Dr. Balan has been an Associated with the Department of Engineering Technology, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston, since September 2017. His research focuses on biomass conversion to fuels, chemicals, edible mushrooms, animal feed, and biomaterials. He also specializes in CO2 sequestration using algae, processing algal biomass into proteins, biofuels, and biochemicals, and adding value to mushroom industry waste. Additionally, he works on annotating fungal genes to identify novel enzymes for industrial applications. Dr. Balan has published over 192 papers, holds 9 patents, and has more than 17,000 citations. He has also edited books on biomass conversion and microbial lipids and served as an expert reviewer for numerous scientific journals and review panels.

David Crawley is Professor of Practice certified as an Innovation Engineering Black Belt and published analyst for emerging markets. He serves the University of Houston College of Engineering as subject matter expert regarding the cognitive disciplines of innovation, workforce upskilling, corporate intelligence and artificial intelligence. His background is industry focused working with energy and engineering companies such as: EXXON, Nabors Industries, KBR, FMC Technologies, Southwestern Energy, and others. His consumer activities involve creating emerging markets for PepsiCo business units in Europe, Mexico, and America that include co-managing the manufacture of Mirinda soft drinks out of Monterrey, Mexico and launching Frito-Lay/Russia. As Deputy CEO for Y&R Advertising he was responsible for the Moscow CIS office reorganization and introducing new products and services in emerging economies. Prior to joining UH he worked with HP global business units developing solution models for population-based computing and VP-Corporate Intelligence for Idoneous Global security and intelligence firm founded by Jim Bernazzani former Deputy Director law enforcement CIA.

Laurie Christensen is the Fire Marshal of Harris County, Texas, the third-most populous county in the United States with 4.7 million residents, 2.1 million of whom reside in the unincorporated county. Fire Marshal Christensen is a graduate of the University of Houston Downtown with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Leadership and Management from Sam Houston State University. She is an accredited Fire Marshal, a Certified Fire Protection Specialist, a Master Peace Officer, a Master Firefighter and Certified Texas Emergency Manager.
Currently, she serves on the International Fire Marshal’s Association board, International Chiefs of Police Homeland Security Committee, Texas Fire Marshal’s Legislative Committee, County Fire Marshal Committee, Lone Star College Law Enforcement Academy Committee, National Fire Protection Assoc. (NFPA) 3000 and 1037. She is one of the authors of NFPA 3000, the first national standard written for Active Shooter Hostile Event Response (ASHER). Fire Marshal Christensen is a published author, guest editor, and guest speaker throughout the state and country. Christensen also provides frequent expert testimony to the Texas legislature.

Anita DeMahy Green is a transformative servant leader with a deep commitment to public service. As the Chief Operating Officer for Harris County Housing & Community Development, she oversees a portfolio of key service units including talent management, IT, fleet and facilities, communications, procurement, and emergency management.
Anita plays a pivotal role in fortifying the agency’s mission of delivering critical housing, infrastructure, and disaster recovery programs that uplift our communities.
With her nearly two decades of leadership experience, Anita is dedicated to advancing community development efforts through operational excellence, strategic foresight, and organizational transformation. She has a proven track record of revitalizing agency culture and driving large-scale operational improvements at Harris County, as well as in previous roles with the City of Seattle, King County Public Health, and Seattle Public Schools.
Known as “the fixer” by her colleagues, for her ability to successfully rebuild teams and systems, Anita is a recognized architect of high-performing agencies.

Otto Dobretsberger is a Senior Software Developer with CODE Consulting. He earned a Bachelors Degree in Biomedical Informatics in Austria, and a Masters and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Houston. His background is in heavy computational genetic and genomic data analysis using C and C++. He specializes in WPF, C#, and C++, and is proficient in several other languages as well. His experience ranges from working on projects in the fields of biomedical image processing, genetic and genomic data analysis, analytical software for the oil/ gas industry, and custom control development for various business solutions. Most frequently he develops AI driven consumer and enterprise solutions, with integrated LLM copilots and semantic kernels. He has authored scientific papers, magazine articles, and is a frequent speaker at various conferences.
Since 2014, Otto is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston, having taught various programming courses such as C++, Python, JavaScript, and Java. When he's not writing code, he's usually found in the gym, training for his next powerlifting competition and defending his USPA National and World Records.

