The University of Mary Washington has long been a leader in higher education adapted to a global digital environment. Now with the acceleration of artificial intelligence (AI), it has centered this work, bringing together faculty and students from communication and digital studies, computer science, humanities, social sciences, arts and other fields to explore AI’s applications and implications in a liberal arts context. The Center for AI and the Liberal Arts at UMW launches this fall 2025.

UMW’s Center for AI and the Liberal Arts will serve as a hub for research, teaching and public engagement. Led by Professor of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao, the Center focuses on valuable knowledge and skills essential for students and educators.

“We’re not just preparing students for the classroom — we’re preparing them for the world beyond it, and that means preparing them for an AI-driven future,” said Rao. “It’s essential to understand what AI will mean for the workforce, education, and our daily lives. Our students won’t just learn about AI — they’ll help shape the conversation.”

The Center’s launch also aligns with UMW’s broader mission to foster critical thinking, ethical leadership and civic engagement in a rapidly evolving digital world. With course topics already on the schedule this summer and fall, the Center has programming underway to support students, faculty and the broader community. Read more.

The University of Mary Washington is a premier, selective public liberal arts and sciences university in Virginia, highly respected for its commitment to academic excellence, strong undergraduate liberal arts and sciences program, and dedication to life-long learning. The university, with a total enrollment of about 4,000, features colleges of business, education and arts and sciences, and three campuses, including a residential campus in Fredericksburg, Virginia, a second one in nearby Stafford and a third in Dahlgren, Virginia, which serves as a center of development of educational and research partnerships between the Navy, higher education institutions and the region’s employers.