ASU student pioneers AI in teaching and research

ASU student Amber Hedquist is at the forefront of innovation, bringing AI tools into academic and research environments.

Stephanie King

April 28, 2025

This story was first published as part of the spring 2025 edition of The AI Journey at ASU.

Every year, Arizona State University employs more than 10,000 students at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Many of these opportunities offer the space for students to apply their knowledge to real-world work scenarios. That way, before they graduate, ASU students are bridging the gap between academia and industry, unlocking their potential as changemakers.

Amber Hedquist, a Ph.D. student in the Department of English at ASU, is leading innovation by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) tools into academic and research settings. Her work demonstrates AI’s transformative potential while addressing its limitations and ethical implications.

This semester, Hedquist is teaching English 301: Writing for the Professions course, with plans to empower her students to integrate AI thoughtfully into their professional workflows. She will focus on educating students about how AI fits into larger processes and the implications of its use, reinforcing the importance of ethical and sustainable practices.

Hedquist also works in Research Operations at ASU, partnering with colleagues from across research administration. Hedquist and her colleague Valerie Kaim collaborate to streamline and improve processes across research operations. Together, they’ve built approximately 12 custom GPTs over a four-month period.

And while these custom GPTs were initially created using ChatGPT through ASU’s AI Innovation Challenge, Hedquist advocated for the transition to more sustainable tools, such as MyAI Builder, which allowed for broader sharing and long-term integration. “Our plan is to fully transition to MyAI Builder because it is a more sustainable tool and there’s also increased sharing functionality with MyAI Builder,” Hedquist explained.

Hedquist’s work exemplifies the transformative potential of AI when paired with ethical foresight, collaborative spirit and a commitment to sustainability.

“AI is not going away; it’s here to stay in whatever format that looks like,” Hedquist said. “So, exploring it early on is really important.” Her efforts serve as a beacon for students, researchers and professionals striving to harness AI’s capabilities to drive meaningful change in the world.