Mid-America Christian University (MACU) successfully hosted its inaugural Google Day on January 22, bringing students, faculty, and staff together for a full day of learning, collaboration, and hands-on engagement with artificial intelligence tools and resources.
Designed as a campus-wide initiative, Google Day featured 8 presentations, 2 interactive labs, and opportunities to explore technologies such as Google Gemini and NotebookLM, as well as Grow with Google certifications. The event emphasized practical applications of AI across academic, professional, and instructional contexts, while reinforcing MACU’s commitment to ethical and responsible innovation.
Participation exceeded expectations, demonstrating strong campus interest and engagement:
- 41 challenge entries submitted throughout the day
- 52 survey responses reflecting attendee feedback
- 26 lab attendees participating in hands-on sessions
- 10 prizes totaling over $1,000 awarded to participants
“At MACU, we aren’t just preparing for the future; we are building it together,” said Senior Business Analyst, Jonathan Bruner. “Google Day empowered our students, faculty, and staff to harness AI as a shared force for creativity, instructional excellence, and campus-wide innovation.”
Richard McMahon, Director of IT Administrative Systems, highlighted the collaborative effort behind the event:
“I am incredibly grateful to serve alongside such a talented team here at Mid-America Christian University. The collaborative effort required to design and execute our inaugural Google Day was a testament to our collective dedication. Participation significantly exceeded our initial expectations, and the positive feedback across all presentations underscores the value of these initiatives. Moving forward, we are eager to continue our collaboration with community partners to expand the integration of AI in education at MACU, maintaining a steadfast commitment to technological responsibility and academic accountability.”
In addition to Google-led sessions, MACU staff guided discussions on classroom integration, productivity, prompting best practices, and institutional AI governance. The day concluded with a campus-wide focus on AI guidelines, reinforcing MACU’s vision for innovation grounded in faith, integrity, and academic excellence.
By bringing Google representatives directly to campus and pairing industry expertise with MACU leadership, Google Day marked an important milestone in the University’s expanded partnership with Google and a meaningful step forward in preparing the MACU community for a rapidly-evolving digital landscape.