{"id":6640,"date":"2025-04-14T17:18:47","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T17:18:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/?p=6640"},"modified":"2025-05-28T01:30:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T01:30:52","slug":"educator-and-mom-hopes-to-influence-technology-ethics-in-purdues-online-master-of-science-in-artificial-intelligence-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/educator-and-mom-hopes-to-influence-technology-ethics-in-purdues-online-master-of-science-in-artificial-intelligence-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Educator and mom hopes to influence technology ethics in Purdue\u2019s online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tamara Grant\u2019s journey to becoming a student in Purdue\u2019s online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence<\/a> (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.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 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\u2019s innovative master\u2019s in AI program, she hopes she can help others tackle the challenges of emergent technology with grace, empathy and a critical eye.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDisinformation and miseducation about technology is all around us,\u201d Grant said. \u201cIt\u2019s important to question everything. That\u2019s a motto I have in my own life.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u2013 but first, she had to work her way up.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, after arriving in Florida Grant took the first job she could \u2013 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<\/a>. 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A proud Purdue alumnus, Keaton Grant introduced Tamara to Purdue\u2019s 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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since Keaton Grant\u2019s 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\u2019s travel schedule. This change was challenging for Grant \u2013 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMothers are often devalued in corporate careers, whereas fathers are often valued more\u201d Grant said. \u201cThere is an expectation that you can\u2019t be a good mother and have a career. But being a mother is hard work \u2013 I want to be there to help mold my children, teach them and give them confidence, but that takes a lot of time.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019d like to be ahead of the curve,\u201d Grant said. \u201cI knew my other interests, like law, would always be there, but this moment when there\u2019s so much opportunity [in AI] is temporary.<\/p>\n\n\n

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AI is having a huge moment right now, and I started thinking about how I\u2019d like to be ahead of the curve,\u201d Grant said. \u201cI knew my other interests, like law, would always be there, but this moment when there\u2019s so much opportunity [in AI] is temporary.<\/p>\n\n <\/blockquote>\n

Tamara Grant<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Staying Ahead of the Curve with Purdue\u2019s Master of Science in AI <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Grant was scrolling on Instagram and thinking about her interest in AI when she received an auspicious sign \u2013 an advertisement for Purdue University\u2019s new Master of Science in AI online program. The timing seemed like fate \u2013 she wanted to take a leap in her professional journey, and Purdue\u2019s program had the content and the flexibility she wanted.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m really interested in the ethical side of using this technology, which comes from my interest in law,\u201d Grant said. \u201cThis program fit perfectly with those interests.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[When I applied to the program] I took a leap of faith,\u201d Grant said. \u201cIt was a difficult decision choosing to invest time and money into my future, but I don\u2019t regret it.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant\u2019s surgery was successful, and soon she matriculated into the program and began her new chapter as an online master\u2019s 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 \u2013 AI policy and management \u2013 spoke seamlessly to her interests and helped her find her footing in new territory.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s definitely a language barrier between the fine arts and the sciences,\u201d Grant said. \u201cIt\u2019s 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.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant, who always imagined herself getting a law degree and becoming a lawyer, felt struck by the similarities between the master\u2019s 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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m really interested in the question of responsibility and ethics with AI,\u201d said Grant. \u201cI want to have the knowledge I need to make an impact on how this technology is used. I think it\u2019s important that people have a critical perspective \u2013 we need knowledge to avoid being reckless with new technologies.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since this is Grant\u2019s first time pursuing a master\u2019s degree, she\u2019s had to adjust to a reality of learning something new \u2013 making mistakes. From using citations for the first time to completing class assignments independently, there\u2019s lot of room for error. But Grant credits the program\u2019s 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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was struggling, and one of my professors told me that I belonged here, and that this program needed my unique perspective and experience,\u201d Grant said. \u201cThere\u2019s still not a lot of women in this field, so hearing that was really encouraging \u2013 it reminded me that nobody has been exactly where I\u2019ve been, and that\u2019s a superpower.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy husband also reminds me that you only learn by making mistakes,\u201d Grant continued. \u201cHaving the right partner, someone who will support you, is really important when you\u2019re taking a risk.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to encouragement, Grant\u2019s family provides all the inspiration she needs. Doing a master\u2019s 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\u2019s a demanding schedule, but Grant thinks it\u2019s important to show her daughters that they can do this, too.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRepresentation matters, and I want my daughters to see that everything is possible for them,\u201d Grant said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant is already thinking about all the doors this program will open for her. She\u2019d 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\u2019d also like to dispel common myths about AI and combat AI disinformation.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the misconceptions is that AI is going to replace human beings,\u201d Grant said. \u201cI 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 \u2013 because AI cannot think and feel like people can.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s people\u2019s differences and our unique perspectives that make us so powerful,\u201d Grant continued. \u201cFear 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.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about Purdue\u2019s online Master of Science in AI program, visit the program\u2019s webpage. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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