An educator at Georgia Northwestern Technical College is gaining national recognition for her work helping instructors adapt to the growing use of artificial intelligence in education.

Grace Beam, director of Online Learning and Development at Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC), has been selected to present at two national conferences this fall, sharing strategies for incorporating artificial intelligence into teaching while maintaining academic integrity.

Beam will deliver four presentations at conferences in Arizona and Florida, focusing on how colleges can use artificial intelligence effectively while ensuring students continue developing essential skills and completing their own work.

The first conference, the 2026 National Summit on Artificial Intelligence, takes place October 14-16 in Chandler, Arizona. The event is hosted by Maricopa Community Colleges and brings together educators and technology professionals to discuss the rapidly changing role of artificial intelligence in higher education.

Beam will present two sessions during the conference.

On October 15, she will lead a presentation titled “From a Few Faculty to 22 Colleges: What Happens When You Stop Planning Ahead.” The session will examine how an artificial intelligence training program that began with a small group of instructors at GNTC expanded to become available throughout Georgia’s technical college system.

The following day, October 16, Beam will conduct a hands-on workshop titled “Cheat Resistant by Design.” The workshop will focus on developing classroom assignments that require students to demonstrate their own knowledge and abilities rather than relying on artificial intelligence to complete their work.

Beam will also speak at the OLC Accelerate 2026 conference, November 16-19 in Orlando, Florida.

The conference, organized by the Online Learning Consortium, focuses on advancements in digital education, online learning and instructional technology.

Both of Beam’s proposals for the Orlando conference were accepted through a double-blind peer-review process, in which reviewers evaluate submissions without knowing the identities of the authors.

Her November 18 presentation will focus on developing artificial intelligence training programs for educators across an entire college system.

On November 19, she will present “Cheat-Resistant by Design: Stop Grading Bots,” examining how instructors can develop assignments that measure actual student learning rather than work generated by artificial intelligence.

All four presentations are based on a professional development program Beam developed at GNTC.

The program originally began as informal training sessions for a small number of faculty members interested in understanding artificial intelligence and its potential classroom applications.

Since then, the initiative has expanded and is now available to faculty and staff at all 22 colleges in the Technical College System of Georgia.

The program helps instructors understand how artificial intelligence can be used as an educational tool while addressing concerns about plagiarism, academic honesty and the reliability of AI-generated information.

Beam said colleges are reconsidering how they develop courses, deliver instruction and evaluate student learning as technology continues evolving.

She emphasized that the conversation extends beyond artificial intelligence and includes broader changes in educational methods.

Beam brings considerable experience to the effort, including 14 years of full-time teaching in Business Management and Supply Chain Management, along with professional experience in information technology leadership and corporate training.

Georgia Northwestern Technical College serves students throughout Northwest Georgia, including Chattooga County, offering associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificates in fields such as healthcare, business, industrial technology, aviation and public service.

According to the college, 14,082 individuals benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit educational programs during the past year.

The college reported annual credit enrollment of 9,342 students, with another 4,740 individuals participating in adult education, continuing education, business and industry training and Georgia Quick Start programs.

GNTC also reported a 100 percent placement rate.

Beam’s selection to speak at the national conferences highlights how an educational initiative developed at a Northwest Georgia technical college has expanded into a resource for instructors throughout the state.