Work with thought leaders and academic experts from North Dakota State University

**Dr. Benjamin Bengfort is co-founder and CEO of Rotational Labs. Benjamin is an experienced systems engineer, programmer and data scientist. Driven by a desire to build large systems with many users that have a global impact, he takes pride in solutions where many small interactions combine to create complex dynamics. As the CEO of Rotational Labs, his goal is to apply advanced distributed computing, networking, open source software, education, and machine learning to solutions that allow us to collaborate more effectively around the world to solve big problems.**

Dr. Ken Lepper is a highly educated and experienced geologist with a passion for environmental science. He earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Oklahoma State University in 2001, focusing on dosimetric geochronology. Prior to that, he received his Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences from The Ohio State University in 1995. Dr. Lepper has spent his career studying and teaching about geological processes and environmental issues. He currently holds a position as a Professor of Geology at North Dakota State University, where he shares his knowledge and expertise with students. He has also conducted extensive research on topics such as climate change, paleohydrology, and land use effects on the environment. In addition to his academic pursuits, Dr. Lepper is committed to applying his knowledge to real-world issues. He is a strong advocate for responsible and ethical environmental practices, and workplace safety. He strives to educate others on the importance of preserving our planet for future generations. Dr. Lepper's combination of education and experience make him a highly qualified and valuable resource in the field of environmental science and surfical geology. His dedication to research, teaching, and mentoring make him a respected and influential figure in the academic and environmental communities.

### Dr. Bryce Van Vleet earned a PhD from North Dakota State University in Developmental Science. He is a first year assistant professor of psychology at Eastern Mennonite University where he directs the Rural T.R.U.S.T lab, a social science research lab that seeks to understand well-being, resiliency, and trust in science across rural America. His current projects investigate queer well-being in rural America, advocate for empathy towards vaccine hesitancy in adulthood, and models how rural parents impart coping skills to their children. Dr. Van Vleet has been published in numerous top tier academic journals including The Gerontologist and Innovation in Aging. He is a member of the Gerontological Society of America and specializes in adult development, rurality, and qualitative methodology. He has a particular passion for making science accessible to laypeople and working with communities and business to investigate the research questions they are passionate about.

Biologist-Ecologist, High School Science teacher, and cellist in rural MO.

* PhD in Plant Pathology with 6+ years’ experience in research resulting in 7 publications including 2 in Plant Disease and 4 technical abstracts in Phytopathology of the American Phytopathological Society.   * Experienced in designing and executing assays including isolation, quantification and characterization of bacteria and fungi from diverse environments using molecular and standard biochemical tests leading to the development and fulfillment of new and existing projects with the ability to assess the current state of existing technology related to microbiology and plant pathology, as evidenced by 1 Book Chapter, and a news article in the American Phytopathological Society News.  * Strong communication skills with an ability to manage assigned projects relevant to the characterization and quantification of bacteria and fungi, as evidenced by 4 presentations at National Meetings of the American Phytopathological Society and 10 to stakeholders and collaborators.

Dr. Rohit Khanna is a highly educated and experienced researcher in the field of materials science and engineering. He earned his Ph.D. in Materials and Nanotechnology from North Dakota State University in 2010, focusing on the development and characterization of advanced ceramic materials. Prior to this, he completed his M. Tech. in Materials Science and Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in 2006 and his B. Engg. in Ceramic Engineering from National Institute of Technology Rourkela in 2001. He then moved on to work as a Postdoctoral Scholar at Pennsylvania State University, where he further expanded his expertise in the field of materials science. Dr. Khanna has also gained international research experience through his work as a Visiting Research Scientist and JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow at Chubu University in Japan. During this time, he focused on developing new materials for biomedical and energy applications. Dr. Khanna worked as an Assistant Professor of Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he mentored graduate students and conducted research on the synthesis and characterization of novel materials for various applications. He also worked as Principal Scientist at Durahip LLC, where he led research projects related to developing high-performance ceramic materials for medical implant applications. Dr. Khanna's research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals and he has presented his work at various national and international conferences. He is also a member of several professional organizations, including the American Ceramic Society and Materials Research Society. Overall, Dr. Khanna is a highly accomplished researcher with a strong background in materials science and engineering. His extensive education and diverse research experience make him a valuable asset in the field of materials science.