UMA ushered in the new academic year on Friday, September 18, with its 2026 Convocation in Farber Forum on the Augusta campus. Students, faculty, staff, families, and friends gathered in person and online to celebrate student and faculty achievement and to kick off this year’s academic theme: Critical Thinking in the Age of AI.
In her welcome, President Jen Cushman introduced the theme and this year’s shared text, John Warner’s More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI. She encouraged students to explore artificial intelligence (AI) tools with curiosity. She also urged them to check the tools’ work, question where information comes from, and hold on to the thinking that shapes their own ideas and voices. She highlighted ways UMA is already doing this work, including learning technologies supported by the Davis Educational Foundation, the University’s 360-degree immersion room, and resources available through the AI Hub.
Provost Joseph Szakas then recognized 52 students as 2026 UMA Rising Scholars. Rising Scholars are nominated by faculty and staff and honored for academic excellence, meaningful engagement in the UMA community, and their potential as future leaders and scholars. Many balance their studies with work, family, and other responsibilities.
Two faculty members also received top honors. Dr. Zachary Roth, Assistant Professor of Psychology, received the Distinguished Educator Award for his dedication to students both in and outside the classroom, including advising the Augusta Community Garden Club, leading campus civic engagement efforts, and founding UMA’s new chapter of the Psi Beta National Honor Society. Dr. Gwen Bedell Gadbois, Assistant Professor of Business Administration and coordinator of the Business Administration and Public Administration programs, received the Distinguished Scholar Award. A Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner, she recently completed her Doctor of Business Administration in Accounting and brings current industry practice into her classes.
Dr. Gregory Fahy, Professor of Philosophy, offered a faculty perspective on the theme. He reflected on the connection between writing and thinking and invited colleagues to consider other ways students can show their thinking, from hands-on work to conversation.
This year’s Convocation student speaker Nelson Hayes is a Marine veteran, former shipbuilder, Interdisciplinary Studies major, and 2026 Rising Scholar. He explained how AI systems learn and argued that critical thinking becomes more important, not less, as the technology grows more capable.
Keynote speaker John Warner, author of More Than Words and a longtime writer, editor, and writing teacher, brought humor and warmth to a serious conversation. He acknowledged the public narrative that AI may soon surpass humanity, then offered a more hopeful view: AI may be impressive, but it cannot experience anything. It was a reminder that each of us is not just generally intelligent, but uniquely intelligent, shaped by our own experiences. Warner closed with advice drawn from the final chapters of his book: resist, renew, explore.
The afternoon concluded with a reception in the Danforth Gallery. Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees!
While at UMA, Warner also joined community members at the Capital Center for a conversation about how he thinks about AI.