Artificial intelligence applications seem to be everywhere nowadays and many evaluators are starting to integrate them into their own work. GBEN and the Vermont Evaluation Network (VEN) are co-hosting a programming event on one application, ChatGPT . Our goal for this event is to provide an opportunity for evaluators to see how they could start using ChatGPT.
The first part of our programming will feature case use examples by Andrew Powers and Emily Smith, PhD as they show how they've used ChatGPT in their evaluation work. A facilitated small group exercise will follow to give all participants an opportunity to try ChatGPT with an exercise. We will come back together to discuss observations and takeaways on ChatGPT.
Panelists' Bios
Andrew Powers is a co-founder of PEER Associates, and has been working in and around evaluation for the past (eek!) 20 years. His current favorite quote about AI is "AI has not made my job easier, but it had made is much more interesting by making it easier to try hard things."
Emily Smith, PhD, holds a doctorate degree in Lifespan Developmental Psychology from North Carolina State University and has extensive experience in applied research, evaluation, and analytics. She provides leadership, support, and expertise in research, evaluation, quality improvement and performance management to the Vermont Department of Health, Division of Family and Child Health as well as collaborating partners. A robust background in cross sector collaboration, coupled with expertise in participatory research and evaluation, has allowed the community and family voice to be centered in her work. She has recently established a comprehensive quality improvement initiative of Vermont’s Help Me Grow system to optimize supports for families and children within the state. She serves as a strategic collaborator to several key partners including Building Bright Futures and Vermont’s Child Health Improvement Program (VCHIP). She sits on several committees informing strategic initiatives and capacity building activities at the state level such as Vermont’s Early Childhood Action Plan (VECAP) Data and Evaluation Committee. Additional projects include collaborations with the Division of Substance Use assessing available services for perinatal persons, leading the evaluation for the HRSA funded Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS): Health Integration Prenatal-to-Three Program, and collaborating on evaluation activities under the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5). Previously, Dr. Smith has lead evaluation efforts in support of establishing a Family Leadership Model in the North Carolina child welfare system, evaluation of Community Child Protection Teams across North Carolina, and contributed to research investigating in the effects of COVID-19 within contexts of racial disparities, health, and well-being.
