Leading With Why: Driving Academic Innovation in the AI Era

Diane Gavin is the Executive Director of the Center for Academic Innovation at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. With over 30 years of experience in higher education, she has led initiatives at the intersection of educational technology, faculty development, and institutional transformation. Her career spans roles in online education, curriculum design, and emerging tech integration, including AI and digital learning models. A thought leader in academic innovation, Diane is passionate about creating flexible, future-ready learning environments that support educators and students in a rapidly evolving educational landscape.

Career Journey That Shaped an Innovation Mindset

In 2010, I entered the world of online education and worked with faculty as a dean at a major online university, which taught me how to build curriculum and processes to the breaking point to find the weak spots. During those fast flight pilot studies, I learned how to innovate on the fly and determine where obstacles exist and how to address those obstacles fast.

In the process, I became a huge fan of the Successive Approximation Model. At a different institution I became a Dean of Academic Services on the first day of being sent remote due to COVID, which required me to help train 1200 faculty in three days and then generate full production-quality events for a very large community college; my team there learned to pivot as needed and we pivoted regularly. In 2023, I came to Texas A&M University-San Antonio as Executive Director, Center for Academic Innovation, where pivoting, connecting with technology and AI and not being afraid to innovate on the fly have become second nature for me.

Strategies for Fostering Innovation across Departments

I am a huge believer in providing people with the “why.” Higher education folks are really smart people and are often conservative when it comes to innovation. The reasons can be varied, from risk aversion to expertise paradox to resource limitations at an institution. Most need to know why we’re going in a certain direction. When people understand the why of innovation, we can explore the “how will we innovate.” That’s where the expertise paradox can come in; people who are experts don’t always like being the novices.

 We’re beyond asking why AI matters in education. The challenge now is how we integrate it ethically and equitably. True academic innovation happens when we embrace uncertainty, move fast and bring every discipline into the conversation—without leaving anyone behind 

Depending on the department, the innovation may seem small, but it’s radical for them. That’s sometimes fine; some disciplines need to dip their toes into the innovation process. Other departments, they want to innovate, innovate, innovate. For me, it’s understanding that change management is time-consuming but every little innovation developed moves the institution forward in some way. That kind of thinking helps me work with a wide variety of departments.

Overcoming Challenges to Drive Academic Transformation

No doubt AI is the biggest challenge in promoting innovation within higher education. AI is far larger than COVID was as a disruptor for higher education and COVID was a major disruptor. With COVID, the rise of hybrid/HyFlex instruction and online learning took hold, as did badging and micro credentialing and we now see students wanting the flexibility of learning delivery that hybrid/HyFlex/online education can bring or badging/micro credentialing can offer.

I’m a huge believer in blending badges and micro credentials with traditional education; I like having professional faculty development where badges are a part of the process. On the heels of COVID, we have AI, which completely changes the way we learn. AI can become an amazing thought partner for students and faculty. AI can bring great innovation and productivity to higher education. We’re past the “why” part with AI in 2025. Now, we’re in the process of how do we innovate with AI? What does innovation with AI look like? Our campus’ AI Working Group is comprised of faculty, staff and administrators from across the campus and we are in biweekly discussions about what the “how” looks like for us with AI now and in the foreseeable future.

AI as a Catalyst for Academic Innovation

AI certainly is the trend and technology that will shape academic innovation for the next 100 years. We have so many questions to address with AI and academic innovation: How do we prevent an incredible digital divide from occurring in higher education between students who can afford expensive monthly access fees to AI tools and those who cannot? How quickly can some academic programs ramp up to study the environmental impact of AI technology on water usage in communities already pressed by drought conditions? How does AI change the legal landscape and how will law schools train for AI? How can AI benefit the medical community? How does AI change the nature of creativity and artistry? How do we train graduate students and new faculty to teach with AI in an ethical manner?

All are important questions that face many academic departments. We know the why; AI is here to stay. Now, we’ve got to figure out the how. That’s the place where academic innovation occurs.