Justin Cary

My name is Justin Cary and I would like to tell you a story. I arrived in Charlotte over fifteen years ago; I find this fact a little hard to believe even though I have lived it for a decade and a half.

When I arrived on the campus of UNC Charlotte, my daughter was not born yet, generative AI was not a thing, and I was thrilled to be teaching first-year writing courses at Charlotte and teaching at a few other local community colleges and Universities in the Charlotte area.

That’s me with my mom and dad in 2007 when I graduated from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH. I earned my M.A. in English/Literature with dreams of becoming a University Professor.

This story matters because when I graduated, I knew the general direction I wanted to go in after grad school; (teacher, higher ed) but there was no way I could have predicted the incredible journey that has unfolded since that spring afternoon in May, 2007.

Moving to Charlotte. Becoming a faculty member at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Working with the incredible students, faculty, administrators and staff at this University. Growing as an educator, a life-long learner, a colleague, a researcher, and a teacher as part of the Niner community. Taking on a new role as an AI Faculty Fellow with the Center for Teaching and Learning after the arrival generative AI in late 2022. Collaborating with colleagues across the University to meet the moment of AI and help face the new challenges, questions, and potentials AI represents for higher education. Helping to shape the direction of our University by serving as the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences (CHESS) representative on the AI in Teaching and Learning Task Force. Working with an amazing team of colleagues from every College at UNC Charlotte to build the AI Faculty Use Case Story Collection. Joining the AI Accelerator Team to move AI forward at Charlotte in responsible ways. Collaborating with folks across the University to build and now launch the Human-Centered AI concentration in Interdisciplinary Studies and Minor in Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals as Program Director.

Almost twenty years after that graduation photo was taken, in June of 2026, I found myself at the Google Campus in Mountain View, California for the Google AI Educators Workshop series to collaborate with Google, ISTE+ASCD, and higher education colleagues from around the country on best practices for ethical and responsible approaches to AI in education. Certainly an interesting journey from graduation day.

But this story really isn’t about me.

This story is about the humans, the people, the colleagues, friends, critics; those who pushed me and shaped the conversations and were willing to challenge the status quo and push back and critically think and work hard to make a difference in my life and so many other lives. To me, this is what Human-Centered AI is all about; it is about the work of being human.

I could never have predicted where my journey would take me. I could never have predicted I would have ended up at UNC Charlotte doing what I love everyday. I could never have predicted I would have the privilege to serve the Charlotte community and the students at UNC Charlotte as the Program Director of Human-Centered AI.

But being human is not about predictions; being human is about understanding the patterns so you can do something unique. Being human is about accomplishing more when you work together in communities with other people, using the tools and resources people have and can share to improve their lives and the lives of others, and ensuring, in the end, we get there together.

Thanks for listening to my story. If you want to connect with me, learn more about Human-Centered AI, or just chat, please reach out anytime.

See you further on up the road.

Justin Cary