Librarian and professor Scott Shumate representing APSU in global academic AI group

By: Maddie Simpson July 10, 2026

Scott Shumate, assistant professor and lead librarian of digital services at Austin Peay State University. | Photo by Sean McCully

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Austin Peay State University librarian and assistant professor Scott Shumate was recently selected to be part of Clarivate’s Academic AI Working Group, an international panel of 15 experts working to shape the evolving role of artificial intelligence in academia.

The group brings together global higher education professionals to advise Clarivate on the implementation of AI tools that supplement teaching and learning, rather than replacing it. Members will meet monthly to help shape upcoming AI initiatives and their impact on higher education.

Shumate was chosen based on his experience teaching information literacy and his academic research on AI literacy in higher education, along with his student-driven approach as an educator. He is drawing on this experience to advocate for tools that support student learning, the research process, and critical thinking skills.

He will also be able to bring back ideas from other experts to incorporate new tools and programs on APSU’s campus.

“This opportunity gives APSU a say in AI implementation at a company whose tools reach institutions we wouldn’t otherwise be connected to,” Shumate said. “It’s important to see APSU’s faculty, staff, and student voices represented in this narrative.”

His focus, he said, is less on the tools than on the reasoning behind them.

“First and foremost, I’m considering ethical concerns, environmental concerns, and the student experience,” he said. “My biggest hope will be that we can encourage investment in the pedagogy of AI tools being used in higher education that supplement the learning process. I view this as an opportunity to advocate for ethical and responsible implementation of AI in a rapidly evolving landscape that often places the ‘how’ above the ‘why.’”