Cowell appointed to national council shaping how teachers are prepared for the age of AI
New council convened by Ed3 Global and Deans for Impact brings educator-preparation leaders into a national effort to define AI-era teaching
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Leslie Cowell, seated center, dean of Lipscomb University's nationally recognized College of Education is has been named to the Educator Preparation Advisory Council.
Leslie Cowell, dean of Lipscomb University’s nationally recognized College of Education, has been named to the Educator Preparation Advisory Council (EPAC), a new national council convened by Ed3 Global and Deans for Impact (DFI). The council brings together higher-education and educator-preparation leaders to guide how future teachers are prepared for an education system and workforce being transformed by artificial intelligence (AI).
The EPAC is part of Ed3’s Portrait of a Teacher in the Age of AI project, a multi-year research effort. The initiative examines how the teaching role is changing in the AI era and proposes forward-looking, adaptive frameworks and tools that guide the competencies, mindsets, and roles educators need to thrive.
Leslie Cowell
Ed3 has convened a K-12 Advisory Council of more than 40 partner organizations, including Pearson, Google, Digital Promise, ISTE, ETS, Teach For America, and district superintendents, to examine the “demand side” of the teacher workforce: what schools and students will need from teachers. EPAC, facilitated in partnership with DFI, focuses on the complementary “supply side”: how teachers must be trained and credentialed to meet those demands. Together, the two councils aim to shape supply and demand in conversation with each other.
Cowell is one of 22 leaders serving on the council. Members represent a wide range of contexts in which future teachers are prepared, including public and private universities, community colleges, minority-serving institutions, teacher residencies and national associations.
"At Lipscomb, we have already embraced the thoughtful integration of artificial intelligence into teaching and learning, and we have seen firsthand how these tools can create meaningful opportunities for students,” said Cowell. “Serving on this national council gives us an opportunity to bring that experience to a broader conversation about the future of teacher preparation. It also allows us to collaborate with leaders across the country as we consider how the role of teachers continues to evolve. AI will certainly change aspects of teaching, but the relationships, professional judgment, and deep understanding of how students learn will always be essential. Our responsibility is to prepare educators who can bring those things together."
Lipscomb’s College of Education has already earned national recognition for its innovative use of AI in educator preparation. Earlier this year, the college received the 2026 American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Best Practice Award for the Innovative Use of Technology, recognizing its integration of AI-powered learning tools and original instructional films into educational leadership programs. Developed by faculty, these tools allow aspiring school leaders to engage in realistic scenarios, explore complex ethical dilemmas and strengthen their critical thinking and decision-making skills through interactive, AI-driven conversations.
The council will review and give feedback on the project’s research agenda and on guidance for how teacher competencies, responsibilities and talent pipelines should evolve. That guidance is designed to help preparation programs, districts, policymakers, and other stakeholders develop and support teachers who are equipped for their unique contexts and students, while preserving human relationships and judgment.
“AI gives us an opportunity to fundamentally rethink the teaching profession, instead of simply making existing practices more efficient,” said Vriti Saraf, co-founder and CEO of Ed3 Global. “If we’re reimagining what we expect of teachers, we must also reimagine how we prepare them. That’s why teacher preparation leaders need a voice in shaping the future of the profession.”
“As AI shifts how teachers and students engage in learning, we remain steadfast in ensuring that the decisions teachers, leaders, and policymakers make are rooted in what’s best for supporting student learning,” said Valerie Sakimura, CEO of DFI. “We believe these council members are the right people to tackle hard questions about how to prepare teachers to make sound instructional decisions if and when AI tools are used in classrooms.”
Learn more about Ed3’s Portrait of a Teacher in the Age of AI project at ed3global.org/teacherportrait.