The College of Science and Technology Office of the Dean recently introduced Boost Funds for New Research Directions, a new initiative intended to help CST faculty invigorate their research programs. The first awardees are Stephen MacNeil, assistant professor in the CIS Department, and Bob Stanley, professor in the Department of Chemistry.
Intended for faculty members who do not currently hold external or internal funding, boost funds will support faculty who want to explore a new area of research or jumpstart research activity. Each two-year seed grant provides support for a faculty member to conduct preliminary analyses, demonstrate proof of concept, collect preliminary data, and establish the high potential impact of the proposed idea for future proposal submissions.
MacNeil’s project, “Pedagogical Tools to Teach Students to Use AI Copilots,” is the focus of this article, with a future story detailing Stanley’s project.
“AI technology is everywhere—becoming a part of our daily routines. As people grow more reliant on these systems, they often trust them instinctively, sometimes without critical judgment,” explained MacNeil. “Our research seeks to address this by exploring new ways to help users make thoughtful decisions when using AI, creating tools that encourage active engagement and critical thinking rather than passive dependence. This represents a new paradigm for human-AI, where AI systems intentionally challenge users in the short term to cultivate long-term benefits.”
At Temple since 2021, MacNeil’s primary focus has been creating AI systems to support students in computing classrooms and to assist children on the autism spectrum. “This new project expands my research, introducing a fresh approach to human-AI interaction by encouraging users to engage with AI suggestions more critically,” said MacNeil.
“Dr. MacNeil’s research aligns directly with CST’s mission and has the potential to make significant contributions to artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, and computing education,” said Miguel Mostafá, CST dean. “I am confident that this seed funding will not only propel his individual research but also enhance CIS’ initiatives. His work on so-called ‘antagonistic’ AI can be integrated into their curriculum, offering students vital skills for navigating the evolving AI landscape.”
According to MacNeil, the AI co-pilot project will directly involve both undergraduate and graduate students, with the potential to improve how students use the increasing number of AI copilot systems available to them. “Our Human-Computer Interaction Lab is built on the success of our undergraduate researchers—nearly 100 students have contributed, with 60% publishing a paper or poster and more than 30 presenting at conferences. The CST boost funding makes it possible to expand these opportunities, providing critical support for us to take on this ambitious new direction that would otherwise be out of reach.”
MacNeil is honored to be part of the inaugural cohort of the Boost Funding Program. “I want to thank the exceptional students in our lab, whose dedication has made this work possible,” he said. “I am also grateful to my mentors in CST, including Slobodan Vucetic, Richard Souvenir, Jamie Payton, Mindy Shi, Eduard Dragut, Sergei Pond, Zoran Obradovic, John Fiore and Claudia Pine-Simon. Special thanks to CIS chair Yu Wang for his support and endorsement of my application, and to Dean Mostafa, who has been an incredible supporter of my career and undergraduate students here in CST.”