CAILA Welcomes Sean O’Brien as Inaugural AI Expert-in-Residence

UMW alumnus and AI industry leader to mentor students, support faculty research, and share industry insights

The Center for AI and the Liberal Arts (CAILA) is proud to announce Sean O’Brien as its inaugural AI Expert-in-Residence for Spring 2026. Sean brings over a decade of experience in higher education technology leadership, currently serving as Associate Vice President at Internet2, where he is responsible for cloud and emerging technology, including AI, across member institutions nationwide. A proud UMW alumnus, Sean returns to campus to bridge industry expertise with academic exploration. Throughout the semester, he will meet with students, provide mentorship to CAILA-sponsored research projects, and deliver a public talk on AI’s transformative role in education. Sean will visit campus on Tuesday, March 10 for a public talk and meetings with student research groups, and will return on Thursday, April 24 to attend student AI research presentations during Research and Creativity Day. “Sean represents exactly the kind of thoughtful, practical AI leadership we want our students to learn from,” said Dr. Anand Rao, Founding Director of CAILA. “His combination of technical expertise and commitment to UMW makes him an ideal partner in our mission to prepare students for an AI-augmented future.”