AI SUMMIT 2026

KEYNOTE 

Keynote Speaker: Joshua Sternfeld

Biography: Joshua Sternfeld is a historian, program leader, and heritage strategist whose work focuses on the implications of artificial intelligence for libraries, archives, and museums. He spent more than fifteen years at the National Endowment for the Humanities (2009-2025), serving as Senior Program Officer and Assistant Director in the Division of Preservation and Access, where he coordinated national initiatives supporting archival stewardship, digital preservation, and research and development in emerging technologies. His work included managing programs that enabled LAMs to experiment with machine learning, computational analysis, and data-driven approaches to large-scale cultural collections, as well as helping to launch and shape the Humanities Perspectives on AI initiative to advance field-wide conversations about ethics, interpretation, access, and long-term stewardship. Josh has worked closely with partners such as the Library of Congress and the National Gallery of Art to strengthen digital infrastructure and support responsible innovation across the cultural heritage ecosystem. In parallel with his program leadership, Sternfeld is an active scholar whose writing on digital history, LAMs, and AI has appeared in venues such as the American Historical Review, American Archivist, and Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. He also writes for a broader professional audience through his Substack, Encoding the Past. Josh received his B.A. In History from Princeton University and Ph.D. In History from UCLA.

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Presenters

 

Name:	Title:	Topic:
Dan Durkee	Director of Network Services, Twotrees Technologies	Copilot and Security
Dr. Phillip Goodwin	Visiting Professor, Department of English, University of Wyoming	The Wyoming Zine Exchange: A Sneak Peek, No Algorithms Required
Janice Grover	Carol J. McMurry Distinguished Librarian for Academic Excellence, University of Wyoming	The Wyoming Zine Exchange: A Sneak Peek, No Algorithms Required
Jordan Hemingway	Data Services Librarian, University of Wyoming	Viewfinder: navigating AI’s Wild West Era one conversation at a time
Chad Hutchens	Chair of Digital and Distinctive Collections, University of Wyoming	AI and Wyoming Digital Newspapers
Elyse Johnson	Collection Management Librarian, University of Wyoming	From Dial-Up to Deepfakes: A millennial Librarian's perspective on Cultivating Critical AI literacy
Jarrod Kozeal	Technology Specialist, Sublette County Library, Pinedale	Vibe Coding: Using AI as a Programming Assistant
Anne Kuipers	State Documents and Trademark Resource Librarian, Wyoming State Library	AI and Intellectual Property in the United States
Andy Niser	AI Lead, Legacy South	The "Pull, Not Push" Strategy: Building an AI-Ready Culture Through Voluntary Empowerment
Hanz Olson	Reference & Instruction Librarian and Archivist, Casper College	AI as Mirror for an Adaptive Identity: Scaling Mission and Growth through AI-Assisted Development
Jessica Otto	Research and Statistics Consultant, Wyoming State Library	78 Sold-Out Cowboys Stadiums: Defeating the "Blank Page" and Turning Data into Stories
Esther Perez	Digital Scholarship Librarian, University of Wyoming	Viewfinder: navigating AI’s Wild West Era one conversation at a time
Steven Priest	Educational Consultant, Wyoming Department of Education Innovations Team	The Glass Vault: Balancing AI Innovation with User Privacy in Cultural Heritage
Jessica Rardin	Interim Chair of Public Services/User Experience, University of Wyoming	First Year College Student Perspectives on Generative AI Tools
Dr. Dwaipayan Roy	National Institute of Technology Mizoram	Reimagining Ernest Hemingway: Artificial Intelligence, Toronto, and the Graphic Reconstruction of a Literary Legacy
Kathryn Senn	Innovative & Immersive Technology Librarian, University of Wyoming	Are You Smarter than an AI?: A Gameshow Approach to Introducing AI Literacy During New Student Orientation & Viewfinder: navigating AI’s Wild West Era one conversation at a time
Katharine Teykl	Chair of Digital Inquiry, Visualization and Exploration, University of Wyoming	AI and Wyoming Digital Newspapers
Katelyn Wittenborn	Digital Initiatives Librarian, Wyoming State Library	Making Digital Accessibility Accessible

 

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VENUE & ACCOMODATIONS

The 2026 AI Summit will take place at the UW Conference Center, ideally located just across from UW's War Memorial Stadium and in the Hilton Garden Inn Laramie. The UW Conference Center offers modern meeting spaces and is easily accessible to both campus and community visitors. For your convenience, a campus map and directions are available to help you navigate to the venue and locate nearby parking options.

 

Campus Map (PDF)      |     Parking Map (PDF)     |     Venue GOOGLE MAP

 

FREE PARKING & SHUTTLE INFORMATION

Simply park your vehicle outside the UW Conference Center or the War Memorial Stadium parking lot west of the venue. The UW Link Transit offers a stop by the Gateway Center (across the street from the UW Conference Center) and runs about every 20 minutes from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Individuals needing assistance attending the AI Summit should contact Lucy Carter by email or call (307) 766-3641.

Attendees traveling from out of town are encouraged to make hotel arrangements early, as availability may be limited.

Hotels:

Hilton Garden Inn Laramie 
2229 Grand Avenue
Laramie, WY 82070
(307) 745-5500
HILTON Google Map

Holiday Inn Laramie
204 30th Street
Laramie, WY 82070
(307) 721-9000
HOLIDAY INN GOOGLE MAP

Quality Inn and Suites University
3420 E. Grand Avenue
Laramie, WY 82070
(307) 721-8856

Quality Inn Google Map