Echoes and Algorithms, a Spelman College Podcast

Black Girls, Big Ideas: How Spelman Is Shaping the Future of Tech, Episode 3

What happens when the most creative minds at an HBCU get access to cutting-edge technology — and the freedom to use it on their own terms?
In this episode of "Echoes and Algorithms," Dr. Mark Lee steps inside Spelman's Arthur Blank Innovation Lab — where students and faculty aren't just learning about the future, they're building it. Meet the team behind PlantGPT, using sensors and AI to revolutionize how we care for plants. Hear about the "Context of Curls," groundbreaking research exposing how AI gets Black hair wrong. Discover how Spelman students are partnering with Nourish + Bloom Market — the first autonomous grocery store with robotic delivery in the United States and the first African American owned autonomous grocery store in the world. And find out how a national HBCU Game Jam is putting Spelman women at the center of gaming culture.
From AI literacy to augmented reality, from CodeHouse mentorship to inclusive design that actually includes us — this is what innovation looks like when Black girls lead.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
PlantGPT — AI-powered, sensor-driven plant care
Context of Curls — research challenging how AI represents Black hair
Nourish + Bloom Market — a historic, first-of-its-kind autonomous grocery store
The HBCU Game Jam — Spelman women shaping the future of gaming
CodeHouse — mentorship that turns curiosity into careers
Guests:
Jaycee Holmes, C'2026, co-director of the Spelman Innovation Lab
Blanca Burch, C'2022, Spelman College's inaugural AI Innovation Scholar
Temple Dees, C'2027, computer science major / interactive media minor
"Echoes and Algorithms" is Spelman College's signature podcast series hosted by Dr. Mark Lee, provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs.
Spelman isn't just keeping up with the tech revolution. She's shaping it.

AI and Liberal Arts Education, Episode 1

AI is transforming education. The question is — who's shaping that transformation?
At Spelman College, the answer is clear.
In the debut episode of "Echoes and Algorithms," host Dr. Mark Lee, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, is joined by three bold academic voices tackling the biggest questions in education today. Dr. Nicole Taylor is weaving AI directly into teacher certification — preparing future educators to meet every learner in every classroom. Dr. Michelle Hite is using digital humanities to do something revolutionary: reclaim Black women's stories, including the long-overdue narrative of Dr. Joyce Johnson. And Dr. Cynthia Neal Spence is asking the hard question everyone else is avoiding — who does AI actually serve?
The panel's verdict? HBCUs can't afford to sit on the sidelines. They must lead.
Because when AI is guided by a commitment to equity, justice, and community — it becomes something far more powerful than a tool. It becomes a movement.
Spelman isn't just keeping up with the future. It's building it.
Learn more about the "Echoes and Algorithms" podcast series.

AI, Global Justice, and Model UN at Spelman, Episode 2

What does a Model UN debate stage have in common with the future of artificial intelligence? More than you might think.
In this episode, Spelman College Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Mark Lee sits down with John Wagner Givens, DPhil, associate professor of International Studies, and Lauren Chase Dent, C'2026, to explore the powerful resurgence of Spelman's Model UN team — and its surprising intersection with AI and global justice.
From surveillance technology in China to data centers threatening communities across the Global South, this conversation asks the questions that matter most: Who truly benefits from AI advancement? Who bears its costs? And who gets a seat at the table when those decisions are made?
Dent shares how the critical thinking, diplomacy, and advocacy skills she sharpened in Model UN directly shaped her success at Goldman Sachs — proof that the skills forged in the classroom travel far. Meanwhile, Givens examines AI's growing role in education and international diplomacy, and what that means for the next generation of global leaders being trained right here at Spelman.
The episode also pays tribute to Spelman alumna and retired professor Jean Meadows, Ph.D., whose vision and dedication laid the foundation for Spelman's Model UN program.
This is global justice. This is AI. This is Spelman.
 Learn more about the "Echoes and Algorithms" podcast series.