month.

NOTE: Because sustainability has been a topic of high interest within our community, we have secured a guest expert from AWS to present during our May meetup.

To ensure an objective academic environment, please note this session is for educational purposes only. It does not represent a formal partnership or relationship between GVSU and AWS, and the presentation will not involve any sales or marketing efforts. It is simply a valuable opportunity to hear from a global leader in cloud computing regarding the environmental impact of AI and the measures being taken to mitigate it.

Guest Speaker: Tommy Johnston

Tommy Johnston is a Solutions Architect at AWS, where he supports Research 1 (R1) institutions across the Carolinas and the North Carolina Community College System. He is a core member of the AWS Sustainability Technical Field Community, bringing both professional expertise and a personal commitment to environmental stewardship. Tommy "walks the talk" at home with a 7.85 kW rooftop solar array and an all-electric garage featuring a Chevy Bolt EUV and Chrysler Pacifica PHEV. Outside of work, he is a dedicated blood donor advocate with over 24 gallons donated.

Presentation Summary: AI and the Future of Sustainable Computing

As organizations face growing pressure to address climate risk, reduce carbon emissions, and meet sustainability regulations, cloud infrastructure plays a critical role in accelerating progress. This session explores how cloud providers are driving sustainability through renewable energy investments, water stewardship, and energy-efficient data center design—delivering significantly greater energy efficiency and a reduced carbon footprint compared to traditional on-premises environments.

Attendees will learn practical strategies for optimizing cloud workloads and leveraging modern tools to meet environmental goals. Whether you’re interested in the macro-ethics of AI’s energy consumption or the micro-logistics of efficient computing, this talk will show how the cloud can be a catalyst for meaningful impact.

PLEASE REGISTER and JOIN US!

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