Presenter Bio - Sam Holtshouser

Sam Holtshouser, SHRM-CP, serves as Chair of the CSU Career Center's AI Committee, leading a human-centered change management process to develop the center's AI Philosophy and Ethical Commitments. Rather than beginning with tool adoption, Sam and the committee grounded their work in Center for Humane Technology practices, facilitating foundational conversations that engaged colleagues across the full spectrum of AI perspectives, from skeptics to enthusiasts. This deliberate, people-first sequencing reflects Sam's broader philosophy: that sustainable AI integration in career services starts with psychological safety, shared purpose, and honest dialogue about impact and possibility.

Sam currently serves as the Associate Director of Career Education & Health Career Pathways for the College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS) at Colorado State University, embedded within the centralized Career Center as part of a career ecosystem approach that connects college-specific expertise with shared institutional resources. Throughout her career, she has worked across a wide range of student success areas, championing campus-wide experiential learning and student employment initiatives and building career center collaborations across campus. She holds a Master of Science in College Student Personnel Administration from the University of Central Arkansas and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Management from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her 17+ years of experience in higher education shape her equity-minded approach to how AI tools support diverse student populations.

In addition to her SHRM-CP credential, Sam holds the SHRM AI+HI Specialty Credential, reflecting specialized training in the intersection of artificial intelligence and human interaction in workplace settings. This credential gives Sam insight into how the HR profession is adopting AI across recruitment cycles and early career pipelines, offering a unique window into the challenges employers face with AI adoption and change management from an industry perspective.

Sam brings both a practical perspective and honest lessons learned about building sustainable, values-driven AI direction in career education, equipping fellow career professionals to have braver, and more human conversations about AI with the students and colleagues they serve.