With an extensive background in special and gifted education, coupled with leadership roles in academia, Dr. Claire Hughes-Lynch was awarded a Fulbright Specialist grant to advance the conceptualization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the field of Special Education at the University of Ioannina. As a Professor and Program Coordinator of the Gifted, Special, and Twice-Exceptional Education Programs at Cleveland State University, the scholar has developed and taught courses that integrate the latest technological advancements with special education strategies.

Claire is currently working with a multi-disciplinary team at Cleveland State exploring how to use AI in schools to help students with special needs. She has presented at national conferences on using AI to provide support and growth for students. She is also a community member of the Center for Innovation Design and Digital Learning (CIDDL) that is focused on AI in Special Education.

Lastly, as a previous Fulbright Scholar to the University of Patras in Greece, and with her husband being Greek, she has a deep connection to the region and its educational landscape.

To achieve the objective of sensitizing students, teachers, and professionals to the AI framework's relevance for individuals with special needs, during her term in Greece Claire  leveraged her experience in organizing seminars, meetings, and guest lectures. Her previous work includes coordinating national and international conferences, such as the Special Needs and Inclusion Professional Communities Conference at Canterbury Christ Church University, demonstrating her ability to engage and inspire diverse audiences. Furthermore, Claire's publications and presentations in the field of special education, including those focused on integrating technology, provide a solid foundation for disseminating the AI conceptualization framework to the broader research and academic community.  Her track record in AI, collaborative work, special education and her background in Greece, made Claire an ideal candidate for the task.