Connecticut College AI and the Liberal Arts Symposium: Full Schedule

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11:30am EDT

Take My Hand and Tell Me What You See: AI and Museum Accessibility

Saturday October 17, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm EDT

At Amherst College, Mead Art Museum and Academic Technology Services work to apply innovative applications of technology including enhancement of digital accessibility. Emerging AI technology has recently brought us together in collaboration focused on making the Mead’s digital collection more searchable, discoverable and accessible through the production of multimodal collection descriptions.In this workshop, we share an activity we have developed with relevance to art pedagogy in the classroom: inviting community members to critically evaluate the technology’s potential for good when responsibly applied to a specific context, and to lend their voices to make a direct impact. Participants may bring their own device to try the activities themselves.Our larger project centers student engagement and participation in developing the project’s workflow and evaluation. We will discuss how to further trustworthy museum metadata, how to facilitate critical evaluation of the potential benefits from AI applications, and propose models for peer institutions.

Speakers

Prakhar Agrawal

IT Student Researcher, Amherst College

Prakhar is a rising junior at Amherst College, pursuing a triple major in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Economics. He is deeply interested in leveraging emerging technologies to solve interdisciplinary challenges and advance accessibility initiatives. With experience working... Read More →

Andres Fernandez

Mead Art Museum Student Worker, Amherst College

Andres is a rising sophomore at Amherst College, pursuing a double major in English and Mathematics. He is curious about the applications of AI in a range of fields, including museums. He is passionate about channeling his curiosity of AI into learning about the various ways by which... Read More →

Douglas Hall

IT Research Computing Specialist, Amherst College

Doug Hall provides support across the disciplines for academic research computing and emerging technologies. This includes pedagogy-driven consultation and workshops for high performance computing and artificial intelligence applications. He has a Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering... Read More →

Miloslava Hruba

Manager of Collections Access and Academic Engagement, Mead Art Museum, Amherst College

Dr. Miloslava Hruba is an accomplished museum professional and researcher dedicated to bridging the intersections of art collections, pedagogy, and digital accessibility. Her current work focuses on the ethical integration of generative AI within academic programming, exploring how... Read More →

Saturday October 17, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Blaustein Hood Room (First floor)

Workshop, Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Innovations

Company Amherst College; Mead Art Museum

Connecticut College AI and the Liberal Arts Symposium

11:30am EDT

Prakhar Agrawal

Andres Fernandez

Douglas Hall

Miloslava Hruba

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