Josh Gellers named first faculty fellow for artificial intelligence at UNF
The 成人大片 has named Dr. Josh Gellers, incoming director of the Digital Humanities Institute and professor of political science and public administration, as the University’s first Faculty Fellow for Artificial Intelligence for the 2025-26 academic year.
As Faculty Fellow for AI, Gellers will help drive UNF’s AI Strategic Plan, which focuses on AI for academic, research, operational and community excellence. He will work closely with the Office of the Provost, Information Technology Services (ITS) and other campus partners to expand AI literacy, support interdisciplinary AI research and foster community and industry partnerships that position 成人大片as the hub for AI innovation in the region.
His responsibilities include overseeing the planning, design and implementation of the University’s AI Community Certificate, developing a comprehensive AI Action Plan to promote AI literacy across disciplines and working alongside for the Office of Faculty Excellence, Center for Instruction and Research Technology and the AI Faculty Development Working Group. Gellers will also guide the creation of asynchronous and synchronous training resources to build faculty proficiency in AI and contribute to developing AI-related co-curricular credentials and for-credit coursework for students, including support for new general education AI courses.
“I’m truly honored to be selected as UNF’s first Faculty Fellow for Artificial Intelligence,” said Gellers. “I’m excited to work with faculty and staff in strengthening our University’s position as a leader in AI education and preparing our students to play meaningful roles in society increasingly shaped by rapid technological change.”
Gellers joined 成人大片in 2014 and has been a transformative figure in both environmental and AI-related education. A recognized expert in environmental politics, human rights and AI ethics, he is the author of “Rights for Robots: Artificial Intelligence, Animal and Environmental Law,” which was named Book of the Week by the AI with AI podcast and cited by the United Nations Environment Programme. He serves as a research fellow with the Earth System Governance Project and an expert with the Global AI Ethics Institute. His extensive scholarship includes over 40 peer-reviewed publications on AI, justice, law and sustainability. Gellers is currently co-editing two volumes focused on AI—one for Oxford University Press and another for Edward Elgar.
He has received numerous honors, including the Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board’s Environmental Achievement Award, UNF’s Outstanding Faculty Scholarship Award, and the US Green Building Council’s Green Teacher of the Year. Gellers also serves on Jacksonville’s Environmental Protection Board and Data Advisory Committee.
Gellers holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in political science from the University of California, Irvine, a M.A. in climate and society from Columbia University, and a B.A. in political science from the University of Florida.
Visit UNF’s AI website to learn more about the University’s AI initiatives.