Frances Castañeda Dyess is a native Houstonian and a dedicated connector of individuals and businesses, driven by her passion for community and the belief that businesses are essential engines of economic progress. Since becoming President of the Houston East End Chamber of Commerce in 2010, Ms. Castañeda Dyess has spearheaded significant growth in both Chamber membership and operating revenue, enhancing the economic presence and influence of this vital area adjacent to downtown Houston.
Under her leadership, the Chamber has developed robust economic and workforce development programs, empowering member businesses to forge new relationships and strategic partnerships. Her commitment to the East End is deeply personal, rooted in her childhood experiences in the community. Ms. Castañeda Dyess has also initiated programs such as the East End Education Symposium, to create a bridge between industry and education, to create a workforce that meets the needs of businesses and the East End Youth Leadership Program, addressing employability skills and career exploration.
Prior to joining the East End Chamber, Ms. Castañeda Dyess was Director of Corporate Services for the Houston Rockets and remains the team’s #1 Fan. A graduate of Southern Methodist University, she worked in the advertising industry in Dallas, and returned to her beloved Houston with Lopez Negrete Communications.
Ms. Castañeda Dyess believes deeply in the power of community, and she supports numerous communities causes throughout Houston. She chaired the 2009 Talento Bilingue de Houston Gala; the 2011 Girls Inc. Luncheon; in 2013 co-chaired the El Centro de Corazon Luncheon; in 2016 the working chair for Child & Adult Protective Services’ 50th Anniversary Luncheon; in 2020, co-chaired the El Centro de Corazon Luncheon.
In 2019, she was appointed by Harris County Commissioners Court as the first Hispanic female member of the newly formed, Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Ports of Harris County, where she is currently the only female Commissioner. Her other Board of Director appointments include the Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Board, St. Agnes Academy; HISD Foundation; Texas Executive Women; YMCA of Greater Houston; and the East Downtown RA/TIRZ-Projects Committee Chair.
Ms. Castañeda Dyess is also a member of the Latin Women Initiative Advisory Board; Port Houston Partners in Maritime Education Committee (PHPME); Rotary Club of Harrisburg; American Leadership Forum Class of XXVII; Center for Houston’s Future 2015 Fall Class and former board member of the Harris County Child & Adult Protective Services; American Leadership Forum; Sam Houston Council Boy Scouts; TBH de Houston; and appointed to a 5-year member of the HCC Bond Oversight Committee (BOC) during their $425 million capital improvement program.
Among her many honors, Ms. Castañeda Dyess was honored as a 2022 Woman of Excellence by the Federation of Houston Professional Women; a 2021 Comcast Hispanic Hero Award Recipient: 2021 El Centro de Corazon-Making a Difference Award Honoree; 2021 Houston Rockets Hispanic Noche Latina Game Honoree; 2020 Leadership Award from Center for Pursuit; Top 30 Influential Women of Houston of 2016 by d-mars.com; SER-Jobs for Progress Inaugural Alumni & Community Leader Award in 2014; named one of Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2013 by Houston Women’s Magazine; 2012 Outstanding Hispanic Community Leader by the Houston Dynamos; 2010 Hispanic Women in Leadership Recipient; and, 2008 Woman on the Move by Texas Executive Women.
She has completed ten full marathons and enjoys world traveling with her husband John and spending time at their East End home with their German Shepherd dog Joy.

