HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –Vice President for Economic and Workforce Development at Marshall University Brandon Dennison, will be delivering the welcoming remarks at the 2025 West Virginia Association for Career and Technical Education with an unlikely companion Wednesday evening.
Dennison will be co-delivering the remarks with a robot that was designed specifically for this event.
He said that organizers with the West Virginia Department of Education made the conference possible along with the robot. However, he said the real driving force behind having the robot participate was MU’s First Lady Alys Smith.
Dennison said that she met the creators, Robots-Crate, during a national event for WV ACTE.
“And Alys said that I want to see this in West Virginia, I want to see this at Marshall. I want folks to know that West Virginia is on the cutting edge,” he said.
The event aims to help better prepare teachers in the always changing world of technology so they can ensure that kids going into secondary education are well prepared for their future careers.
Dennison said that the main focus, and why it’s fitting to include a robot into the welcoming and keynote remarks, is incorporating technology and AI into the classrooms.
He says he wants to make sure that they are embracing these new tools instead of shying away from them.
“It’s all about not fearing the change in technology, but embracing it and preparing our students for it and becoming a part of it, you know if we run away from it we can’t shape it, but if we embrace it we can become a part of it, we can help even effect what the technology looks like and how it gets used,” Dennison said.
Along with letting teachers know that it’s okay to embrace the changes that technology is going through, he also wants them to know that if their skeptical of putting AI into the classrooms, it has its benefits.
“It’s a way to build excitement about technology it’s also a way to show how incorporating technology into classrooms can help bring concepts alive, help keep students engaged and help develop skill sets that are relevant in a rapidly changing economy,” Dennison said.
He says that this opportunity for Marshall means that they can show that the university values technology and education.
“So, we’re excited to show the partnership and value that we place in career technology education overall, through manufacturing, construction, healthcare and more,” Dennison said.
He also said that with respect to having the robot co-deliver the remarks, shows that West Virginia can lead the way on AI, robotics, and on the economy of future.
The presentation will be at the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation at 5 p.m.