Susan Purrington

Harold F. Wiley Generative AI Teaching and Learning Fellow, Connecticut College

Susan Purrington obtained her PhD in Leisure Behavior from Indiana University and is currently the Harold F. Wiley Generative AI Teaching and Learning Fellow at Connecticut College. She is a recognized pioneer in AI integration within higher education, having developed the nation's first AI literacy course focused on leisure and recreation ("AI and the Future of Fun") and created several academic support and professional bots, such as the "RT Buddy," a specialized GPT chatbot for 

recreational therapy professionals. As an AI Ethics & Integration Consultant and former Associate Teaching Professor at Northern Arizona University, she has delivered presentations on AI in education and therapeutic recreation across multiple countries.

Dr. Purrington chairs AI Communities of Practice, runs AI literacy workshops for entrepreneurs and educators, and is the chair of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association AI Task Force. Her work bridges  the gap between cutting-edge AI technology and practical applications in education, therapeutic recreation, and inclusive learning environments. When she is not teaching or consulting, Susan directs the nonprofit "welcomed here, Inc.," and continues her professional development workshops on generative AI adoption in recreation professions. She is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and holds multiple AI and teaching certifications.

Areas of Expertise

  • AI literacy and integration in higher education curricula
  • Integrating AI into administrative practices
  • Generative AI tools for therapeutic recreation, community-based programming, and healthcare applications
  • Inclusive teaching practices and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
  • Professional development and faculty training in AI technologies
  • Alternative assessment and experiential course design
  • Ethical AI implementation and policy development