John Hassell, PhD, MBA, an Associate Professor of Software Development at the OU Polytechnic Institute, brings over three decades of industry experience, primarily in the Tulsa region, to his teaching role. His expertise spans front and back-end commercial web application development, iPhone and Android mobile app creation, and embedded systems programming, with applications in various sectors including the oil and gas industry's upstream and downstream segments, and embedded systems projects for first responder and defense applications. Dr. Hassell combines his industry experience with a strong commitment to education, advocating for active learning in software development to equip students with practical skills. His entrepreneurial spirit led to the founding of ZigBeef in 2006, the University of Oklahoma's first student technology spinoff company, focusing on long-range cattle RFID technology. This company was a direct implementation of the ideas presented in his doctoral dissertation. Additionally, he has shared his insights into entrepreneurship as a past adjunct professor at the University of Tulsa, underscoring his dedication to bridging the gap between academia and industry practice through learning-by-doing.

Tana Fitzpatrick, J.D., serves as Director of the Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research at the University of Oklahoma, where she leads initiatives advancing policy research on tribal sovereignty and governance. She previously served the U.S. Congress as a policy specialist with the Congressional Research Service in the Library of Congress, where she authored several products on tribal lands, natural resources, and appropriations. Her recent work explores tribal access to legal representation and the intersection of artificial intelligence and tribal governance. She is also micro credentialed in AI for Tribal Leadership by the College of the Muscogee Nation.

Evelyn Castro Cox, Ph.D., is the Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research, Research Project Manager at the University of Oklahoma. Her areas of interest are at the intersection of culture, technology, archives, information access, ethics, and representation, particularly around the use of technology for social, generational, and cultural perpetuation and transference. Her recent work examines the literature around AI in a Tribal Context, seeking to identify how Tribal Nations are using AI as tools, while examining current uses, areas of major promise, gaps, potential risks, and ethical implications. She will be a lightning talk presenter at the Past Meets Future at ASIS&T 2025 conference presenting on AI and Tribal Nations: Cultural Considerations for Potential and Impact.