April/May 2025 Director’s Blog. Rampant Use of AI: An Educator’s Perspective

Dr. Modestino

            Over the last few years, there has been a serious concern for many people about the use of AI LLM (large language models) that others have been using to do their work for them. This is clearly a serious academic integrity issue for most colleges and universities with regard to students.  As an educator, I have seen many submitted term papers that show up in Turnitin as written by AI, often with a score of 100% AI. Students can readily cut and paste the assignment directions into ChatGPT or another LLM, and the nearly instantaneous output is their entire paper, which they simply cut and paste into a Word document and submit.  A colleague mentioned something to the effect that anyone who spends hours grading papers written by AI is a fool. Furthermore, there are other AI tools that evade detection by Turnitin.  It is frustrating that students spend so much effort on having the paper written for them rather than simply writing the paper themselves.  To be honest, for an introductory-level undergraduate psychology course where students only need to write a three-paragraph paper, and they have over three months to do so, laziness, disinterest, and lack of ethical concern appear to be the causes.       

When ChatGPT was still new, I did many experiments with it, including pasting my own directions for assignments that I give to my students in my courses into it to examine the output.  Additionally, I put in my full name, and the output listed me as holding a degree in a field that I do not have, holding a faculty position at a local university for which I have never worked, citing grants that do not exist, and giving me publications for which I never wrote.  Going to the scientific journals cited under the year, volume, issue, and page numbers, I discovered unrelated papers to the cited titles. I started to see the same thing with some of my students’ assignment submissions for citations of articles that did not exist. I have placed this ChatGPT output with all its confabulations after the reference list in this blog.

            Around the same time as my experiments with ChatGPT, I read an article about similar ChatGPT confabulations. A lawyer used ChatGPT when filing a report to attorneys, and a federal judge discovered the cases cited did not exist (Bohannon, 2023).  The legal team divulged having used ChatGPT to conduct the legal research (Bohannon, 2023). 

            On the other side of the coin, individuals other than students have been called out for misusing AI in higher education. A professor at Northeastern University was accused of using ChatGPT for lecture notes placed on Canvas, based on a ChatGPT-like prompt in the text asking for more information (Hill, 2025).  This led to further evidence in the course slides of the use of AI (Hill, 2025).  The frustration of the student in the article was clear, as the professor would not allow students to use AI, which was a clear sign of hypocrisy (Hill, 2025). The student claimed she wanted her money back for the course (Hill, 2025).

Just four days ago, I read an article suggesting that professors might employ an old-school method to counteract the use of AI assignments, in-class handwritten essays, and exams using blue books (Porter, 2025). I remember the pride I felt when a professor chose to have me read my essay from an exam as an undergraduate, which I wrote in person in a blue book for a midterm exam, as an example to the class of what he expected for a response. That is the pride that many of my undergraduate students may never know.

References

• Bohannon, M. (2023, June 8). Lawyer used ChatGPT in court-and cited fake cases. A judge is considering sanctions. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/06/08/lawyer-used-chatgpt-in-court-and-cited-fake-cases-a-judge-is-considering-sanctions/

• Hill, K. (2025, May 14). The Professors Are Using ChatGPT, and Some Students Aren’t Happy About It. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/technology/chatgpt-college-professors.html

• Porter, I. (2025, May 23). A blast from finals past, blue books enjoy a resurgence in an AI World. The Christian Science Monitor. https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2025/0523/college-ai-blue-book-finals

 ChatGPT output: PURE FICTION!

  Edward Justin Modestino, also known as Ed Modestino, is a scientist, professor, and mental health counselor. He currently serves as an Associate Professor of Engineering and Director of the Healthcare Systems Engineering Program at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Modestino's research focuses on the application of systems engineering and operations research to healthcare delivery and healthcare policy. He has published numerous research articles on topics such as healthcare operations management, patient safety, and health policy analysis.

In addition to his academic work, Modestino is also a licensed mental health counselor and provides counseling services to individuals, couples, and families. He has a particular interest in using cognitive-behavioral therapy to treat anxiety disorders, depression, and other mental health conditions.

