Below are the concept outlines that have been invited to submit proposals to the ICC Call for Workshop Proposals. Of 116 concept outlines received, the following 37 were invited for proposals.
To help proposers and others find teams that working in a geographic area of interest, we have done our best to group proposals below within one of the eleven GSA regions1, plus distributed communities of practice (DCoP). This is for convenience only. Proposals should continue to develop and use their own regional definitions as needed and may reach out to any team to explore collaboration.
Great Lakes | |
 |
Design Creativity as a Launchpad for Student Innovative Technology Pathways in the Rural Northern Midwest Mary Raber (PI), Michigan Technological University Ilya Avdeev, d.School Adrienne Minerick, Michigan Technological University Jennifer Gutzman, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Michigan Technological University, in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, proposes to host an innovative workshop series to help establish a distributed innovation ecosystem for rural educational institutions, including community colleges and trade schools. The workshops will engage students, educators, and administrators to transform perspectives on innovative careers. Proposed workshop region: Rural Northern Midwest Contact: minerick@mtu.edu |
 |
Design Justice: using design justice principles to shift power in the creation of community technology in Detroit. Nour Arafat (PI), Design Justice Network Wes Taylor, Wayne State / Talking Dolls Detroit is a deeply creative city that holds a history of community resilience and resistance to exploitation; Detroit is also the birthplace of the Design Justice principles. We envision gathering community-workers, artists, designers, and researchers to map local power dynamics, towards creating roadmaps for community conceived and accountable technology development in Detroit. Proposed workshop region: Detroit / Midwest Contact: westiv@gmail.com |
 |
Haven’t We Learned Anything? Proactive Steps to Decolonize Emergent Technology Development John Marshall (PI), Michigan Central Center for Mobility and Society Lauren Ruffin, Arizona State University Proposed workshop region: East North Central Region Contact: lauren.ruffin@michigancentral.com |
Greater Southwest | |
 |
Creative Cred: Defining and Recognizing the Mindsets and Skillsets of Houston’s Future Innovators Jordan Carswell (PI), Houston Community College Robin Nagy, Houston Community College Jose Avalos, Tech23 and Houston Impact Hub Michelle Avalos, Tech23 and Houston Impact Hub We will unite Texas educators, creatives, and industry leaders to reach collaborative consensus on the innovative mindsets and skillsets necessary for creative problem solvers. We will generate a recommendation for a widely-recognized microcredential that recognizes the development of creative confidence and an innovative mindset in our community college students. Proposed workshop region: Houston, southeast Texas Contact: jordan.carswell@hccs.edu |
 |
Indigenous Pathways to Planning Sustainable Futures Alice Loy (PI), Creative Startups Theodore Jojola, University of New Mexico Dave Hanson, University of New Mexico Lee Francis, Native Realities Native American societies harbor profound expertise with respect to sustainable community planning, design, and management. Our workshop aims to catalyze a national network of Indigenous leaders, technologists, and community planners working collaboratively to invent and scale up technologies and community engagement processes grounded in Native knowledge, addressing climate change. Proposed workshop region: New Mexico, Arizona, Utah Contact: tjojola@unm.edu |
Heartland Region | |
| Integrating Arts and Culture into KC’s Critical Materials and Biologics Ecosystems Aaron Deacon (PI), KC Digital Drive Brian Frehner, University of Missouri-Kansas City Bob Bennett, Cities Today Institute Proposed workshop region: Kansas City metro Contact: adeacon@kcdigitaldrive.org | |
 |
One Health + Biotech: Futuring Well-being in the Heartland Ash Eliza Smith (PI), Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Elizabeth VanWormer, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Mark Beam, beaming – a future architecture studio Julia McQuillan, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Biotech innovations hold great potential to improve the health and wellbeing of humans, animals, plants and ecosystems, thus integrating community stakeholders into discovery processes is key to maximizing benefits and minimizing risks. Using collective futuring, we will weave regional narratives and intelligences into a responsible design research and innovation framework. Proposed workshop region: Heartland Region, including Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri Contact: ash.e.s@unl.edu |
Mid-Atlantic | |
