The Honorable Sethuraman Panchanathan

The Honorable Sethuraman Panchanathan
University Professor of Technology and Innovation
Foundation Chair in Computing and Augmented Intelligence
Arizona State University

The Honorable Sethuraman Panchanathan is a computer scientist and engineer. He is a leader in the fields of science, engineering, and education, with more than three decades of experience in
higher education and government. Throughout his career, he has designed and built knowledge enterprises aimed at advancing research innovation, strategic partnerships, entrepreneurship,
global development, and economic growth.

From 2020-2025, he served as the 15th Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), a $9 billion independent federal agency and the only government agency charged with advancing all fields of scientific discovery, technological innovation, and STEM education. During his tenure, he established the first new directorate in 31 years, the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, aimed at delivering “Innovation Everywhere for Everyone” by accelerating the translation of science and technology for economic progress, national security, and societal
impact.

Panchanathan currently serves as the University Professor of Technology and Innovation at Arizona State University, where he has held a faculty appointment since 1997. His previous roles at ASU include leading the university’s research portfolio as the executive vice president of the ASU Knowledge Enterprise and the chief research and innovation officer. Under his leadership, ASU
increased its research performance fivefold, earning recognition as the fastest growing and most innovative research university in the U.S. Panchanathan has received numerous recognitions for his scientific work during his career; in 2025, he was awarded the Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian awards bestowed by the Government of India, in recognition of his distinguished contributions to science. He is a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Inventors as well as a Member of the National Academy of Engineering. In April 2026, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego appointed him to lead the Phoenix Quantum Strategy to unite government, industry, and academia to accelerate development in quantum computing, communication, and sensing.

Panchanathan received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computing Engineering from the University of Ottawa. He is married to Sarada “Soumya” Panchanathan, an academic pediatrician and
informatician, who has taught medical students, pediatric residents and informatics fellows. They have two adult children, Amritha and Roshan, and three grandchildren.

Mr. S. Ramann

Mr S. Ramann assumed charge as Chairperson, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) on 20th June, 2025.

Mr. Ramann served as an officer of the Indian Audit & Accounts Service (IA&AS) from the 1991 batch. Prior to joining PFRDA, he served as the Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General and Chief Technology Officer in the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

He has previously held several leadership positions, including Chairman and Managing Director of the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), Managing Director of NeSL – Information Utility, Principal Accountant General of the State of Jharkhand; Chief General Manager (CGM) and then as Executive Director at the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) during the period 2006 to 2013.

Mr. Ramann holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics followed by an MBA from the University of Delhi. Amongst his professional and academic qualifications are an M.Sc. in Financial Regulation from the London School of Economics and Political Science, an LLB, Chief Digital Officer certification from the Indian School of Business, the Certified Internal Auditor credential from the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), Florida, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Securities Law.

Prof. Manjul Gupta

Doctoral Director, Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics,
Ryder MIS Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair,
Professor, Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics, Florida International University, USA

Dr. Manjul Gupta is the Ryder MIS Eminent Scholar and Professor of Information Systems and Business Analytics at Florida International University. He holds a PhD in Management Information Systems from Iowa State University. Dr. Gupta also serves as the Director of Doctoral Programs in Information Systems and Business Analytics department.

He is internationally recognized for his research on the role of national and organizational culture in technology-driven phenomena, including artificial intelligence and big data analytics. His research has appeared in leading journals, including MIS Quarterly (MISQ), European Journal of Information Systems (EJIS), Production and Operations Management (POM), Health Affairs, Information & Management, and the Journal of Business Research. His work on artificial intelligence and big data analytics, particularly his highly cited Big Data Analytics Capability (BDAC) framework, has had significant influence on research in these areas.

Dr. Gupta serves in Associate Editor roles at leading business journals, including the Journal of Business Research and Information & Management. Most recently, he authored a book titled “PQ-7: You Against Yourself,” which introduces a seven-dimensional framework for understanding human growth through the context of sports.

Prof. Ted Feichin TSCHANG

Session:

Generative AI and human-like intelligence: What’s human enough, and what’s not?

The talk will discuss a variety of human-like characteristics of large language models (AI for short), and how AI firms, computer scientists, and humans at work all hold different views of AI’s capabilities, and why. Some implications for work and theory, and selected trends in AI, will be discussed.

Prof. Mikko Rönkkö

Mikko Rönkkö is a Professor of Entrepreneurship at Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics (JSBE) and a Docent at Aalto University School of Science in the field of statistical
methods in management research, where he also completed his doctorate. He is recognized as one of the leading quantitative research experts in management, with research interests spanning
growth entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial software companies, and quantitative research methods in management research. He is currently the most cited professor in business studies at JSBE
according to ISI Web of Science data, and ranks as the highest impact researcher at JSBE in the Stanford/Elsevier’s Top 2% Scientist Rankings.

Dr. Rönkkö serves as an Associate Editor for *Organizational Research Methods* and is on the editorial board of *Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice*. Previously, he served as department
editor in the *Journal of Operations Management*, handling methodological articles. His excellence in reviewing has been recognized through multiple awards, including the Distinguished Service Award from the Journal of Operations Management.

He maintains an influential research methods-focused YouTube channel with over 10,000 subscribers and more than 1 million views at (https://www.youtube.com/mronkko), providing
extensive digital learning materials including over 300 professional-quality video lectures. 

In addition to his academic career, Dr. Rönkkö has significant entrepreneurial experience, having founded three companies. Most notably, he founded aTalent Recruiting, which now has
consolidated revenues in the €5-10M class and continues to fulfill its social mission of connecting companies with the right talent.