April 1, 2026 | Morgantown Marriott
What happens when technology not only works alongside us, but actively shapes us? Minds and Machines takes a hard look at how emerging technology will continue to redefine the economy, work, education, policy, and even how we develop as humans!
Register NowMinds and Machines
AI's impact on the modern workforce is no longer theoretical. It's transforming jobs, reshaping skills requirements, and redefining how work gets done. But the pace of change can make it difficult for employers, educators, and policymakers to separate hype from reality and respond with confidence.
We will unpack and address the most urgent challenges and most promising opportunities across three cornerstone sectors that are vital to our region, healthcare, manufacturing, and energy. From skills and credentialing to adoption barriers and new career pathways, we will connect the mind (people, learning, leadership) with the machine (tools, data, automation) and discuss how employers build a workforce that is AI-ready.
Moderators:
Liz Vitullo, Assistant Vice President of Economic Innovation, West Virginia University
Brandon Dennison, Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development, Marshall University
Panelists:
Rich DiClaudio, President and CEO, Energy Innovation Center
Kevin Fields, Sr. Engineering Manager, Toyota North America
Ansaar Rai, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Neuroradiology, West Virginia
University
Craig Molina, Chief Technology Officer, Trilogy Innovations
Explore the current use of AI in the classroom and how technologies elevate
teaching and learning. How should we be looking at the future of education?
What does America’s education system need to do to evolve, and how quickly?
Moderator:
David Wiley, Associate Professor and Academic Affairs Fellow for AI in Education, Marshall University
Panelists:
Makenzi Cutright, Data Driven Student, John Chambers College of Business and Economics, West Virginia University
Amy Cyphert, Associate Professor, College of Law, West Virginia University
Lisa Guernsey, Senior Director, Birth to 12th Grade Policy; Co-Founder and Director, Learning Sciences Exchange for New America
Michele Blatt, West Virginia State Superintendent
Discover how groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind clinical trials are leveraging globally unique neurotechnology right here in the heart of West Virginia to forge a new hope for human health and quality of life.
Speakers:
Peter Konrad, Chair of Neurosurgery, WVU Health Sciences; Professor and Executive
Director of Integrative Neuroscience & Clinical Innovation
Ben Rapoport, Co-Founder, Precision Neuroscience
What does human-robot collaboration look like and where is it going? Gain insights from internationally recognized professor of robotics Illah Nourbakhsh, who has spent his career informing the global dialogue around AI ethics, ethical robot design, societal impacts and inclusive AI deployment.
Moderator:
Jen Giovannitti, President, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Speaker:
Illah Nourbakhsh, Professor, Robotics Institute; Inaugural Director, CREATE
Lab, Carnegie Mellon University
Moderator:
Katie Farmer, Executive Director of Strategic Priorities, Strategic Communications and Marketing, West Virginia University
Speaker:
Josh Spence, CTO and Co-Founder, Stitch AI; Advisor, Rural Health Transformation
Program (RHTP); Former State CIO, West Virginia; Cybersecurity and AI Strategist;
Cyber Ops, West Virginia Air National Guard
Rapidly evolving technology is creating incredibly powerful new tools for our work, home, and government. How should businesses, regulators, and individuals keep up with the speed of technology and make sense of the risks, rewards, and implications? From C suites to parenting, what do we need to know?
Moderator:
Rochelle Goodwin, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Communications, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Panelists:
Justin Antonipillai, Founder and CEO, WireWheel; Former Under Secretary,
U.S. Department of Commerce
Hoda Heidari, K&L Gates Career Development; Assistant Professor in Ethics
and Computational Technologies, Carnegie Mellon University
Heather Abbott, CIO, State of West Virginia
Sal Khan has helped shape how millions of students learn worldwide. Now, he’s
sharing his outlook on what the future of AI in education looks like, plus
how we can upskill and retrain a workforce that is both adaptable and resilient.
Dive into the innovation driving changes to the way we think, learn, and
work in this ever-evolving technological era.
Panelists:
Sal Khan, Founder and CEO, Khan Academy
Michael T. Benson, President, West Virginia University
Brad D. Smith, President, Marshall University
An eight-year Focus Forward tradition continues as the presidents of West Virginia’s two largest universities take the stage together. This year, they will respond to questions submitted by students from colleges and universities across the state, addressing what’s next for higher education and how institutions are preparing for a future shaped by technology and artificial intelligence.
Moderator:
Ethan Hall, Management Information Systems Student, WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics
Speakers:
Michael T. Benson, President, West Virginia University
Brad D. Smith, President, Marshall University
Book your stay for Minds and Machines! Group rates are now available at the Morgantown Marriott.
Make a ReservationThe WVPEC and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation will award at least two grants (up to $10,000) to conference attendees seeking to put lessons learned during Focus Forward: Minds and Machines into action.
Learn MoreFocus Forward’s annual event is uniquely designed to link education, health and economic development in the examination of an important emerging issue that will shape our future. National and statewide leaders address hundreds of public officials, educators, business leaders, community members, philanthropists and non-profit heads who come together to discuss why key issues matter to us all. Past topics have tackled AI and digital opportunities to changes in industry sectors such as energy.
Focus Forward is led by the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative (representing P-13 and higher education interests across the state), the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and Marshall University.
Be the first to know about Focus Forward updates.