| Appalachian Futures: Exploring Arts, Culture, and Technology Pathways for Sustainability Garrett Blaize (PI), Appalachian Community Fund Taysha DeVaughan, Alliance for Appalachia This workshop unites 60-75 Appalachian experts to merge art, culture, ecological knowledge, and technology, emphasizing Technologies for Remembrance, Care, Restoration, and Community. It aims for sustainable innovations through collaborations, enhancing regional community resilience and cohesion. Proposed workshop region: Central Appalachia Contact: ricki@appalachiancommunityfund.org | |
| Bi-Directional Futures: Creative and Technological Possibilities as Urban and Rural Opportunities Mallika Bose (PI), Pennsylvania State University B Stephen Carpenter, II, Penn State Jason Geary, Rutgers University Through a partnership between Penn State and Rutgers, we propose a workshop grounded in humanities, design, and arts-centered approaches integrated with technological innovation and geared towards creating sustainable economic ecosystems in urban and rural communities. We will foster interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation, leading to new ways of tackling complex phenomena. Proposed workshop region: Mid Atlantic region (DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA) Contact: mub13@psu.edu | |
New England | |
| Leveraging Local Talent to Draw Young Entrepreneurs into STEAM Kathryn Jessen Eller (PI), East Bay Educational Collaborative of Rhode Island Brandy Jackson, Scoutlier of Aecern We will introduce young Rhode Island entrepreneurs to bio-solutions for solving AI problems like data storage and energy consumption. In multigenerational workshops, engineers and artists will explore using marine systems as solutions. This initiative has the potential to diversify the STEM workforce and generate innovative, sustainable methods for energy-intensive AI. Proposed workshop region: Southern New England, Rhode Island Contact: kathryn.eller@ebecri.org | |
| Threads of Inquiry: The Science and Art of Textiles in the Greater Boston Area Noah Toyonaga (PI), Harvard University Beatrice Steinert, Harvard University “Threads of Inquiry” will explore how scientists, engineers, artists and designers can achieve deeper cross-disciplinary literacy and initiate collaborations across communities. Our program will bring together scientists and artists for two single-day intensives: first, a workshop on materiality, textile culture and history, and second, prototyping sessions and scientific research panels. Proposed workshop region: Greater Boston Area Contact: toyonaga@g.harvard.edu | |
Northeast | |
 |
Black STEA2M Ecologies as a Technology of Social Justice: A Workshop on Culture, Place and Technology to Sustain Personal and Societal Wellness John Henry Thompson (PI), New York University Justin A. Coles, University of Massachusetts Amherst The workshop explores technology as working with (and not in opposition to) Black communities to birth unique STEA2M ecologies that advance cultural sustainability and wellness by: blending Black arts and science to re/imagine technological possibilities grounded in creation and documenting the ways technological innovation can assist Black communities’ overall wellness. Proposed workshop region: Brooklyn, New York City Contact: jht9629@nyu.edu |
| Decolonizing Poetic Computation Across the Nation Neta Bomani (PI), School for Poetic Computation (SFPC) Tega Brain, New York University This workshop will merge technical knowledge with political and theoretical critique/analysis by examining the history of computation through a decolonial lens and exploring how constructs of identity are mediated through technological systems. Technologists and theorists are invited to challenge their skills and frameworks witgub a larger effort to merge disciplines traditionally taught separately. Proposed workshop region: Based in NYC and online Contact: info@sfpc.study | |
 |
Developing Dramaturgical Strategies for AI and AR alongside NYC’s Contemporary Performance Scene Bertie Ferdman (PI), The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY) Peter Eckersall, City University of New York Julia Stoyanovich, New York University We aim to understand how intermedial practices in NYC’s Contemporary Performance scene serve as incubators for new media ecologies. How can we optimize access, transparency and future world-building? With stakeholders from Performance, Computer Engineering, Data Science, and Experimental Media, our workshop will be a hands-on inquiry into this emerging superfield. Proposed workshop region: NYC metro area, including all five boroughs, and participants from NY state Contact: peckersall@gc.cuny.edu |
 |
Innovation in the Performing Arts: New Modalities of Cultural Creation and Preservation Deborah Estrin (PI), Cornell Tech Eduardo Vilaro, Ballet Hispánico Emergent technologies have the potential to empower regional diasporic communities with visceral access to their cultural narratives—seeing, feeling, and activating untold stories. This collaborative workshop will explore the affordances of Generative AI, XR, and other multimodal technologies to transform creative, preservation, and pedagogical practices in the performing arts. Proposed workshop region: New York Region Contact: mjb556@cornell.edu |
