How I’m currently using GenAI
Earlier this year I wrote about how I’m planning on integrating GenAI in my teaching and research. Since we are well into the semester, I wanted to provide an update …
To be honest I really haven’t made it very far. Why? Well so far it feels easier to do things the way I’ve always done them (for the most part). For example, I know colleagues have been using the ChatGPT to put slide decks together for lectures and presentations, and they look great. My hang-up is about the look but double checking the content. Hallucinations continue to be a concern for these platforms and if I am going to hold students to the standard of double checking, then I need to as well. However, as it stands now, I feel like it’s still faster for me to do (plus I know the links and resources are real). Though I am thinking about asking ChatGPT to make my slides look nicer for my lectures before I present them in the spring.
I have other colleagues using GenAI to write reference letters for students. In fact, someone told me that they loaded all their previously written letters into the platform to “train” it to write and sound like them. This sounds cool, but it also kind of sounds like cheating 😬 (maybe?). I keep thinking about this article in relation to letter writing and can’t help but think that students are worth a little friction (though I must say I am not writing 100s of letters every year).
So how am I currently using GenAI. Well first I’ve found it helpful in writing bios. I hate writing them myself. It feels weird to talk about myself in that kind of a way. So, I dumped my latest CV, website, and SciENcv page into ChatGPT and asked for a summary of my work and a brief bio. I’ve copied the version I edited and am now using below. Not bad, right? Plus, it saved me from having to think about what to say.
Meagen M. Rosenthal is an accomplished academic and leader, currently serving as an Associate Professor and Research Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Administration and as Director of the Community First Research Center for Wellbeing and Creative Achievement at the University of Mississippi. With a PhD in Experimental Medicine from the University of Alberta, Meagen has dedicated her career to improving community health and wellbeing through the application of patient-centered and implementation science research methodologies.
Beyond her current leadership positions, she has also held several other positions including Chair of the Faculty Senate of the University of Mississippi (2019-2021) and Interim Executive Director of the William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing (2021-2024). Meagen’s extensive teaching experience includes facilitating courses on rural and population health, primary data research methods and patient-centered research.
Meagen’s research has been supported by significant grants, totaling over $11 million, aimed at enhancing community health initiatives and promoting equitable access to care. Her scholarly contributions are evident in her 100+ peer reviewed publications focused primarily on pharmacy practice advancement and chronic disease management highlight her expertise in patient-centered research, implementation science, and interdisciplinary team building.
Dr. Rosenthal's work not only exemplifies her expertise but also reflects her passion for community engagement and improving health for everyone. She continues to inspire future pharmacists and researchers through her dedication to teaching and her impactful research contributions.
The other area I am using ChatGPT is in suggesting alternative language for my research and data intended for consumption by people not from my field. Though I try to write clearly and approachably, I am fully aware that I am an academic and write like an academic. By way of another example ChatGPT helped me to turn this article, into this summary with some editing from me.
GenAI continues to permeate all aspects of our lives and I every time I use this tool, I grow a little more comfortable with its functionality. I am by no means even a regular user, but as I get more comfortable and practiced, I might share back with you some of the prompts I have found to be helpful.
I’m also curious how are you using GenAI to help you with your work?
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