Judge AW Center 7th Annual Lecture: Navigating the Intersection of Ethics and AI

Join us for the Judge AW Center 7th Annual Lecture: "Navigating the Intersection of Ethics and AI".

Date: November 13, 2025 | 5:30–8:00 PM; doors open at 5:00pm to invite guests to witness the historic unveiling of Judge Williams’ archives, honoring his enduring legacy of justice and service.

Location: The Hotel at the University of Maryland

As AI transforms every facet of society, how do we ensure ethics stay in control? Hear from leading experts and policymakers as they explore ethical guardrails on the rapid-fire innovation of artificial intelligence.

Moderator:

Roy L. Austin, Jr. is the Inaugural Director of the Howard Law Artificial Intelligence Initiative. He was previously Vice President of Civil Rights and Deputy General Counsel at Meta. Before joining Meta, Austin was a partner with Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis LLP and McDermott Will & Emery, where he primarily practiced criminal defense, civil, and civil rights litigation. He also has experience as an Honors Trial Attorney with the Criminal Section of the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, where he investigated and prosecuted hate crime and police brutality cases; Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division, where he supervised the Criminal Section and the Special Litigation Section’s law enforcement portfolio; an Assistant United States Attorney in DC; and the White House Domestic Policy Council’s Deputy Assistant to the President for the Office of Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity, where he co-authored a report on Big Data and Civil Rights, worked with the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, helped develop the Police Data Initiative, worked on the expansion of reentry assistance, and was a member of President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Task Force. Austin is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Chicago Law School.

Panelists:

Joseph B. Richardson, Jr., Ph.D. –  is the MPower Professor of African-American Studies, Medical Anthropology, and Epidemiology at the University of Maryland, appointed as one of eight inaugural MPower Professors through the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership. His interdisciplinary research focuses on gun violence, trauma, and mental health among Black boys and young Black men, examining how healthcare and criminal legal systems intersect in their lives. He serves as Executive Director of the Transformative Research and Applied Violence Intervention Lab (TRAVAIL) and leads Prevent Gun Violence: Research, Empowerment, Strategies and Solutions (PROGRESS), a multidisciplinary initiative advancing community-centered violence reduction.

Lucretia Williams – is a senior research scientist at Howard University within the Human-Centered AI Institute. She is the director of the Lab for Advancing Technology for Education, Health, and New Ventures in AI (ATHENA). She conducts interdisciplinary research in the areas of human-computer interaction, human-centered AI, health, and education. Grounded in the lived experiences of historically excluded communities, her work explores how emerging technologies can expand access to systems and experiences not originally designed with them in mind. She is best known for leading and executing international, large-scale, interdisciplinary, and multi-institutional community-based research efforts. In addition, she has a decade of entrepreneurial experience in startups and tech innovation. She received her master's and PhD in informatics from the University of California, Irvine, and a bachelor's in psychology from Howard University

Dr. Stephen B. Thomas is a Professor of Health Policy & Management at the University of Maryland School of Public Health and Founding Director of the Maryland Center for Health Equity. A national leader in “trust-as-infrastructure,” he applies artificial intelligence in trusted community settings to advance equitable care. He co-investigator on the NIH’s Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity (AIM-AHEAD), a nationwide network launched in 2021 to build partnerships, infrastructure, research, and training that expand AI/ML capacity and equity in health and co-developed the AI for Health Equity Training Modules. Dr. Thomas is also a faculty affiliate of UMD’s Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM), which coordinates responsible, public-good–oriented AI research and education across campus. He is a principal investor and directs the Community Engagement & Outreach Core for the NIH-funded SUNSHINE Center for Healthy Aging, integrating AI tools in venues like barbershops and salons to support diabetes management. He is also the primary mentor on ADORA study (Assessing Anxiety in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder), an NIMH-funded study advancing inclusive anxiety research using non-invasive physiological measures with a focus on better representation of Black youth.

We look forward to recognizing the following honorees for this year's lecture:

Praying for Pennies, Inc. is a grassroots movement founded in 2010 by Beverly Simmons. This movement began with a simple call to “pray for pennies” and has since grown into a nonprofit that transforms small acts of generosity into life-changing support for families in need. Through prayer, service, and the belief that every contribution matters, Praying for Pennies has restored hope, dignity, and opportunity to countless lives. Their mission reminds us that even the smallest gift—given with love—can spark extraordinary change. 

The Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) is a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals and families to build wealth, stability, and stronger neighborhoods. With a focus on financial education, business development, and housing access, LEDC equips participants with the tools and resources they need to achieve lasting economic independence. Through its programs, LEDC fosters equitable growth, ensuring that communities across the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) region can thrive together.

Nicholas McDaniels has dedicated his career for over two decades to uplifting, mentoring, and advocating for young people in Baltimore. Since 2009, he has served as a teacher in Baltimore City Public Schools, where he works daily with high school students to foster not only academic growth but also personal resilience and confidence. Teaching courses ranging from English and AP Literature to Constitutional, Civil, and Criminal Law, Nicholas has created classrooms that empower students to think critically, engage with the world around them, and believe in their potential to succeed.

Location

The Hotel at the University of Maryland

Contact

The Judge Alexander Williams Jr. Center of Education, Justice and Ethics

Phone: 301.314.1950 

Email: judgeawcenter@umd.edu

For disability accommodations, please contact Marci Deloatch at mdeloatc@umd.edu