| New York Women in Film & Television: Human Centered AI & Content Production in the New York Region Workshop Maud Kersnowski-Sachs (PI), New York Women in Film & Television Cynthia López, NYWIFT Dorothy Bennet, New York Hall of Science Neyda Martinez, The New School Kim Jackson, Evotion Media Leslie Fields-Cruz, Black Public Media Leveraging the discussion of practice, innovation, and policy at NYWIFT 5th Summit: Creative Sustainability in the Age of AI, this workshop focuses on outlining the opportunities and challenges of creating and supporting a community AI-engaged storytellers in New York, drawing on the region’s extensive community of emerging and established creatives. Proposed workshop region: New York Region Contact: info@nywift.org | |
Northwest/Arctic | |
 |
AI for Oregon: Fostering Innovation and Creativity Shawna Lipton (PI), Pacific Northwest College of Art at Willamette University Jameson Watts, Willamette University Megan McKissack, Pacific Northwest College of Art Calvin Deutschbein, Willamette University “AI for Oregon: Fostering Innovation and Creativity” is a collaborative event where artists, designers, technical experts, and researchers explore AI’s changing role in art, design, and creative industries. It aims to discover innovative AI applications in the creative sector and harness AI’s potential to positively impact Oregon communities. Proposed workshop region: Portland, Oregon and surrounding areas including Beaverton, Salem, and Eugene Contact: slipton@willamette.edu |
 |
Eco-Innovations across the border: AI, Indigenous Knowledge, Environmental Science, Communications & Stewardship of the Salish Sea and Pacific Northwest Dustin O’Hara (PI), Western Washington University Ginny Broadhurst, Western Washington University Cindy Elliser, Western Washington University Dustin O’Hara, Western Washington University Brian Hutchinson, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Set in the Salish Sea, the workshop will focus on resilience and hope in the face of environmental and climate crises. It will convene diverse stakeholders, including Indigenous leaders, environmental scientists & scholars, and AI researchers & technologists, to discuss strategies for data sharing and modeling, to support sustainable development, conservation, and environmental storytelling and public communications. Proposed workshop region: Pacific Northwest & the Salish Sea Contact: oharad@wwu.edu |
 |
Not-So-Speculative Design of the Future: Technology-Based Artist Leadership for Cross-Industry Innovation Julia Bruk (PI), Future Arts Anna Czoski, Future Arts Orlando de Lange, SoundBio Lab We invite researchers and leaders in academia, technology, and creative practices to examine opportunities and novel approaches centered around breakthrough biomaterials. The twist? Technology-based artists will lead cross-industry dialogue through a speculative design framework, fueling analogous thinking to humanize products of the future and encourage cross-industry collaboration. Proposed workshop region: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metro Region Contact: hello@futurearts.co |
Pacific Rim | |
 |
A Framework for Building Innovation Warriors Danielle Boyer (PI), The STEAM Connection Kevin Villanueva, Lucid Skies, LLC Empowering Indigenous communities with the skills to launch businesses rooted in advanced technology solutions with the objective to cultivate leaders’ self-determination and sovereignty through building new technology to address pressing challenges. The workshops explore The STEAM Connection’s community-centered innovations in Indigenous software and robotics, which have reached over 800,000 people. Proposed workshop region: Southern California Contact: media@steamconnection.org |
| Building a Sustainable Future for Live Events through Interactive and Immersive Experiences Faith ‘Aya’ Umoh (PI), Creative Aya Mikhael Tara Garver, Culture House Immersive Through hands-on workshops, Building a Sustainable Future for Live Events demystifies immersive & interactive technology for California’s spectrum of creative industry leaders. By proposing a new sustainable business model, we aim to equip leaders with strategies on leveraging narrative immersive experiences to drive social impact and economic empowerment. Proposed workshop region: California Contact: aya@creativeaya.ai | |
| Community Graphics: Emancipatory digital worldbuilding in distributed communities-of-practice Sammie Veeler (PI), Virtual Access Lab Nat Decker, Cripping_CG Cielo Saucedo, Cripping_CG Olivia Dreisinger, Cripping_CG Community Graphics will introduce the perspectives of digital world building practitioners engaged in community archiving and critical framings of creative technology. Technical tutorials will practically support meaningful participation in an emerging XR praxis. Collaborators include Cripping_CG, a disability led digital asset archive, and AM Darke’s Open Source Afro Hair Library. Proposed workshop region: California Contact: sammie@newart.city | |
 |
