After a great weekend where I was able to fill one of those buckets by visiting Yosemite National Park with my sister, I’m excited for Week #2 as “Innovator in Residence” at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.

In my first week, I’ve met so many truly fabulous and inspiring students, faculty, staff, administrators, and one incredibly inspiring alum: José Moreno Hernández, the migrant worker who went on to earn a degree in Engineering and Computer Science from Pacific, then went on to be a NASA astronaut. The subject of an inspiring film, A Million Miles Away, he gave an incredibly inspiring Presidential Speech this week where he reached out to and inspired the undergraduates, especially the Latinx students and all those from low income families.

He did a small thing in the Q and A period that I’ve never seen before. Because there was not enough time to answer the questions posed by a very long lines of students and others, he had assistants pass out cards and pencils with his email address and promised to answer anyone who wrote out sent him a question. It was an incredibly inclusive way of addressing everyone’s questions and an act of (characteristic) generosity.

This week, I have open office hours and two more meetings with the incredibly dedicated and imaginative faculty (and some more students too, I hope!) in the First Year Experience workshop, led by Prof Jeff Hole. I will also be meeting with The Associated Students of the University of the Pacific (ASUOP), a fabulous group with a mission mission “to empower, advocate for, and engage Pacific students with intentionality, beginning at the margins, by centering diversity, equity, and inclusion.” I can’t wait.

On Thursday, I’ll be in Long Theater for a conversation with Drew Henry, an Engineering Graduate of Pacific, “AI and the Future of Higher Education”. Drew Henry is the Executive Vice President of Arm, and “leads Arm’s Physical AI Business Unit, overseeing technologies that power automotive systems, robotics, and autonomous machines. He also leads Arm’s global ecosystem strategy, including AI and developer platforms, and has held senior leadership roles at NVIDIA, SanDisk, and Silicon Graphics.”

Here’s some of what we will be covering together:

Discussion Topics

  • AI and the future of higher education
  • Preparing students for an AI-driven workforce
  • Responsible and human-centered AI adoption
  • Emerging technologies, including spatial computing and robotics
  • Industry perspectives on innovation, talent development, and career readiness
  • The evolving role of universities in preparing the next generation of leaders

“As highlighted in Pacific’s AI Task Force recommendations, AI adoption is not simply a technological initiative. It is a strategic opportunity to enhance learning, strengthen innovation, improve student success, and equip graduates with the skills, adaptability, and ethical awareness needed to thrive in an AI-enabled world. This conversation will explore how higher education can embrace these opportunities while remaining grounded in its mission of preparing students for meaningful careers, lifelong learning, and responsible leadership.”

It’s going to be a busy week. I have fallen in love with this place and I can’t wait to see what Week 2 will be.