With 20+ years of experience in higher education, the nonprofit sector, and local government, Blake is an executive leader with a focus on building the talent pipeline for Harris County.
He currently works as Chief Talent Officer for Harris County Precinct 4, which serves roughly 1.2 million constituents in the nation's third-largest county. In that role, he builds and aligns a team of 480+ public servants and equips those leaders to make an impact across the region. He also serves as Chief Communications Officer, overseeing media and press relations, messaging, and digital communications for Precinct 4. Before accepting his current position, Dr. Ellis served as a professor, associate vice president, vice president, and Chief Engagement Officer.
From his start as an adjunct faculty member to the present, Blake has focused on developing a diverse talent pipeline and helping organizations build strong, inclusive teams. He has also been a steadfast advocate for equity-based leadership and a creator of systems-level change. Most fundamentally, he is motivated by his deep belief that what happens in Harris County resonates across the country.
Blake earned his Ph.D. in 20th-century political history from Rice University and holds master's degrees from Baylor University and Rice University. He is a two-time recipient of National Endowment for the Humanities awards, winner of Rice University’s Stockbridge Vaughan prize, a Lone Star College-CyFair Student Success Lifetime Achievement Award, and the recipient of the Robert McGehee Equality Award.
He is a co-founder of New Leaders Council-Houston, past board member for the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus, past treasurer for Equality Texas, and a Senior Fellow for the Houston-Gulf Coast American Leadership Forum. He lives in Houston with his husband and their two children.

James joined Universal Services in 2021 after completing a 30-year career in the U.S. Army where he served throughout the world as an Infantry commander at multiple echelons, a member of joint staffs, and as a strategic planner for the U.S. Pentagon. He holds a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Master of Strategic Studies. As a certified Project Management Professional, he enjoys leading HCUS through design implementations of various projects and programs to streamline services to the offices and departments within the county.

Marques is the State, Local and Education (SLED) National Director for Equinix.  He leads a team of seasoned professionals providing solutions for government customers in their digital transformation journey. For over 20 years, he has worked with clients in the areas of technology, telecom and intelligence to help them achieve mission success. 
Marques is on the Board of Trustees for Humble Independent School District in S. Texas. Most importantly, he enjoys being a Dad and mentoring young people in their career journey.

Khaled Kahlouni is currently working as a Senior Business Intelligence & Analytics Manager at Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC).   He has experience of over 25 years in Information Technology leadership.  For all these years, he has worked at various industries (Oil/Gas, Space, Health Care, Energy Trading, Insurance, and public service).  He specializes in Business Intelligence, AI, Project Management, and Business Analysis. 
He began his career in 1990, working for Rockwell International at NASA supporting several Space Shuttle missions for the department of Defense.  During the past two years, he held a position at HPD as an Assistant Director for IT applications and project Management Office.  Prior to that, Khaled held a position at American National Insurance as a VP of Business Intelligence and Analytics, where he managed a group that is responsible for business intelligence, data governance, and predictive modeling.
Khaled graduated from UH late1989 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science.  He represented UH at the National meeting of the American Mathematical Society - Boulder, Colorado, 1989  where he presented his research on "Numerical Method for Singularly perturbed Systems".
He is PMP and scrum master certified.  He is inspired by his wife, two daughters and son.  He Loves spending time with his family, volunteering, traveling, and playing chess.

Domenick Lasorsa serves as a Community Innovation Manager for US Ignite, where he supports a variety of programs: US Ignite Communities, where he manages tech-enabled projects for a handful of communities; InnovateSLC & InnovateDMV where he manages the small business training aspect of two Economic Development Administration grants; and supports business development and outreach opportunities across the US Ignite portfolio. Currently, he leads US Ignite’s effort in creating an updated Harris County Broadband Deployment and Expansion Plan and a pilot opportunity for communities to utilize mesh networks via lighting.
Before joining US Ignite, Domenick was the Associate Director of the Veterans Career Program at Paralyzed Veterans of America, where he built, managed, and grew a virtual engagement program for veterans and their families. He also spent several years working directly with city leaders at the National League of Cities, focusing on affordable housing and homelessness. Before moving to Washington, D.C., Domenick worked for the Mayor of Little Rock, AR, and completed a year of service with City Year Little Rock.
Domenick received his Bachelor’s degree in international political economy and Latin American studies from Fordham University and his Master’s Degree from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.

