{"693261":{"#nid":"693261","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Rahimi Receives NSF CAREER Award to Advance Creativity and Learning Through AI","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESeyedahmad \u201cAhmad\u201d Rahimi, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Lifetime Learning, has received a $1.6 million CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). His interdisciplinary research explores how artificial intelligence can help middle school students build creativity and deepen their understanding of physics. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is NSF\u2019s most prestigious honor for early-career faculty with the potential to become leaders in research and education. Rahimi, the College\u2019s first tenure-track faculty member, is also the first to receive the honor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m very humbled to have received this CAREER Award because it represents an investment in my growth as a scholar exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, learning sciences, psychometrics, and educational technology,\u201d Rahimi said. \u201cIt\u2019s very rewarding to see that my work has been recognized and to have this opportunity to investigate questions that are deeply important to me.\u201d\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the center of Rahimi\u2019s project is Little C., a generative AI coach named for the concept of everyday creativity. The coach will assess students\u2019 designs and offer feedback as they create, test, and revise physics-based simulations. Students will use the coach within Physics Playground, an existing digital sandbox where they design and test game levels to explore Newton\u2019s laws of motion. By pairing creative exploration with physics concepts, Rahimi hopes students build STEM skills, gain confidence in trying something new, or build learner agency.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat if we could have an entry point into STEM learning that looks less intimidating through the game environment and give students the opportunity to create, experiment, learn, and be creative?\u201d Rahimi said. \u201cInstead of treating creativity and learning as separate things, we want students to learn through creating and become more creative through learning; this is a win-win situation.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project, which will take place primarily in after-school settings, will also explore how students engage with the AI coach during design activities and how that engagement influences creative output, physics learning, and AI literacy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m trying to make students interested in physics,\u201d he said. \u201cThrough this fun activity in the context of after-school programs, students can build this interest and feel self-efficacious about physics and creativity.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring the project\u2019s first year, Rahimi plans to engage educators and learners as co-designers to help ensure Little C. is as accessible, effective, and useful as possible. Their input will help shape the AI coach\u2019s communication style, learning supports, and safeguards, all designed to support the responsible and appropriate use of AI in educational settings. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis project builds on research underway in Rahimi\u2019s CLASS Lab, or Creative Learning through AI and Stealth Assessment for STEM. The lab focuses on how emerging technologies can support learning, problem-solving, and creativity while keeping learners\u2019 interests and abilities at the center of the experience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, creativity has been a recurring theme throughout Rahimi\u2019s career. He traces that interest back to fourth grade, when an art teacher praised the creativity he showed in a drawing. He said that experience helped shape his long-standing interest in how creativity develops and its role in learning. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are living in an uncertain era and problems that we have never seen before will come our way, and we need people who have original thinking who can deal with those problems,\u201d Rahimi said. \u201cI believe creativity has been and certainly is one of the most important, if not the most important skill for human beings.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAuthor: Jo\u00eblle Walls\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EThe project will explore how an AI coach can help middle school students experiment with physics, develop STEM skills, and build confidence through creative problem-solving.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The project will explore how an AI coach can help middle school students experiment with physics, develop STEM skills, and build confidence through creative problem-solving."}],"uid":"33969","created_gmt":"2026-10-15 21:21:46","changed_gmt":"2026-10-15 21:43:41","author":"ymrv3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-10-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-10-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681443":{"id":"681443","type":"image","title":"Rahimi_ClassLab_26.jpg","body":null,"created":"1792099381","gmt_created":"2026-10-15 21:23:01","changed":"1792099381","gmt_changed":"2026-10-15 21:23:01","alt":"Rahimi with his Class Lab 2.0 team.","file":{"fid":"265851","name":"Rahimi_ClassLab_26.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/15\/Rahimi_ClassLab_26.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/15\/Rahimi_ClassLab_26.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":924754,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/15\/Rahimi_ClassLab_26.jpg?itok=AwHjgI7S"}}},"media_ids":["681443"],"groups":[{"id":"660375","name":"Lifetime Learning"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}