Innovate AI Speaker Biographies
Opening Remarks
U.S. Senator Mike Rounds
On Jan. 6, 2015, Sen. Marion Michael 鈥淢ike鈥 Rounds was sworn into the United States Senate. Rounds serves on five committees: Senate Appropriations; Senate Armed Services; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Indian Affairs; and the Select Committee on Intelligence. Rounds previously served as the 31st governor of South Dakota from 2003-2011. From 1991 to 2000, he was elected five times to the South Dakota State Senate. In 1995, his colleagues selected him to serve as Senate Majority Leader, a position that he held for six years. During his time in state government, Rounds was committed to growing the economy, keeping taxes low and strengthening South Dakota families. A lifelong South Dakotan, Senator Rounds was born in Huron, the eldest of 11 children. He earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in political science from 蘑菇传媒. In the private sector, Rounds built a successful insurance and real estate business with offices throughout the state. He resides in Fort Pierre and is the proud parent of four grown children and 11 grandchildren.
Session 1: AI in Healthcare
David Newman, M.D.
Newman is the chief medical officer for virtual care at Sanford Health, the nation鈥檚 largest rural health system that serves more than 2 million patients across seven states in the Upper Midwest through a network of 56 hospitals and more than 4,000 physicians and advanced practice providers. In this role, Newman provides strategic and clinical leadership for Sanford Health鈥檚 landmark $350 million virtual care initiative, advancing scalable models that strengthen access, quality and sustainability for rural and frontier communities in the Upper Midwest.
A practicing endocrinologist and trained clinical informaticist based in Fargo, North Dakota, Newman brings a rare combination of front-line clinical experience, digital innovation expertise and system-level operational leadership. He is recognized as a national leader in rural health transformation with a proven track record of designing and implementing technology-enabled care models that address the most persistent drivers of zip code-based disparities.
Newman is a sought-after expert and trusted voice in the evolving landscape of virtual care and artificial intelligence-enabled delivery. He is regularly invited to deliver keynote presentations, expert commentary and forward-looking insights at major national convenings, including ViVE, Reuters Digital Health Summit, Becker鈥檚 Healthcare AI Summit, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's AI in Healthcare Forum and the American Hospital Association's Leadership Summit, among others. His leadership has also been featured prominently across national media. In 2023, STAT News profiled him in a documentary highlighting his commitment to harnessing technology to overcome significant access challenges across the Dakotas. In 2024, Newsweek published a feature story showcasing how Sanford Health is redefining the future of rural care through its new Sanford Virtual Care Center.
Newman earned his B.S. from Drake University and his M.D. from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He completed an internal medicine residency at Hennepin County Medical Center and an endocrinology fellowship at the University of Minnesota.
Outside his clinical and innovation leadership roles, Newman is committed to youth development as a volunteer soccer coach for both club-level teams and the Olympic Development Program. An amateur DJ in his free time, he lives in Fargo, North Dakota, with his wife, Tracie, and their three children.
Session 1: AI in Healthcare
Devleena Shivakumar, Ph.D.
Devleena Shivakumar is executive director and head of computational chemistry at Revolution Medicines, where she leads computational efforts to advance targeted oncology therapeutics with a particular focus on pancreatic and lung cancers. With over 20 years of experience in computational chemistry and drug discovery, Shivakumar brings deep expertise from her previous roles at leading pharmaceutical and technology companies including Merck, Gilead Sciences and Schr枚dinger.
Shivakumar earned her Ph.D. in computational chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara, followed by postdoctoral research at the Scripps 蘑菇传媒 Institute and the University of Chicago.
She is passionate about exploring and integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches into traditional drug discovery workflows. Her extensive industry experience spans the full spectrum of drug discovery from early-stage target identification through clinical candidate selection, making her a recognized leader in the field.
Session 1: AI in Healthcare
Patrick Woodard, MHA, M.D.
