Generative AI tools are increasingly part of academic, research, and professional work, but using them effectively requires more than knowing how to write a prompt. GenAI Essentials is a practical workshop series designed to help graduate students and postdoctoral scholars make informed, responsible decisions about when and how to use generative AI.Through interactive sessions and hands-on activities, participants will examine the capabilities and limitations of GenAI tools, practice strategies for using AI in writing and communication, and develop more intentional approaches to prompting and evaluating AI-generated responses.Participants may register for one or more sessions.By the end of the Fall 2026 series, participants will be able to:Evaluate appropriate uses and limitations of generative AI in academic, research, and professional contexts.Identify ethical, privacy, academic integrity, and disclosure considerations that should inform GenAI use.Use GenAI strategically to support revision, feedback, and professional communication without outsourcing authorship or judgment.Develop more specific and effective prompts by identifying the characteristics, goals, and conventions of the writing they want to produce or improve.