Sponsored by:GVSU College of Computing, GVSU School of Communications, and GVSU University Communications
Hosted by:West Michigan Public Relations Society of America & American Marketing Association West Michigan
Today’s communicators are navigating one of the most transformative shifts in professional practice since the advent of social media: the rise of artificial intelligence. AI Issues for Proactive Communicators is an interactive workshop designed to equip marketing and public relations professionals with the insights and tools they need to lead responsibly in an AI-driven landscape. Participants will explore current and emerging issues in AI that directly impact communication strategy, such as ethical use, bias and transparency, intellectual property concerns, and organizational policy development. The session blends practical applications with discussion of industry standards and case studies, helping attendees turn uncertainties about AI into opportunities for strategic innovation. Attendees who complete the workshop will also earn access to a free professional certificate courtesy of GVSU College of Computing in Applied AI Communication Essentials, recognizing their commitment to advancing ethical and effective AI adoption in their organizations, with their clients, and for various audiences.
PANELISTS
Ezekiel Leo, Assistant Professor, GVSU Seidman College of Business, Department of Management
Dr. Ezekiel Leo is an Assistant Professor of Management at Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business. His research focuses on technology and innovation strategy and organizational knowledge management. Much of his current work examines how artificial intelligence is changing the way organizations create and use knowledge.
A particular focus of his research is the growing challenge of evaluating and verifying AI-generated knowledge. As AI makes it easier and faster to produce content, analysis, and recommendations, organizations must determine when those outputs can be trusted, when human expertise remains essential, and what practices are needed to use AI responsibly. He is also interested in how AI changes the division of knowledge work between people and machines, how organizations adapt their policies and practices around AI, and how professionals can integrate AI into their work while maintaining human expertise, verification, trust, and accountability.
More broadly, Dr. Leo’s research examines how organizations adapt to technological change and how the design and management of knowledge shape innovation. His work has addressed topics including product and organizational design, IT outsourcing, and the adoption of emerging technologies.
Dr. Leo brings both management and technical perspectives to these questions. Before entering academia, he worked in Silicon Valley as a technical analyst, contributing to the development of expert systems and enterprise software applications. He holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a B.A. in Computer Science and Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Michael DeWilde, Koeze Business Ethics Initiative Director and Professor of Management, GVSU Seidman College of Business
Michael DeWilde is the director of the Koeze Business Ethics Initiative (KBEI) at the Seidman College of Business, Grand Valley State University (Michigan), where he is also a professor in the Management Department. He teaches primarily in the MBA and Executive MBA programs, with a focus on courses in ethics and leadership.
The KBEI has sponsored faculty and student research on AI topics, and DeWilde has been a featured speaker on AI both locally and at national conferences.
For thirty years he consulted with West Michigan businesses and organizations as an executive coach. His latest engagement was with Corewell Health, where his work focused on the culture of the OR and the development of physician-leaders.
He holds degrees from Harvard University and Grand Valley State University.
Dr. Imran Mazid, Associate Professor, School of Communications, GVSU
Dr. Imran Mazid is Associate Professor of Advertising and Public Relations in the School of Communications at Grand Valley State University, where he coordinates the Advertising and Public Relations program and directs the Biometrics and Innovation Lab.
His research examines message design: how organizations create strategic communication that earns attention, sustains engagement, and shapes judgment across fragmented digital audiences. He studies these processes through computational methods, eye tracking, facial expression analysis, experiments, and surveys, combining scale with interpretive depth. His current research addresses artificial intelligence in public relations, including AI governance, virtual influencers, AI-generated content, and computational social listening.
Dr. Mazid’s scholarship has appeared in Public Relations Review, Journal of Health Communication, International Journal of Communication, International Journal of Strategic Communication, Public Relations Journal, South Asian Popular Culture, and Action in Teacher Education, among other outlets. He regularly presents his research at national and international conferences.
Lance Beaudry, CEO Founder, Avalanche Creative from Avalanche
Lance Beaudry is the founder and CEO of Avalanche Creative, a Grand Rapids-based search marketing and web development agency. For 12 years, Avalanche has helped organizations turn their websites into engines for growth through technical SEO, content strategy, AI search optimization, and conversion-focused web development.
Lance has led large-scale website and search initiatives, including Avalanche’s work supporting the Spectrum Health and Beaumont merger into Corewell Health.
A frequent speaker on search and AI, he shares practical strategies that help brands earn trust, strengthen visibility, and generate measurable business results online. Lance was named a 2025 Grand Rapids 40 Under 40 honoree, and Avalanche Creative was recognized as one of the 2025 Michigan 50 Companies to Watch. He also builds and grows his own companies through search, allowing him to test the strategies Avalanche recommends in the real world.
Dr. Samah Mansour, Assistant Professor, School of Computing, GVSU
Dr. Samah Mansour is an Associate Professor in the College of Computing at GVSU, where she serves as the Graduate Program Director of the M.S. in Cybersecurity program and the Director of the West Michigan Trustworthy AI Consortium. Her research focuses on trustworthy AI and Internet of Things security, with expertise in authentication protocols, Industrial Internet of Things, Internet of Vehicles, adversarial machine learning, federated learning, and machine learning-based intrusion detection systems. Her work aims to develop secure, resilient, and trustworthy AI-enabled systems that address emerging cybersecurity challenges.
Beyond her technical research, Dr. Mansour is committed to broadening participation in computing, AI, and cybersecurity. She actively conducts research and outreach initiatives that support and advance women in cybersecurity while inspiring the next generation of computing professionals through K–12 engagement programs. She serves as the faculty advisor for the GVSU Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) Student Chapter and as a community advisor for WiCyS, supporting mentorship, professional development, and collaboration among students, educators, and industry partners.
Moderator: Steph Porter Lippert, Founder, ink&iron PR
With over 15 years in public relations, corporate communications, and social media across agency and in-house roles, Steph has built her career helping brands show up with purpose in an industry being reshaped by new technology in real time.
Her roots in PR were forged at agencies running multimillion-dollar campaigns for clients like Walmart, New Balance, Playtex Baby, and Tim Hortons. In-house at Canadian Tire Corporation, Canada's largest retailer, she crafted award-winning experiential and marketing communications. Before launching her own boutique firm ink&iron PR, Steph led external communications and social media at SpartanNash, overseeing a high-performing team and all corporate storytelling across earned and owned channels. From executive communications and national media placements to high-stakes crisis response, she's navigated it all, and has watched firsthand as AI tools have entered the workflow of every one of those disciplines. She also serves as an adjunct professor in the School of Communications at Grand Valley State University, where she brings that same real-world lens into the classroom.
SCHEDULE
3:00 check in/networking;
3:30 panel program + QA;
4:45-5:30 break out tables for 1:1 assistance/small group discussions
REGISTRATION
WMPRSA and WMAMA Members: $25
Future Members: $35
Students and Un-/Under-employed: Free
Please register by October 2
PARKING
Please park in the Fulton lot. MAP
Bring your ticket with you to the event registration desk for validation.