ASU Next Lab and Westmont College’s CATLab
At this year’s summit on AI in Higher Education, two institutions — Arizona State University and Westmont College — came together to share how student-led innovation is shaping the next generation of responsible, creative, and human-centered AI.
The session, “Student-led labs driving AI for education,” brought together:
- Dan Munnerley, Executive Director, ASU Next Lab
- Amanda Federico, Program Coordinator, ASU Next Lab Studio
- Hithesh Rai Purushothama, Senior Studio Associate, ASU Next Lab
- Mike Ryu, Director of Engineering, Center for Applied Technology (CATLab), Westmont College
- Carly Haggard, Senior AI Developer, CATLab, Westmont College
AI by Students, for Students
The conversation centered on how student labs are redefining the way AI is developed, deployed, and governed within education. Both labs share a common mission: placing today’s students at the center of AI for tomorrow.
ASU’s Next Lab showcased EDge AI, a low-power, offline AI system designed to bring intelligent educational experiences to remote and underserved communities. The project — powered by Meta Llama and developed in partnership with ASU SolarSPELL Initiative — demonstrates how AI can operate without internet access, ensuring equitable learning opportunities where connectivity is limited.
Meanwhile, Westmont’s CATLab presented their AI for Campus Innovation project — a student-developed system enhancing digital transformation across campus operations, optimizing data-driven insights and user experience.
Designing the Future Together
During the panel, the discussion moved beyond tools and technologies toward the ethics, agency, and pedagogy behind AI.
The shared goal: building AI systems that empower students not just as users, but as co-creators of innovation ecosystems. Through cross-institutional collaboration, both labs are prototyping what equitable, human-centered AI education can look like.
“Innovation in education happens when students are not just learning about the future — they’re building it.”
Collaboration in Action
Both ASU Next Lab and Westmont’s CATLab continue to model how higher education can balance experimentation and responsibility — combining technical rigor with ethical imagination.
By linking learning, research, and design in real-world projects, these labs are preparing the next generation of technologists, educators, and changemakers to shape a more inclusive digital future.
Learn more:
📄 ASU Next Lab Annual Review 2024/25
🌐 Westmont College CATLab