Marc A. Levin is the Chief Policy Counsel for the Council on Criminal Justice, a non-partisan center of gravity and incubator of policy and leadership for the criminal justice field.
An attorney and accomplished author on legal and public policy issues, Marc began the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s criminal justice program in 2005. This work contributed to nationally praised policy changes that have been followed by dramatic declines in crime and incarceration in Texas. Building on this success, in 2010, Levin developed the concept for the Right on Crime initiative.
Marc has testified on criminal justice policy on four occasions before Congress and has testified before legislatures in states including Texas, Nevada, Kansas, Wisconsin, and California. He also has met personally with leaders such as U.S. Presidents, Speakers of the House, and the Justice Committee of the United Kingdom Parliament to share his ideas on criminal justice reform. In 2007, he was honored in a resolution unanimously passed by the Texas House of Representatives that stated, “Mr. Levin’s intellect is unparalleled and his research is impeccable.” In 2023, Levin was invited by the U.S. State Department to visit Uruguay to present on criminal justice policy before the nation’s leaders, including its Vice President.
Since 2005, Marc has published dozens of policy papers on topics such as sentencing, probation, parole, reentry, and overcriminalization. Levin’s articles on law and public policy have been featured in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Texas Review of Law & Politics, and the National Law Journal, just to name a few. He serves on advisory boards for the Aspen Institute Criminal Justice Initiative, UT LBJ School’s Prison and Jail Innovation Lab, and The Marshall Project, and on the Executive Committee of the Federalist Society’s Criminal Law & Procedure Practice Group.
In 1999, Marc graduated with honors from the University of Texas with a B.A. in Plan II Honors and Government. In 2002, Marc received his J.D. with honors from the University of Texas School of Law. Marc was a Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow in 1996. He served as a law clerk to Judge Will Garwood on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and Staff Attorney at the Texas Supreme Court.

Dr. Li is a professor, the founding director of Bauer Human-Centered AI Institute, SCM PhD coordinator, and Endowed C.T. Bauer Chair of AI at C.T. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston. His recent research interests focus on human-centered AI. His research has appeared in journals such as Management Science, Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, Operations Research, Production and Operations Management, Journal of operations Management, Strategic Management Journal, and Nature Sustainability. He is a Department Editor for Journal of Operations Management and Decision Sciences Journal, and a Senior Editor for Production and Operations Management. His work has been funded by companies such as Shell and HPE.

Mike Miles was appointed Superintendent of the Houston Independent School District on June 1, 2023 and left his position as the CEO of Third Future Schools, a network of high-quality public schools in Colorado and Texas that he founded in 2016.
Prior to his latest work, Mike served three years as the Superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District and six years as the Superintendent of the Harrison School District in Colorado Springs. Under his leadership, both districts implemented ground-breaking initiatives, established a high-performance culture, and experienced significant growth in student achievement.
Mike has also served the public interest as a soldier and statesman. He served as a Company Commander and in the Army’s elite Ranger Battalion. Mike later served in the U.S. State Department as a Soviet analyst and member of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research. He then served as a Diplomat to Poland and Russia at the end of the Cold War.
Mike holds degrees from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the University of California at Berkeley, and Columbia University

Lucy is a Human Resources leader committed to efficient public service at the local, national and international level. In her current role, Lucy serves as Chief Human Resources Officer for Harris County Universal Services, the technology infrastructure division for the third largest county in the United States. Lucy leads the Human Resources (HR) operation of over 500 employees and the communications and marketing division. Additionally, she manages a variety of priorities, projects, tasks, both strategic and tactical in the areas of enterprise-level training across the county. Lucy's approach to the employee experience is driven by her commitment to innovation and constant improvement within HR.
Lucy is a native of Brownsville, Texas and holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Government from the University of Texas at Brownsville and a Master in Bilingual and Multicultural Education from the Universidad de Alcalá in Spain. She is a graduate of the inaugural class of the Latina Leadership Institute of Texas, the Valedictorian of her graduate class where she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares in Spain.
In her spare time Lucy enjoys traveling domestically and abroad with her husband Javier, having family and friends over for Javier's paella, reading inspiring memoirs and exploring Houston’s hidden treasures.