Cultural Tourism in Southern Nevada: New Technologies and Creative Workforce Marta Soligo (PI), William F. Harrah College of Hospitality – University of Nevada, Las Vegas Lizette Guillen, Nevada Partners, Inc. UNLV and Nevada Partners, Inc. propose a workshop centered around the use of new technologies to support the transformation of Southern Nevada as an inclusive, diverse cultural tourism hub. This establishes an innovative ecosystem building on local heritage—especially the region’s history, arts, and entertainment—with future sustainability. Proposed workshop region: Historic Westside (neighborhood in Las Vegas) Contact: marta.soligo@unlv.edu |
 |
Digital Mentorship: Bridging the AI Gap for an Evolving California Workforce Kevin Clark (PI), Dakar Foundation Valorie Jones, StoryFile Mentorship programs have long been testbeds for skill transfer, knowledge sharing, and guidance. As traditional employment patterns have been disrupted by automation and artificial intelligence, our workshop will bring together diverse government, community, and technology organizations to analyze AI risks, brainstorm innovative solutions, and reinvent mentorship in a digital world. Proposed workshop region: Greater Los Angeles Contact: kevinclark@dakarfoundation.org |
 |
Engineering Creative Technologies & Cultural Connections for Water Justice Michelle Glass (PI), Dolores Huerta Foundation with Public Art & Social Practice Artist Michelle Glass Vivian Underhill, The Colorado School of Mines Drought, pesticides, groundwater overdraft, and chemical impacts from oil drilling are all serious threats to our water and our health. We propose to convene a workshop on how community-based groups and allied researchers across Central California can leverage developing technologies to broaden and deepen their work toward water and environmental justice. Proposed workshop region: Central Valley California, Kern County Contact: mroseglass@gmail.com |
 |
Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Creative Computational Media: Building a Sustainable Innovation Ecosystem across the Pacific Rim Jason Leigh (PI), University of Hawaii at Manoa Kamuela Enos, University of Hawaii Chris Lee, Academy for Creative Media This workshop will investigate critical research and innovations that merge Creative Computational Media (CCM) and Indigenous Knowledge. Utilizing Indigenous informed frameworks of ideation to engage partners across the Pacific Rim, this workshop will deconstruct the practice of design and evaluation of emerging creative technologies through the prism of ancestral wisdom. Proposed workshop region: Pacific Rim Contact: leighj@hawaii.edu |
 |
Social Currency and Media Innovation: Taking Your Creative Skills In The Digital Economy To The Next Level (NXT LVL) Rashidi Jones (PI), TEC Leimert Dawn Comer, City of Los Angeles TEC Leimert, a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles, values the creative economy and its contribution to innovation and culture around the globe. We will host a workshop focusing on sustainable career pathways that leverage technological advancements and data analytics in creative spaces e.g. fashion, gaming, music, and content creation. Proposed workshop region: Leimert Park, South Los Angeles Contact: admin@tecleimert.org |
Rocky Mountain | |
| Creating Culture with Technology on Colorado’s Front Range Christopher Coleman (PI), Clinic for Open Source Arts, University of Denver Sharifa Moore, Denver Digerati This workshop will build collaborations that address inequalities in STEM using creativity and digital culture as a vehicle for technological innovation. Our region is primed for this imperative conversation which will bring together established cross-sector communities working at the intersections of art, science, and technology. Proposed workshop region: North Central Colorado Urban Area Contact: christopher.coleman@du.edu | |
 |
Imagining Place and Change in the Upper Colorado River Basin – AI, Water, and the Future of the Rural West Kelsey Hall (PI), Utah State University Amy Haas, Colorado River Authority of Utah Brian Steed, Utah’s Great Salt Lake / Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water & Air Roslynn McCann, Utah State University Stacia Ryder, Utah State University Matthew Yost, Utah State University This workshop facilitates place-based conversations about the UCRB between community leaders, Colorado River authority leaders, elders, farmers, AI experts, policy-makers, artists, designers, musicians, and writers. It enables scientific and creative sectors to collaborate through AI-enabled place-making exercises and the development of sociotechnical imaginaries that inform the future of the UCRB. Proposed workshop region: Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB) and parts of the Navajo Nation (USGS, 2016) Contact: kelsey.hall@usu.edu |
Southeast Sunbelt | |
| AI Opportunities and Threats (OT) in the Creative Industries Robert Joseph (PI), Team Mindshift Gregory Henley, Nexxt Productions, Inc. Investigate AI’s OT in legal, ethical, production, and content creation and expand diverse community usage. The format will be speakers/panels coupled with breakout sessions with each attendee developing relevant actionable uses of the ideas expressed, fostering economic growth, informing the report on needs, while providing actionable ideas. Proposed workshop region: Atlanta MSA Contact: robert.joseph@teammindshift.com | |
