Educator and mom hopes to influence technology ethics in Purdue’s online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence program

Tamara Grant’s journey to becoming a student in Purdue’s online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (AI) program started at a Walmart in Altamonte Springs, Florida, where she worked second shift as a cashier, saving money and practicing her English so she could go back to school. 

 A hard worker with a passion for justice, Grant knows what it means to take on a challenge. She’s overcome many of them in her life. Through Purdue’s innovative master’s in AI program, she hopes she can help others tackle the challenges of emergent technology with grace, empathy and a critical eye.  

“Disinformation and miseducation about technology is all around us,” Grant said. “It’s important to question everything. That’s a motto I have in my own life.”  

Grant grew up in Puerto Rico in the small town of Naranjito. She describes her upbringing as old school and humble. As a child, it was expected that she would grow up, get married and stay on the island to raise a family. But Grant always had bigger dreams for herself. She was interested in ethics, law, art and technology. She wanted a family, but she also wanted a career and the opportunity to study something deeply. Grant ended up leaving Puerto Rico in 1998 on the cusp of a new millennium. She hoped to pursue education opportunities on the mainland United States. When she arrived, she dreamed of becoming a force for good in a changing world – but first, she had to work her way up.  

So, after arriving in Florida Grant took the first job she could – working nights at Walmart. During the day, she took English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and worked on her career skills. After saving enough money, she was accepted into the International Academy of Design and Technology in Orlando, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts a few years later. Afterwards, she took a job at a hospital doing administrative work. There, a mutual friend introduced her to Purdue basketball player Keaton Grant. The pair bonded over Instagram and Skype, and they were brought even closer together after Tamara Grant was diagnosed with breast cancer. Keaton Grant supported her through a double mastectomy, helping her fight fear and uncertainty with an unwavering sense of humor. They ended up getting married in 2016 and have been together ever since. 

A proud Purdue alumnus, Keaton Grant introduced Tamara to Purdue’s strong culture of athletics and academics. She fell in love with the university through his eyes, watching Boilermaker basketball games with him and seeing Purdue sports from an insider perspective.  

Since Keaton Grant’s career as a professional basketball player required frequent travel, Tamara Grant had to adjust to a life in transit. When the couple started having children, she temporarily put her career on hold to focus on homeschooling them and supporting her husband’s travel schedule. This change was challenging for Grant – she was balancing the demands of motherhood with her hopes for a future career and thinking often of the double standard that women face in the workforce. 

“Mothers are often devalued in corporate careers, whereas fathers are often valued more” Grant said. “There is an expectation that you can’t be a good mother and have a career. But being a mother is hard work – I want to be there to help mold my children, teach them and give them confidence, but that takes a lot of time.” 

As a homeschooling mom, Grant knows that being a parent and an educator is a full-time job. She spends many hours a week designing an intensive, STEM-focused curriculum for her children. While planning lessons, Grant uses AI tools like ChatGPT frequently. They save her a little bit of time and help her reinforce difficult concepts. Grant’s experience with AI in teaching is what motivated her to want to understand the technology more deeply. “AI is having a huge moment right now, and I started thinking about how I’d like to be ahead of the curve,” Grant said. “I knew my other interests, like law, would always be there, but this moment when there’s so much opportunity [in AI] is temporary.

Staying Ahead of the Curve with Purdue’s Master of Science in AI 

Grant was scrolling on Instagram and thinking about her interest in AI when she received an auspicious sign – an advertisement for Purdue University’s new Master of Science in AI online program. The timing seemed like fate – she wanted to take a leap in her professional journey, and Purdue’s program had the content and the flexibility she wanted.  

“I’m really interested in the ethical side of using this technology, which comes from my interest in law,” Grant said. “This program fit perfectly with those interests.” 

Grant applied and waited anxiously for her acceptance notice. The waiting was made harder by the fact that Grant was also in the process of scheduling another surgery related to her breast cancer diagnosis. The night before she went in for her surgery, she got an email from Purdue. It was an acceptance letter for the Master of Science in AI Program. She was overjoyed and emotional. Her dream of going back to school was finally materializing.  

“[When I applied to the program] I took a leap of faith,” Grant said. “It was a difficult decision choosing to invest time and money into my future, but I don’t regret it.”  

Grant’s surgery was successful, and soon she matriculated into the program and began her new chapter as an online master’s student. It was a big adjustment from what she was used to, especially since her background was in fine arts. But her focus in the program – AI policy and management – spoke seamlessly to her interests and helped her find her footing in new territory.  

“There’s definitely a language barrier between the fine arts and the sciences,” Grant said. “It’s taken time to understand the new vocabulary. But I love [the management and policy] focus in the program. We talk about cultural issues like how diversity and bias affect AI, and those are the same issues that made me interested in law.” 

Grant, who always imagined herself getting a law degree and becoming a lawyer, felt struck by the similarities between the master’s in AI program and a conventional law degree. The program, which allows students to choose between concentrations in AI and machine leaning and AI policy and management, covers legal questions related to AI. Students can research and debate the legal and ethical quandaries that AI raises, which, according to Grant, is essential to ensuring ethical use of AI in the future.  

“I’m really interested in the question of responsibility and ethics with AI,” said Grant. “I want to have the knowledge I need to make an impact on how this technology is used. I think it’s important that people have a critical perspective – we need knowledge to avoid being reckless with new technologies.” 

Since this is Grant’s first time pursuing a master’s degree, she’s had to adjust to a reality of learning something new – making mistakes. From using citations for the first time to completing class assignments independently, there’s lot of room for error. But Grant credits the program’s professors and her husband with helping her see mistakes as a learning opportunity and affirming for her that she deserves to be where she is.  

“I was struggling, and one of my professors told me that I belonged here, and that this program needed my unique perspective and experience,” Grant said. “There’s still not a lot of women in this field, so hearing that was really encouraging – it reminded me that nobody has been exactly where I’ve been, and that’s a superpower.” 

“My husband also reminds me that you only learn by making mistakes,” Grant continued. “Having the right partner, someone who will support you, is really important when you’re taking a risk.” 

When it comes to encouragement, Grant’s family provides all the inspiration she needs. Doing a master’s and being a full-time mom and educator is difficult work. Most days, she gets up early to teach her kids in the morning, then she studies all afternoon, and then she finishes more schoolwork in the evenings after her husband gets home. It’s a demanding schedule, but Grant thinks it’s important to show her daughters that they can do this, too.  

“Representation matters, and I want my daughters to see that everything is possible for them,” Grant said.  

Grant is already thinking about all the doors this program will open for her. She’d like to work in technology policymaking or consulting, acting as an important voice for the ethical use of and fair access to new technologies. Growing up in Puerto Rico, she saw firsthand how some communities fall behind in their access to technology. She’d also like to dispel common myths about AI and combat AI disinformation.  

“One of the misconceptions is that AI is going to replace human beings,” Grant said. “I think AI is a tool, and, in some ways, it emphasizes what makes people so special, and what makes art and creative work so valuable – because AI cannot think and feel like people can.”  

“It’s people’s differences and our unique perspectives that make us so powerful,” Grant continued. “Fear of difference creates gaps in understanding, and lack of understanding creates more fear. The most important thing [with emergent technology] is reducing fear and creating understanding, then we can make these tools accessible to everyone.”  

To learn more about Purdue’s online Master of Science in AI program, visit the program’s webpage.