Speakers & Panelists

Speakers & Panelists

Meet Our Speakers & Panelists

Erwin Gianchandani

Erwin Gianchandani

Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), NSF

Luna Acosta

Luna Acosta

Director of Technology Transfer,
Arkansas State University
Director, Catalyst Innovation Center

Jeff Amerine

Jeff Amerine

Founder & Managing Director,
Startup Junkie Consulting, LLC

Dr. Suzan Anwar

Dr. Suzan Anwar

Assistant Professor and Computer Science Department Chair, Philander Smith University

Erica Brigance

Erica Brigance

Vice President of Data Science,
ArcBest Technologies

Branden Brough

Dr. Branden Brough

Director, United States National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO)

April Campbell

April Campbell

Economic Development Representative,
State of Arkansas

Dr. Hugh Churchill

Dr. Hugh Churchill

Associate Professor of Physics,
University of Arkansas

Amy Elrod

Amy Elrod

T&D Specialist,
Acxiom

Lonnie Emard

Lonnie Emard

Apprenticeship Director,
Arkansas Center for Data Sciences (ACDS)

Jennifer Fowler

Jennifer Fowler

Director, Arkansas National Science Foundation EPSCoR

Matt Francis

Matt Francis, Ph.D.

Founder and President/CEO,
Ozark Integrated Circuits, Inc.

Asa Gilliland

Asa Gilliland

President & Managing Director,
Redstone Government Consulting, Inc.

Dr. Zeeshan Habeeb

Dr. Zeeshan Habeeb

Assistant Professor of Chemistry,
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

John Hardin

John Hardin

Executive Director,
Office of Science, Technology & Innovation (OSTI)
North Carolina Department of Commerce

Kathy Hayashi

Kathy Hayashi

Qualcomm
Director, IEEE Region 6

Becky W. Keogh

Becky W. Keogh

State Infrastructure Coordinator for Arkansas

Paul Kodzwa

Paul Kodzwa

Associate Director, Strategic Technologies & Partnerships
Business Development – DOD Programs
RTX Technology Research Center

Argelia Lorence, Ph.D.

Argelia Lorence, Ph.D.

James and Wanda Lee Vaughn Endowed Professor
Lead, A-State Phenomics; Co-Lead Wheat and Rice Center for Heat Resilience (WRCHR)
Arkansas State University (A-State)

Benito Lubazibwa

Benito Lubazibwa

Founder and CEO, ReMix Ideas

Chad Martin

Chad Martin

Vice President of US Operations,
Standard Lithium

Hugh T. McDonald

Hugh T. McDonald

Secretary of Commerce of Arkansas

Taj Mecham

Taj Mecham

Senior Regional Director of Workforce,
Transfr Inc.

Neil Merrett

Neil Merrett

Research Physicist,
Air Force Research Laboratory

Dr. Tina Moore

Dr. Tina Moore

Director of Workforce Development,
Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Division of Higher Education

Ed Palacio

Ed Palacio

2023 President,
IEEE-USA

Todd Paulsen

Program Manager,
NeedipeDIA

Lisa V. Perry

Lisa V. Perry

Senior Manager,
Energy Services for Walmart, Inc.

Matt Schantz

Matt Schantz

Attorney at Law,
Frost Brown Todd LLP

Craig Scott

Craig Scott

Professor and ASME Foundation Swanson Fellow
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. School of Engineering
Morgan State University

Will Smith

Will Smith

Plant Manager,
Standard Lithium

JD Swanson

Dr. JD Swanson

Program Director, NSF

Becky Taylor

Becky Taylor

Executive in Residence,
Austin Technology Incubator

Dr. Joe Thompson

Joseph W. Thompson, MD, MPH

President & CEO, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement; Professor of Medicine and Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Lenore Trammell

Lenore Trammell

Chief Administrative
Chief Compliance Officer
General Counsel,
Big River Steel

John P. Verboncoeur

John P. Verboncoeur

Vice President IEEE Technical Activities
Senior Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, College of Engineering
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor, Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering
Michigan State University

Weston Waldo, MBA

Weston Waldo, MBA

Austin Technology Incubator
Director, NSF I-Corps Southwest Region Hub

Bill Yoder

Bill Yoder

Executive Director,
Arkansas Center for Data Sciences