Patrick Woodard serves as the chief information officer for Monument Health, where he leads multiyear strategic initiatives focused on patient access, clinician efficiency and happiness, and long-term strategic positioning for the health system. Woodard is board certified in both internal medicine and healthcare administration, leadership and management. He brings a physician's lens to demonstrate a balance between creative innovation and realism.
Prior to coming to South Dakota, he served as the chief digital officer for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and the chief medical information officer for Renown Health in Reno, Nevada. His technology background began as a startup founder during residency, bringing quality to the forefront through technology.
He resides in Rapid City, South Dakota, with his wife and a greyhound and enjoys the beauty of the Black Hills year-round.
Session 1: AI in Healthcare
Govind Thirumalai, M.S., MBA
Govind Thirumalai is a healthcare data and analytics executive with more than 15 years of experience leading enterprise data strategy, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence innovation across large health systems. He currently serves as the vice president of data and analytics at Avera Health, where he oversees the organization鈥檚 enterprise data warehouse, data science, data governance, AI governance, and the development of clinical, operational and consumer-focused analytics solutions.
Prior to joining Avera, Thirumalai served as the vice president of business intelligence at Parkview Health and held senior leadership roles directing data engineering, data science and enterprise reporting functions. His career spans the full spectrum of healthcare analytics, including electronic medical record integration, population health analytics, predictive analytics and the strategic deployment of AI and generative AI capabilities within clinical and operational workflows.
Thirumalai is passionate about the ethical and responsible use of AI in healthcare, with a focus on improving clinical decision-making, enhancing patient experience and enabling health systems to deliver more proactive and personalized care. He brings deep experience in building cross-functional AI governance structures, guiding health systems through digital transformation and advancing the use of large language models for real-world healthcare applications.
Thirumalai holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in computer science from India, a master鈥檚 degree in computer science from Western Michigan University and an MBA from Ohio State University.
Session 1: AI in Healthcare
Shivaram Poigai Arunachalam, Ph.D., DBA
Poigai Arunachalam is currently an assistant professor of medicine and radiology at Mayo Clinic. Poigai Arunachalam鈥檚 primary research and clinical interest focuses on physiologically consistent signal and image processing methods leveraging hybrid artificial intelligence and digital engineering techniques. With over 20 years of experience in AI and data science with 15 years in Mayo Clinic, Poigai Arunachalam鈥檚 unique background in biology/physiology, radiation physics and engineering has led to several innovative discovery sciences leveraging AI with potential clinical translation to improve human lives. Poigai Arunachalam established the Digital Engineering and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (DEAL) providing AI consults and technical leadership across all medicine faculties. Poigai Arunachalam also established the Microwave Engineering and Imaging Laboratory for characterizing dielectric biomarkers for AI-powered noninvasive diagnosis of various diseases. Poigai Arunachalam also holds graduate faculty appointments with the Clinical and Translational Science Department at Mayo Clinic and with University of Minnesota鈥檚 Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology Department and has mentored several postdoctorates, undergraduate/graduate students, DOM fellows and allied health professionals. Poigai Arunachalam is also the founder and CEO of Patfoci Technologies Inc. and VitalGenius Inc., which focuses on providing innovative AI powered hardware and software as medical device solutions.
Session 1: AI in Healthcare
Erica DeBoer, RN, M.A.
Erica DeBoer serves as chief nursing officer for Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the country. In this role, DeBoer provides strategic clinical leadership across quality, safety, research, care management and the integration of enterprise-wide clinical initiatives, with a focus on advancing new care delivery models.
With more than 20 years of experience as a front-line registered nurse, DeBoer鈥檚 background spans critical care, clinical leadership, education and clinical informatics. She most recently served as Sanford Health鈥檚 senior executive director of nursing and clinical services and clinical informatics, where she championed technology-enabled care, data-informed decision-making and workforce innovation. DeBoer has also served as adjunct faculty for nursing programs at 蘑菇传媒 and the University of Sioux Falls, reflecting her deep commitment to professional development and leadership growth within the nursing profession.