Modestino holds a Ph.D. in Operations Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as well as a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from Boston College. Prior to joining Northeastern University, he worked as a Senior Scientist at the Center for Health Systems Research and Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

I'm sorry, but as an AI language model, I do not have access to the complete list of publications by Edward Justin Modestino, also known as Ed Modestino.

However, a search of academic databases and Google Scholar shows that Modestino has published numerous research articles and conference papers on topics related to healthcare systems engineering, operations research, and mental health counseling. Some of his notable publications include:

1. Modestino, E.J., Mahmood, A., Kim, H. (2020). "Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of Collaborative Care for Depression in Primary Care using Simulation." Medical Decision Making, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 39-49.

2. Modestino, E.J., Mohsenian, A., Bozorgmehri, S., Park, Y., Ahmadizar, F. (2020). "The Effect of Hospital Ownership on Patient Outcomes: Evidence from Medicare Value-Based Purchasing." Health Care Management Science, Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 571-582.

3. Modestino, E.J., Yoon, J., Zhang, Y. (2018). "Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care: A Rapid Evidence Assessment." Journal of General Internal Medicine, Vol. 33, No. 8, pp. 1317-1324.

4. Modestino, E.J., Mohsenian, A., Wang, Y., Zhang, Y. (2018). "The Effect of Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program on Readmission Rates and Mortality among Patients with Heart Failure." Health Services Research, Vol. 53, No. 4, pp. 2576-2596.

5. Modestino, E.J., Zhang, Y., Mohsenian, A., Park, Y., Bozorgmehri, S. (2017). "The Effect of Healthcare Acquisitions on Hospital Performance: Evidence from Medicare Cost Reports." International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 121-137.

It's worth noting that this list is not exhaustive and that Modestino may have additional publications that are not included here.

Edward Justin Modestino is a professor at Northeastern University and teaches courses in the Healthcare Systems Engineering Institute (HSyE) and the College of Engineering. Based on his faculty profile, he teaches courses related to systems engineering, healthcare operations management, and supply chain management. Some of the courses he has taught or is currently teaching at Northeastern University include:

• Healthcare Systems Engineering

• Operations Research in Healthcare

• Supply Chain Management

• Introduction to Operations Research

• Quality Control and Improvement

It is important to note that course offerings may vary by semester, and some courses may only be offered to specific majors or graduate programs. If you are interested in learning more about Edward Justin Modestino's courses or Northeastern University's course offerings, you can visit the university's website or contact the appropriate department or academic advisor for more information.

As a language model, I do not have access to real-time information or current updates on ongoing research in Edward Justin Modestino's lab. However, based on his research interests and publications, he and his team are likely conducting research related to systems engineering, healthcare operations, and data analytics for healthcare applications.

Some of the specific research topics that he and his lab may be focusing on could include healthcare supply chain optimization, improving healthcare delivery processes, modeling and analysis of patient flow, and the development of decision support systems for healthcare providers.

It's important to note that research projects can vary widely and may change over time based on new findings, funding opportunities, and other factors. If you are interested in learning more about the specific research projects currently being conducted by Edward Justin Modestino and his lab, I would recommend reaching out to the department directly or visiting their website for more information.

Based on Edward Justin Modestino's faculty profile on the Northeastern University website, he has received research funding from various sources, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Defense (DOD). He has also received funding from other organizations, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and industry partners.

Some of his recent research grants and projects, as listed on his faculty profile, include:

• "An Integrated System for Supply Chain Risk Management in Healthcare", funded by the National Science Foundation

• "Data Analytics for Preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections", funded by the Department of Defense

• "Engineering Approaches to Improving Healthcare Delivery Processes", funded by the National Institutes of Health

• "Optimizing the Use of Blood Products in Mass Casualty Events", funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)

It is important to note that research funding and projects can change over time based on various factors, including new research opportunities, priorities, and funding availability. If you are interested in learning more about Edward Justin Modestino's research funding or specific projects, you may be able to find more information on his department's website or by contacting him or his lab directly.