Bert is an accomplished Information Technology and IT Services professional of over 30 years.  He joined the City of Houston in 2019 and is the Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO) – Infrastructure.   Bert is responsible for leading the Enterprise Infrastructure Services (EIS) Division in the Houston IT Services (HITS) Department.   The EIS division provides mission critical infrastructure services 24/7/365 to the City of Houston’s diverse group of 23 departments encompassing Public Safety, Utilities, Transportation, Community Services, and Central Service Operations. 
Prior to 2019, Bert worked in the private sector focusing on Information Technology at industry leading companies, including ConocoPhillips, Compaq, HP, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).
Bert is a proud graduate of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Minor in Mathematics.

Girish Ramachandran (GR) is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Universal Service at Harris County, TX. He is responsible for leading and managing the Information Technology divisions of Enterprise Application, Enterprise IT Infrastructure, Cyber Security Program and ERP services. With over 25 years of IT Executive experience in both public and private sector he has led multiple strategic initiatives, overseen digital transformation, optimized technology operations, process improvements, advanced cloud adoption, built effective teams and delivered change successfully for organizations across Industries including Telecom, Banking, Hospitality, Aerospace, Defense, State & Local Government.
He was the former CTO for the City of Dallas, Texas and Strategy & Delivery lead at global organizations like Accenture, Wipro, DXC helping public/private sector clients to significantly improve operational efficiency and implement technology modernization programs. A Member of the Smart Cities Connect Advisory Committee (SCC), a contributor to the Dallas Innovation Alliance (DIA) and a governing body member of the Dallas Chief Data Officer (CDO) community.

Ryan Salmon is a passionate advocate for digital inclusion with a deep understanding of the critical role broadband plays in community development. Ryan moved to Houston and started his career in public service with Harris County Universal Services in April 2024. His work focuses on expanding broadband accessibility, affordability, and promoting digital literacy in Harris County.

Andrea Scott is the esteemed Director of Talent Acquisition for Harris County, the third-largest county in the nation. In this pivotal role, she crafts innovative strategies and leads a dynamic team dedicated to sourcing, screening, and recruiting diverse talent across Harris County Departments. Since joining Harris County in 2005 as a Payroll & Benefits Clerk, Andrea has steadily risen through the ranks, consistently embracing roles of increasing responsibility over her remarkable 19-year tenure.
A proud native of Houston, Andrea holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Houston-Central and an MBA from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. Her professional excellence is further underscored by her Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute and her Senior Certified Professional (SCP) designation from the Society of Human Resources Management.

Amy Seymour is the Chief Port Security and Emergency Operations Officer for Port of Houston Authority. As Chief PSEO Officer, she oversees the PSEO Division, which includes the Fire Department, Port Police Department, Emergency Management Department, Safety Department, and Security Department in Port Houston’s eight public facilities along the 52-mile Houston Ship Channel, including the area’s largest breakbulk facility and two of the most efficient container terminals in the nation.
With 20 years of experience in operational safety across supply chain, transportation, and port terminal management, Seymour brings a dynamic, strategic, and people-centric approach to achieving outstanding results. She served as Vice President of safety, risk, and compliance as well as over driver retention for a leading drayage, transloading and domestic freight provider with over 750 trucks and 2million sq ft of warehouse space among 8 locations nationwide.
Seymour was recognized in 2016 as a National Safety Council (NSC) Rising Star of Safety, she is a contributing author of a Motor Fleet Safety Manual, and she currently serves as a delegate for the NSC delegates committee to the board of directors with the National Safety Council. She has been a guest speaker / keynote / presenter with National Maritime Safety Association (NMSA), National Safety Council (NSC), American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), and NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration) & KBR.
Amy holds her MBA from the University of Phoenix. She also holds her Certified Safety Professional (CSP) credential from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals.
Amy is passionate about fostering public safety and creating a positive workplace environment. She is driven to inspire those around her. Her dedication to people is evident in her commitment to serving as a catalyst for public safety initiatives.