DeBoer oversees Sanford Health鈥檚 nursing practice 鈥 the largest division of the enterprise workforce 鈥 supporting patient and resident care across postacute, ambulatory and inpatient settings, including nearly 11,000 nurses across rural and urban communities. She views nurses as essential leaders in care transformation and as a unifying force across the health system, driving safe, high-quality care and exceptional patient experiences.
A strong advocate for aligning employee experience with patient experience, DeBoer sponsors initiatives that leverage technology and innovation to improve care quality, safety and access 鈥 particularly in rural settings. These efforts include the use of predictive analytics to inform care delivery and workforce planning, automation of nonvalue-added work to allow clinicians to practice at the top of their license and advancement of health outcomes. She believes nurses are uniquely positioned to lead these changes and play a critical role in shaping patient-centered care models for the future.
Active in several professional associations, DeBoer holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing from 蘑菇传媒 and a master鈥檚 degree in nursing from Augustana University.
DeBoer resides in Lennox with her husband, Shane, and their two children.
SDSU AI Highlights
Chulwoo Pack, Ph.D.
Chulwoo Pack is an assistant professor in the McComish Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at 蘑菇传媒 where he leads the . He has a Ph.D. in computer science from the and a B.S. from 蘑菇传媒 (dual-degree with the University of Ulsan) in 2015 and an M.S. from the university in 2017. His research focuses on scientific knowledge discovery from large-scale multimodal data, aiming to answer this question: how can artificial intelligence and human expertise work together to unlock knowledge hidden in large-scale multimodal data, driving greater accessibility and discoverability? To advance this vision, his work spans information retrieval, multimodal learning, visual reasoning, multimedia analysis, knowledge graphs and explainable AI.
SDSU AI Highlights
Semhar Michael, Ph.D.
Semhar Michael is an associate professor of statistics at the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering at 蘑菇传媒. Her expertise lies in computational statistics with an emphasis on mixture modeling, clustering of time-series and unstructured data, and forensic and health-data analytics. Michael earned her B.S. in applied mathematics from the University of Asmara, her M.S. in mathematics from the University of North Dakota and her Ph.D. in applied statistics from the University of Alabama. Her research spans a broad range of applications from identifying geographic and racial disparities in breast cancer mortality to developing statistical methods for forensic source-identification and time-series clustering. At SDSU, she teaches graduate-level courses in statistical inference, multivariate analysis and simulation and serves as associate editor for the Journal of Classification. Michael's work exemplifies the bridge between rigorous methodology and real-world impact, delivering data-driven insights across health, agriculture and justice system contexts.
SDSU AI Highlights
Victor Taylor, Ph.D.
Victor Taylor serves as the vice provost for graduate education and extended studies and professor of English-interdisciplinary studies at 蘑菇传媒. He earned his doctorate in humanities with a focus on postmodern studies from Syracuse University and has held faculty and visiting researcher positions at a variety of institutions, including Johns Hopkins University; University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, Irvine; and the University of Pennsylvania.
At SDSU, he oversees the Graduate School, Continuing and Distance Education, Instructional Design Services and the Center for Professional Enrichment and Teaching Excellence. His work also supports initiatives in artificial intelligence innovation and policy development, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and civic engagement through a Mellon Foundation grant for postcarceral students.
As a nationally-recognized humanities scholar, he has published four books and edited seven volumes on topics ranging from literary and religious studies to the philosophy of technology. His current project is a coedited volume on AI leadership in higher education with Parlor Press. Beginning in 2026, he serves as the co-director of SDSU鈥檚 Center for AI Innovation and Emergent Technologies, which is a hub for the university鈥檚 AI activities across campus.
SDSU AI Highlights
Nicholas C. Butzin, Ph.D.
