Innovation Springs Interview 6: Brandon Strubberg

• Department of Technical Communication and Information Design: https://tcid.uccs.edu/ 
• Theo Edmunds, Creative Executive in Residence: https://news.uccs.edu/2025/09/23/theo-edmonds-to-join-uccs-as-first-creative-executive-in-residence/ 
• Strubberg, Brandon C., and Hayley Blackburn. From UX to AI Literacies: Evaluating a Custom Chatbot in the UX Classroom. Edited by Jason Tham, et al., ACM, New York, NY, USA, 2025, doi:10.1145/3711670.3764640: https://go.exlibris.link/Rzgcw0vM 

📺 Viewers can access the full transcript or captions on the YouTube video for a deeper dive into the conversation.

https://youtu.be/ff9HJ58RJ7k 

🎧 AI, User Experience & Digital Humanities in Higher Education

In this episode of Innovation Springs, host Hayley Blackburn sits down with Brandon Strubberg, Associate Professor and Chair of Technical Communication and Information Design (TCID) at UCCS, to explore how AI, digital humanities, accessibility, and user experience are reshaping higher education and professional communication.

Brandon shares how technical communication bridges the gap between experts and everyday users: helping people understand and interact with increasingly complex technologies. The conversation dives into his work teaching AI-focused courses, leading usability research projects, and collaborating through the Digital Humanities Center and C3 Innovation Fellowship.

The episode also explores how AI is changing classroom pedagogy and professional workflows. Rather than treating AI as a shortcut, Brandon emphasizes helping students understand how these tools actually work so they can critically and ethically integrate them into future careers. From AI-enhanced UX workflows to digital accessibility and collaborative innovation, the conversation highlights the importance of designing technology that benefits real people.

Whether you're a student navigating emerging technologies, a faculty member rethinking pedagogy, or simply curious about the future of AI in education, this episode offers a thoughtful and practical look at innovation in action.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What technical communication and user experience design actually are
• How AI is changing higher education and workplace expectations
• Why accessibility and usability matter in digital design
• How digital humanities connects technology and human-centered thinking

🔑 Key Quotes

“We try to help people take expert information and translate it for a non-expert audience.”

“AI is not going to replace you. Somebody who knows how to use AI really well is going to replace you.”

“Do we let this tool become a therapeutic or a benefit to us, or do we let it become kind of a poison?”

“They have to integrate it into their workflows… while maintaining critical thinking.”

🎯 Why Students & Faculty Should Listen

This episode answers important questions like “How should students use AI responsibly?” and “What role does user experience play in emerging technologies?” making it especially valuable for students entering tech-driven careers and faculty navigating AI integration in the classroom.

It also highlights how interdisciplinary collaboration, digital humanities, and communication design are becoming increasingly important as AI tools continue to evolve across industries.