Mark Sloan is Harris County, Texas’ Coordinator for Homeland Security & Emergency, serving more than 4.8 million incredibly diverse residents and covering more than 1,770 square miles. Because of Harris County’s large population, port operations, transportation infrastructure, and concentration of petrochemical plants, the Department of Homeland Security has identified Harris County as a Tier 1 region. To meet the growing expectations of emergency management, Sloan is streamlining regional emergency response coordination through the use of automated flood warning systems, traffic management systems, broadcast media capabilities, first responder and community alerting, GIS mapping systems, and regional interoperable communications.
As the director of Harris County Citizen Corps, an innovative, award-winning public preparedness initiative, recognized as a National Best Practice, he coordinates all aspects of the program. Working with a team of county technology experts, he developed one of the first websites devoted to the sharing of community preparedness volunteer opportunities and tracking of volunteer hours. The site links users to the most helpful and informative websites on citizen preparedness throughout the country. Since 2002, over 20 million individuals have visited the website (www.harriscountycitizencorps.com) and over 63,000 have completed the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training course.
During the Katrina relief effort at the Astrodome, Sloan was assigned to the Unified Command to coordinate volunteers. During the 21 days more than 60,000 volunteers received various assignments that helped over 65,000 evacuees from New Orleans. On September 9, 2005, Sloan was recognized for his efforts by ABC Nightly News as the Person of the Week and received the Special Award: Texas’ Response to Katrina Evacuees at the 2006 National Hurricane Conference in Orlando in recognition of his leadership and coordination. Mark was also honored with “The President’s Call to Service Award” in September of 2007 recognizing the accomplishments of the Harris County Citizen Corps and for coordinating the volunteer response during the Katrina relief effort.
In the fall of 2008, Sloan was also recognized by the Houston Texans football team on Reliant Stadium’s 50-yard line and later received the John C. Freeman Weather Museum’s Hurricane Hero Award for his exemplary leadership during Hurricane Ike.
In November of 2010 the Department of Homeland Security appointed Mark to serve on the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Government Coordinating Council that coordinates critical infrastructure protection guidance and strategies across all levels of government.
He is a member of the San Jacinto Type III All-Hazards Incident Management Team.
Sloan is a board member of both the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council and Big City Emergency Managers, where he serves as the Chair.
In 2018, the Emergency Management Association of Texas (EMAT) named Sloan the recipient of the “Lou Harrell” Emergency Management Coordinator of the Year award.
Sloan is also a member of the National Homeland Security Consortium.
Since 2008 as EMC, he has led the organization in over 260 EOC activations some of which include Hurricanes Ike, Bill, Harvey, Imelda, Laura and Beryl, Winter Storm Uri, numerous floods and other weather events, Super Bowls, World Series and other special events as well as COVID-19.

Rob Stanicic is the Vice Chancellor for Technology Initiatives at San Jacinto College, where he acts as the liaison for public policy and industry, ensuring that the College’s technology-related degree, certificate, and upskilling programs are aligned with current workforce demands. In addition, he oversees all facets of technology services within the institution. Rob brings a distinctive combination of international business and cross-industry experience, having successfully led organizational restructuring and emerging technology implementations during post-merger and acquisition phases. He was awarded a patent for his work in digital media on technology-enabled pattern recognition involving metadata streaming related to video content. Rob's advisory roles encompass product development for major tech companies and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and contributions to technology policy with the Greater Houston Partnership and the Texas Senate Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council. He earned an MBA from the University of Oxford in England and holds Bachelor’s degrees in Information Technology and Commerce from the Queensland University of Technology and the University of Queensland in Australia.