Nicholas C. Butzin directs the Synthetic Biology and Biocomputing Laboratory at SDSU, where his research bridges genetic circuits, microbial decision-making and computational modeling. He is the recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his work on cellular memory and biological control systems, and he leads interdisciplinary projects advancing the design and analysis of programmable biological systems. He is also a co-lead on a major EPSCoR-supported initiative developing an artificial intelligence-driven molecular discovery platform for new antimicrobial agents. This work uses generative AI and high-throughput computational screening to identify molecules that disrupt bacterial cell death pathways, inhibit biofilm maintenance and neutralize fungal toxins. The effort carries broad societal implications, from combating antimicrobial resistance to improving food safety, and builds regional capacity through shared AI and machine learning infrastructure, expanded assay capabilities and K-12 and undergraduate STEM training. Butzin has published extensively in synthetic biology and systems microbiology and is deeply committed to student mentorship and integrating research into undergraduate and graduate education.
Session 2: Industry Voices
Zachariah Dicus, M.S.
Zachariah Dicus is an enterprise solutions architect at KBR supporting the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Center. He leads generative artificial intelligence, software modernization, DevSecOps, cloud strategy and enterprise CI/CD, and aligning technology decisions with mission outcomes. Dicus has worked extensively on creating scalable agentic AI solutions for enterprise systems, leveraging generative AI and agent-based orchestration to streamline developer workflows and enhance operational agility. His architecture work has standardized development pipelines across programs, improved release reliability and accelerated adoption of modern DevSecOps practices. His current interests include secure SDLC, cost-aware cloud transformation, and applied AI for geospatial and image-processing workloads. Dicus lives in the Sioux Falls area with his wife, three girls and an 11-year-old pug. He enjoys family time, outdoor activities, home technology projects and gardening.
Session 2: Industry Voices
Archit Malpure
Archit Malpure is a solutions architect at Amazon Web Services supporting state and local government and higher education customers. With more than five years of AWS experience he specializes in designing cloud solutions that align with the unique mission-critical needs of public sector organizations. Malpure works backwards from customer business outcomes to architect scalable, secure infrastructure that helps agencies and institutions modernize their operations and achieve strategic goals using AWS best practices.
Sesson 2: Industry Voices
Aziz Alibasic
Alibasic received his B.S. in computer science from Iowa State University and his master's in computer science, machine learning from Georgia Institute of Technology. His interests center on applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to autonomy, perception and decision-making systems, with a strong focus on transforming agricultural technologies through intelligent automation.
Session 3: AI in National Security
Ryan Burton
Burton is the vice president of analytics at CAPITAL Services in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He leads the portfolio analytics and risk team in delivering analytics, reporting and modeling that power data-driven strategy. With more than a decade of progressive leadership at CAPITAL Services, he has overseen the development, validation and optimization of predictive models, pricing strategies, and portfolio testing initiatives. Burton holds a Master of Science in statistics and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from 蘑菇传媒. He is driven by using analytics to deliver meaningful insights and measurable business impact.
Sesson 2: Industry Voices
Andy Rivers
Rivers is an executive security advisor with AWS Public Sector, where he specializes in supporting state, local government and higher education customers. Prior to joining AWS, Rivers served as the deputy chief information security officer and chief cloud architect for the state of Tennessee, leading the state's cloud adoption and application migration initiatives. He has extensive experience in IT service management and cybersecurity, including leading Cloud Center of Excellence best practices implementations. At AWS, Rivers works with security and technology leaders to enable secure, compliant cloud transformations, helping customers develop holistic security strategies and leverage the cloud in solving their toughest security challenges.
Sesson 3: AI in National Security
Chad Knutson
Knutson is a co-founder, partner and chief executive officer at SBS CyberSecurity, a company dedicated to helping organizations identify and understand cybersecurity risks to make more informed and proactive decisions.
Knutson maintains his Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) certifications. He received his Bachelor of Science in computer information systems and his Master of Science in information assurance from Dakota State University.
