December 10, 2025 (Updated January 5, 2026, to include Sadia Khan)

Mingjia Hu

Mentors: One-U RAI faculty fellow Chenglu Li, assistant professor, Department of Educational Psychology; One-U RAI faculty fellow Ana Marasović, assistant professor, Kahlert School of Computing; Brendan Schuetze, assistant professor, Department of Educational Psychology
Thematic Area: Teaching & Learning

Hu is developing an AI-powered tutoring system to make learning algebra more effective and equitable for all middle schoolers. The system uses generative AI to provide personalized support based on each learner’s motivation, understanding, and metacognitive skills—helping struggling students while maintaining transparency and accountability. Crucially, teachers remain in control: every AI-generated instruction includes its pedagogical purpose, so educators can validate and adjust content. “It is time to think beyond the feasibility of AI-powered teaching, on how to use it more effectively and ethically,” Hu said. Hu completed a Ph.D. in cognitive science and psychology from Indiana University Bloomington in May 2025 before working as a research intern at the University of Florida. He aims to create tools that combine cognitive science and AI for responsible, teacher-guided education.

Brenna Kelly

Mentors: Bernardo Modenesi, assistant professor, Department of Population Health Sciences; One-U RAI faculty fellow Heather Holmes, associate professor, Department of Chemical Engineering
Thematic Areas: Health Care & Wellness (primary); Environment (secondary)

Kelly is an environmental epidemiologist and spatial data scientist tackling a growing health challenge: how wildfire smoke pollution affects reproductive health. Wildfire smoke contains a mixture of harmful chemicals, and its composition varies depending on what burns—man-made materials can be far more toxic. Kelly is developing a framework using causal AI, which focuses on understanding relationships rather than predicting patterns. By combining advanced modeling with clinician input, the project aims to pinpoint which chemical combinations pose the greatest risks to human health while keeping results transparent and understandable. “This is such an important problem locally and regionally, and One-U RAI is an ideal environment for this research,” said Kelly, who is on track to earn her Ph.D. in population health sciences from the U in August 2026 and will begin her postdoc the following month.

Sadia Khan

Mentors: One-U RAI executive committee member Sameer Patil, associate professor, Kahlert School of Computing; One-U RAI faculty fellow Nina de Lacy, assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry
Thematic Areas: Teaching & Learning (primary); Health Care & Wellness (secondary)

Khan, a postdoc at Syracuse University, is investigating how generative AI influences autonomy and critical thinking during late adolescence—a pivotal stage for developing independent judgment. As students increasingly use tools like ChatGPT for learning and problem-solving, Khan’s research asks: Does reliance on AI change how young adults make decisions and express original thought? Her project combines behavioral and physiological measures, such as attention and cognitive load, with self-reports to assess ownership of reasoning in AI-assisted tasks. “By linking neuroscientific, behavioral, and institutional analysis, this project contributes a unique evidence base for designing rights-preserving AI and ensuring its adoption enhances rather than erodes human development,” said Khan, who holds a Ph.D. in Informatics from Indiana University Bloomington. Findings will inform education policy and AI regulation.

Marshall Trout

Mentors: Jacob George, assistant professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation; Daniel Brown, assistant professor, Kahlert School of Computing
Thematic Area: Health Care & Wellness

Trout is advancing neurotechnology to improve life for people with limb loss. His recent work on an AI-powered bionic hand was published in Nature Communications and featured by NPR and KSL TV. Trout’s research centers on AI-driven neural decoders—algorithms that translate nerve signals into movement commands. Patients can provide only limited data, so Trout develops data-efficient, patient-specific AI frameworks that learn from sparse signals and reflect user preferences, such as prioritizing stability or speed. He aims to make neuroprostheses more intuitive and customizable while setting ethical standards for data use. “This work will provide a means to study the function of AI, how it’s used by patients, and its long-term personal and medical impacts,” he said. Trout earned a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the U in August 2025 under Jacob George and has continued as George’s postdoc.

The University of Utah One-U Responsible AI Initiative postdoctoral fellowships cover salary and benefits for two years.