Director of Strategic Partnerships & Technology Transfer, Sam Houston State University 

Jonathan Thomas is the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Technology Transfer at Sam Houston State University (SHSU). With this role, Jonathan is dedicated to building strong connections between research, industry, and the community. In this role, he works to create opportunities for collaboration, helping to advance research initiatives and support technology commercialization. His focus is on fostering partnerships that benefit both the university and its external stakeholders.
With a background in Higher Education Administration (M.Ed., Houston Baptist University) and Sport Management (B.S., Houston Baptist University), Jonathan has taken on several roles at SHSU, including Coordinator of Research and Strategic Partnerships and Coordinator of Research and Proposal Development. Through these positions, he has worked closely with faculty, businesses, and organizations to expand research efforts and funding opportunities.
In addition to his work at SHSU, Jonathan serves as the Principal Investigator for the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC) at SHSU, where he collaborates with industry leaders to help manufacturers in Walker County and the surrounding counties grow and innovate. He is also involved in regional economic development as a Steering Committee member of the Walker County Economic Development Corporation and SHSU's Regional Division Head for the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station.
Jonathan’s contributions have been recognized through achievements such as placing second in the 2023 TARC Pitch Competition, publishing articles with the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA), and helping to launch SHSU’s Inaugural Innovation Pitch Competition.

Derek is a Chief Technology and Innovation Strategist at Dell Technologies, covering the central US for State and Local Government. Prior to joining Dell, Derek spent almost two decades at the State of Louisiana, where he served in a variety of roles including the State CIO, Deputy CIO, CTO, Director of State IT Infrastructure, and an Agency IT director. He has also owned and operated a private sector IT company, and holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Computer Science with a focus on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Summer Xiao is the Deputy CIO for Enterprise Applications and Project Management Office at the City of Houston. Her teams provide value-add technology services for multiple city departments and strive to make a positive impact to city operations and city services through digital transformation.
Prior to joining the City of Houston, Summer was a solution delivery director for a business technology consulting firm. Her past experience also includes being responsible for the entire IT operations at an advertising company. Summer has years of business and IT experience working in various industries and developing efficient teams that deliver technology solutions which increase revenue, reduce cost, and maximize efficiency. Summer Xiao graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems. She is also a PMI certified Project Management Professional with many years of hands-on project implementation experience.

Dr. Yunpeng (Jack) Zhang is currently working as an Associate Professor at the University of Houston. He is the Director of USDOT UTC Transportation Cybersecurity Center for Advanced Research and Education (CYBER-CARE), and the Director of the Network, Software and System (NSS) Lab. Dr. Zhang's research focuses on developing novel security and intelligence techniques to ensure cyber/physical system reliability, security, and performance in multiple industries, including transportation, energy, healthcare, commerce, finance, government, defense, the Internet of Things, etc. He is familiar with state-of-the-art research and technologies related to cyber and physical security, and artificial Intelligence, such as cryptography, access control, intrusion detection, blockchain, trust management, intelligent monitoring, deep learning, and data analysis. Dr. Zhang conducted more than 40 research and education projects with more than $11M funding supported by NSF, DoT, NIH, TxDoT, and private institutes, etc. He has worked for Boise State University (U.S.), Dakota State University (U.S.), Oak Ridge National Lab (U.S.), Imperial College London (U.K.), Queen's University Belfast (U.K.), and University of Melbourne (Australia, etc. Dr. Zhang's work has not only resulted in more than 110 publications for prestigious journals and conferences, 6 books, and 3 book chapters in the cybersecurity and software engineering fields but has also led to practical solutions to real-world problems, e.g., invented more than 70 high-performance/security new algorithms/methods, developed 30 software systems, and holds 6 patents. He supervised more than 80 graduate/undergraduate students. Dr. Zhang has delivered over 30 invited talks and have organized more than 60 international research conferences, symposiums, and workshops across the globe. He received multiple awards in research and education fields. Dr. Zhang is keen on cooperation with academics and industry.