 |
Cultural Catalysts: Igniting Technological Advancements through Mississippi’s Creative Heritage Brittany Myburgh (PI), Jackson State University Von Gordon, Alluvial Collective Rico Chapman, Jackson State University Craig A. Meyer, Jackson State University Mark Geil, Jackson State University David Collins, Innovate Mississippi “Cultural Catalysts” explores integrating Mississippi’s cultural sector and heritage into developing pre-commercial technologies and new creative engagements via generative AI and digital humanities. It aims to merge cultural insights with innovation, addressing the digital divide and fostering an inclusive, ethical tech ecosystem that enhances community connectivity and promotes economic growth. Proposed workshop region: Mississippi Contact: brittany.myburgh@jsums.edu |
 |
Digital Identity Exploration: Creating and Understanding Avatars in Virtual Worlds Elizabeth Strickler (PI), Georgia State University Jeasy Sehgal, Georgia State University Mushinah Morris, Morehouse University Candice Alger, Georgia State University Annie Eaton, Futurus This workshop aims to expand Georgia’s innovation ecosystem. Focused on avatar scanning and digital twinning, participants will delve into its applications, societal impacts, and ethical considerations. Experiencing digital twinning first-hand, attendees will gain insights into the complexities of digitizing human identity, fostering pre-commercial innovation and translational research involving responsible technology use. Proposed workshop region: Southeast, Georgia, Atlanta Contact: eli@gsu.edu |
| Dreaming of Black Artificial Intelligent Ecosystems through Black Joy, Black Cultural Arts & Black Community Anchor Institutions Workshop Fallon Wilson (PI), #BlackTechFutures Research Institute Isaac McCoy, Stillman College The workshop will explore how Black Joy can be harnessed to build unbiased data sets and large language models ensuring Black people are honored by machines while also being a type of heuristical frame for democratizing artificial intelligence futures among various Black communities who are not connected to STEM, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligent conversations. Proposed workshop region: Southeast regions of the U.S Contact: fallon@blacktechfutures.com | |
 |
EmpowerSTEM: Collaborative Solutions for an Inclusive Future Brandi Stroecker (PI), Tennessee STEM Innovation Network – Battelle Audra Block, Tennessee Department of Education Joy Rich, Nissan Motor Corporation EmpowerSTEM strives to create an inclusive innovation ecosystem in Tennessee by uniting industry, educators, and researchers to inspire diverse participation in STEM fields. Through collaboration and a focus on creativity, we aim to cultivate a vibrant community that fosters breakthroughs, nurtures talent, and advances society toward an inclusive and sustainable future. Proposed workshop region: Tennessee’s 95 county region Contact: stroecker@battelle.org |
Distributed Community of Practice (DCoP) | |
| Creative Open Access (OA) for Digital Publishing and Media Innovation Diana Ayton-Shenker (PI), Leonardo/ISAST, International Society of Art, Science, and Technology Timothy C. Summers, Arizona State University Nick Lindsay, MIT Press Maryrose Flanigan, a2ru This workshop applies radical access to expand STEAM digital media innovation. Through Leonardo’s CripTech lens – understanding disability innovation as an experimental creative process to “crip” or hack technologies for access – the workshop informs novel OA strategies for STEAM publishing, infused by creative access insights, practice and experiments with digital media. Contact: jastrick@asu.edu | |
 |
Futurhythm Machines: Permacomputation Approaches to Regional Electronic Music’s Past and Future Lee Tusman (PI), Purchase College, State University of New York Garrett Laroy Johnson, CCAM Center for Concrete and Abstract Machines A workshop integrating a permacomputation approach to innovative local entrepreneurship in open-source music technology maker communities. Engaging sync- and asynchronously, we will facilitate knowledge sharing, making, and reflection through collected online writings, tutorials and workshops, and conversations around creative business practices, DIY and large-scale production, and regional culture and community. Contact: lee.tusman@purchase.edu |
| Arts Engagement in an AI World Joanna Woronkowicz (PI), Center for Cultural Affairs, Arts, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Lab, Indiana University Doug Noonan, Indiana University David Crandall, Indiana University This workshop brings together technology, arts, and research around ideas for the present and future of arts and culture in a world of prevalent AI. Our focus is on audiences and patrons of the arts and how generative AI continues to alter experiences, demand, communities, markets, and culture itself. Contact: jworonko@iu.edu | |
- Please see https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/gsa-regions. We did not receive proposals from Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands, so list Northeast/Caribbean as Northeast. ↩︎