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Bringing AI to Your Campus Interview Series

An interview with Rob Reed

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Rob Reed

Rob Reed, an experienced industry leader at Databricks

Rob Reed, an industry leader at Databricks, has over 20 years of experience connecting academia and industry. He works with universities to integrate AI and data science into curricula, equipping students and educators with skills for real-world success. Passionate about AI literacy, Rob focuses on fostering critical thinking and responsible technology use in education.

In this interview

Welcome back to Bringing AI to Your Campus: A Thought Leadership Series. In this interview, I had the pleasure of speaking with Rob Reed, an experienced industry leader currently working at Databricks. Rob has spent over 20 years helping bridge the gap between academia and industry, working closely with universities to integrate cutting-edge technologies like AI into their curricula. We talked about his journey, the impact of AI on education, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

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Career Journey and Role at Databricks

Jon Dinneen (JD): Rob, thanks for joining us. Can you tell us a bit about your journey, from the Web Institute to your current role at Databricks?

Rob (R): Sure! I come from a background deeply rooted in education—my father was a lifelong public school educator. While I went into engineering and technology, I never expected to end up working so closely with academia. But here I am, after 20 years of connecting technology companies with universities, focusing on getting students and faculty the resources they need to bridge the gap between what’s taught in the classroom and what’s happening in industry. Now, at Databricks, my role involves helping universities and educators understand how to incorporate the latest tools and technologies, like AI and data science, into their programs.

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Connecting Academia and Industry

JD: You mentioned the gap between what’s taught in the classroom and what’s happening in industry. Why do you think that disconnect exists?

R: It’s a natural disconnect. Faculty in academia are often incented to publish research papers and focus on long-term knowledge-building, whereas industry moves rapidly to achieve market dominance. Academia tends to be more retrospective, building on established knowledge, while industry is constantly pushing forward. The challenge is to find ways to bring industry resources—like AI tools and technologies—into the academic environment in a way that faculty can integrate into their courses without feeling like they’re just being told what to do by industry.

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Balancing Industry and Academia

JD: How do you approach getting faculty on board with using tools like AI without making them feel pressured by industry?

R: The key is to approach the conversation from an academic perspective. Even though I work at Databricks, my mindset is very much that of a teacher. I try to understand what motivates and challenges faculty and then talk to them about how the resources we offer can help them achieve their goals. For example, a faculty member on my advisory council recently shared that one of her students got a job at Google, thanks to the skills they learned using Databricks in her class. That success story helps make the connection for faculty—they see the direct impact of using these tools in preparing students for the workforce.

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AI and Curriculum Development

JD: You’ve been involved in AI initiatives for a while. How do you see AI transforming curriculum development in higher education?

R: AI has the potential to elevate how we teach by making a wider range of resources accessible to educators. When I started teaching back in the ’90s, we didn’t have the internet like we do now—teaching materials were limited. Today, with AI, teachers can pull from vast amounts of information and use AI to organize, sort, and present it in a more impactful way. It’s not about replacing the teacher, but about augmenting them. AI allows educators to focus on the teachable moments, using AI to support the breadth and depth of knowledge without needing to be the sole expert on every topic.

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AI in Education: Real-World Applications

JD: You’ve also worked on AI initiatives outside of education, like in healthcare. How do you see AI’s real-world applications impacting education?

R: AI’s role in education goes beyond just helping with curriculum. It’s about improving cognition and critical thinking. Instructors and institutions need to figure out how to use AI to help students become better thinkers, not just better at regurgitating information. AI gives us the ability to enhance students’ decision-making processes—teaching them how to use these powerful tools responsibly and intelligently.

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Overcoming AI Hesitation in Higher Education

JD: Many educators are hesitant about AI, particularly around issues like cheating. What advice do you have for leaders who are unsure about bringing AI into their classrooms?

R: I’ve seen this fear before. Back in the late ’90s, faculty were terrified of online learning. Fast forward to today, and it’s an integral part of education. The same is happening with AI. My advice is not to ignore it or fear it but to examine the change and see how it can enhance what you’re already doing. AI is not going away—it’s about figuring out how to leverage it in ways that improve the learning experience, not diminish it.

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AI Literacy and the Need for Adaptation

JD: You’ve touched on the importance of AI literacy. What are your thoughts on how quickly AI is evolving and the need for educational institutions to keep up?

R: AI literacy is crucial. Just like in the late ’90s, when knowing HTML became essential for anyone working with the internet, understanding how to use AI is becoming a baseline skill. But the challenge is that technology is moving faster than ever. Institutions need to adapt quickly, or risk leaving students behind. We’re already seeing AI being integrated into core educational frameworks, and universities like Berkeley are leading the charge. But it’s essential for all institutions to start thinking about how to make AI literacy part of the standard curriculum.

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Looking Ahead

JD: What excites you most about AI and its potential in education and industry?

R: What excites me most is the democratization of data. AI is giving us natural language interfaces to vast amounts of data that would have required a PhD in computer science to make sense of just a few years ago. Now, anyone with access to these tools can analyze and interpret data in meaningful ways. That’s a game-changer for both education and industry. It’s not about making robots—it’s about making complex systems more accessible to more people.

JD: Rob, thank you for sharing your insights. It’s clear that AI has the potential to reshape education, and your experience bridging industry and academia offers valuable guidance as we move forward.

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