University Alumna Leads AI Workshop for Allied Health Faculty
Posted on October 23, 2026
Faculty from the Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions took part in an artificial intelligence workshop led by University of South Alabama alumna Dr. Ashley Dockens.
Dockens, associate provost of academic innovation and digital learning at Lamar University, earned both her Doctor of Audiology and Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from South.
The workshop, AI in Allied Health: Responsible Practice, Discipline Relevance, and Practical Faculty Applications, focused on how faculty can use artificial intelligence in teaching while also considering academic integrity, data governance and the role of professional judgment.
Dockens discussed how AI is already affecting the fields students are preparing to enter and encouraged faculty to think carefully about where the technology is useful and where caution is needed.
“The objective is informed judgment and decisions, not just enthusiasm for its own sake,” Dockens said.
The session also included discussion of tools such as Gemini, Gemini Gems and NotebookLM, along with ways AI can support course design and analysis.
Dockens emphasized that students and professionals still need a strong understanding of their field in order to recognize when AI-generated information may be inaccurate or incomplete.
“AI is the best when you really don’t need it,” she said.