In 2004, Knutson was part of a small team that launched SBS with the goal of assisting financial institutions in creating tailored information security programs and meeting regulatory requirements. The company鈥檚 expertise has grown to include entities outside of financial services, such as healthcare, higher education, government agencies, energy and telecom cooperatives, and small to medium-sized businesses. As part of the executive leadership team, Knutson has worked diligently to mature the company goal beyond helping clients meet compliance and regulatory needs to helping them identify and truly understand cybersecurity risks, creating a proactive cybersecurity culture. The company has grown to a team of 90+ employees and is a preferred provider of cybersecurity products and services in 11 states.
Knutson is dedicated to providing cybersecurity training and education to everyone 鈥 directors, employees and customers alike. This led him to be a driving force in the development of the SBS Institute, where he served as president for seven years. Additionally, he is a program coordinator and faculty member for the Graduate School of Banking (University of Wisconsin-Madison), speaks at conferences across the nation, authors blog posts and articles, hosts webinars and conducts training, including sessions for state examiners.
Session 3: AI in National Security
Lieutenant Colonel Riley J. Hestermann
Hestermann is the executive officer to the adjutant general, Joint Force Headquarters, South Dakota National Guard. He serves a team of over 4,200 world-class airmen and soldiers to respond in times of state or national emergency.
Hestermann entered the Air Force in 2008 as a graduate of Colorado State University and as a Distinguished Graduate of the USAF Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 090. He served on active duty for six years before joining the South Dakota Air National Guard. During his career, Hestermann has led maintenance and munitions operations across the globe. He is a combat-proven leader who has deployed numerous times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, NATO's International Security Assistance Force Missions and across the INDOPACOM Theater. He has experience on HH-60G, F-15C, B-1B and F-16C aircraft.
Prior to his current assignment, Hestermann served as the the 175th fighter generation squadron commander, the 114th maintenance squadron commander and the 114th munitions flight commander at Joe Foss Field, South Dakota.
Hestermann and his wife, Alison, have four children, Jackson, Avaley, Colton and Maverick. They love spending time on their acreage with their animals and enjoying the outdoors in the great state of South Dakota.
In his civilian capacity Hestermann and his wife have embraced their entrepreneurial spirit, starting and successfully running several small businesses. Hestermann is an active volunteer in his community and serves on the board of directors for several nonprofit organizations.
Sesson 3: AI in National Security
Martin R. Apprich
Apprich is the chief data scientist and chief of the enterprise data science branch with the Command Data and AI Center at United States Strategic Command. In his role, he serves as the senior data scientist and subject matter expert with analysis and oversight responsibilities in the areas of advanced analytical techniques, which include artificial intelligence and machine learning.
He has 12 years鈥 experience as a senior operations research systems analyst, leading research efforts into the application of advanced analytical approaches supporting the USSTRATCOM Assessment enterprise 鈥 having led the research and development of mathematical models to predict the levels of military and strategic risk in the strategic environment.
Apprich leads the enterprise data science branch, which is responsible for coordinating the development efforts for a broad range of use-cases across the continuum of data science supporting USSTRATCOM critical mission areas. He chairs the command鈥檚 artificial intelligence advisory group, a multidisciplinary team in applying cutting-edge analytical techniques, artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance strategic assessments and decision-making processes.
Apprich was born in San Antonio, Texas. He earned his Associate of Arts degree in criminal justice from Marion Military Institute, a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Minnesota and a master鈥檚 degree in strategic studies from the U.S Army War College.
Apprich was a career U.S. Army Infantry Officer with 28 years of service across all three components of the United States Army 鈥 Army Reserve, active duty and Active Guard Reserve 鈥 retiring from active duty in 2011. He commanded infantry units from platoon-level to brigade. He commanded the largest and longest deployment of Nebraska National Guardsmen, Commanding Task Force 1-167 Cavalry, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army airborne, ranger, pathfinder and jumpmaster courses and a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
Apprich and his wife, Ginger, live in Papillion, Nebraska. Their daughter Alyssa is a senior at Colorado State University; their son Matthew McStay is an educator in the Omaha Area. Apprich is an avid mountaineer, an instrument-rated private pilot and a master licensed skydiver.
Session 3: AI in National Security
Lt. Zachary Sorenson
Sorenson was raised in Sioux Falls and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 2008. He went to 蘑菇传媒 from 2008 to 2012 where he earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics as well as a minor in computer science. Afterwards, he went to Oklahoma State University from 2012 to 2014 where he earned his Master of Science in mathematics. In 2015, he joined the U.S. Navy through the nuclear propulsion officer candidate program and commissioned before going through Officer Development School in 2016. Following ODS, he reported to Naval Nuclear Power Training Command to serve as a nuclear power school instructor from 2016-2020. He spent time in the enlisted mathematics division and Officer Chemistry, Materials and Radiological Fundamentals division. In 2020, he was selected for lateral transfer to become an intelligence officer. After completing the Naval Intelligence Officer Basic Course, he reported to Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW 17) in 2021 to serve as the staff targeting officer for the air wing. During his time with CVW 17, he performed a deployment aboard USS Nimitz as part of Carrier Strike Group 11 (CSG 11) in the INDOPACOM AOR. Sorenson reported to USSTRATCOM in December 2024 and is currently the team chief for the strategic targets divisions automation team.
Session 3: AI in National Security
Dan Gunn 鈥 Human Capital Planner
U.S. Strategic Command Air Force Officer
- Served as an aircraft navigator, performing critical roles in nuclear command and control, as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
Defense Contractor
- Managed the global distribution of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft and ships, ensuring their optimal deployment to most effectively support military commanders and national-level priorities.
- Served as a software development project manager, overseeing a team responsible for designing and creating advanced resource allocation and planning systems.
Civil Servant at U.S. Strategic Command
- Held the position of team lead, where he was instrumental in developing operations that employed U.S. Strategic Command assets, including bombers, ballistic missile submarines, missile defense forces and command and control capabilities. His work focused on sustaining and strengthening strategic deterrence during steady-state operations, pandemic responses and crisis situations.
- Currently serves as a human capital planner, responsible for strategic workforce planning, organizational alignment and advising on departmental needs to best enable integrated strategic deterrence.
Education
- B.S. in Political Science, U.S. Air Force Academy
- Master of Political Administration, University of Oklahoma
Session 2: Industry Voices
Andy Rivers
Rivers is an executive security advisor with AWS Public Sector, where he specializes in supporting state, local government and higher education customers. Prior to joining AWS, Rivers served as the deputy chief information security officer and chief cloud architect for the state of Tennessee, leading the state's cloud adoption and application migration initiatives. He has extensive experience in IT service management and cybersecurity, including leading Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE) best practices implementations. At AWS, Rivers works with security and technology leaders to enable secure, compliant cloud transformations, helping customers develop holistic security strategies and leverage the cloud in solving their toughest security challenges.
Closing Remarks
Kevin Moe, IT Solutions Architect at KBR Inc.
Kevin Moe is a senior enterprise solutions architect with more than three decades of experience leading large鈥憇cale software, cloud and data platforms across commercial and federal environments. He brings deep expertise in enterprise and cloud architecture, event鈥慸riven system design and complex system integration, shaped by a 28鈥憏ear career at IBM where he led global engineering organizations, delivered mission鈥慶ritical platforms. Known for aligning technical strategy with measurable business outcomes, Moe consistently drives modernization initiatives that balance architectural rigor, operational resilience and cost efficiency.
Currently, Moe serves as a senior enterprise solutions architect with KBR, leading digital transformation efforts supporting federal science and data programs. His work includes architecting FedRAMP鈥慶ompliant cloud environments, infrastructure鈥慳s鈥慶ode automation and highly scalable data processing systems. A Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and long鈥憇tanding academic advisor, Moe serves on multiple engineering and university advisory boards and is widely recognized for developing future technical and executive leaders through mentorship, partnership and community engagement.