INVITED SPEAKERS

Brad Day, PhD
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Innovation Initiatives,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Inaugural Keynote Lecturer

Dr. Brad Day is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Innovation Initiatives at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He joined the university in November 2021, is responsible for the development of new, cross- disciplinary, research activities which capture the strengths, and opportunities of faculty at UT. Importantly, in this role, he is focusing on convergence research activities to eliminate traditionally, siloed disciplinary-focused research and innovation. A demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Skilled in Cell Biology, Research, Molecular Genetics, Higher Education, and University Teaching.

Prior to UT, Day was a Foundation Professor at Michigan State University where his research focused on the molecular-genetic regulation of plant immune signaling. His research was funded by a breadth of national and international funding agencies, including NSF, USDA, NIH, Asian Development Bank, the Gates Foundation. During his time at MSU, he spent 1 year as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation. Prior to MSU, he was a NIH-funded postdoctoral scholar at UC-Berkeley, and an NSF- postdoc at the National Institute of Agroenvironmental Resources in Tsukuba, Japan.

Anahita Khojandi, Dr. (PhD)
Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Heath Endowed Faculty Fellow, Business & Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
2nd Day - Inaugural Keynote Lecturer

Anahita Khojandi is a Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the Heath Endowed Faculty Fellow in Business & Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She earned her Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on decision-making under uncertainty and partial information, machine learning, and reinforcement learning, with applications to complex systems, particularly in healthcare and genomics.

Dr. Khojandi's research has been supported by several U.S. federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, and Department of Defense. She has co-authored nearly 120 peer-reviewed articles, published in prestigious journals and conferences. Her research has received multiple awards, including the Best Application Paper in IISE Transactions (2025), First Place in the Harvey J. Greenberg Research Award from INFORMS Computing Society (2022), and the Best Paper Award of the Year from OMEGA – The International Journal of Management Science (in both 2021 and 2020).

She currently serves as Vice President of Membership and Professional Recognition at INFORMS, the largest professional association for the decision and data sciences. In 2025, she was accepted into the Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering and Science (ELATES) program at Drexel University. In 2024, she was selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for a Science & Technology Policy Fellowship (STPF) in the Rapid Response Cohort in AI, with a placement at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2023, she was named an NIH AIM-AHEAD Leadership Fellow.

Glen Balch, MD
Director of the Cancer Institute Professor of Surgery
University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville
Invited Speaker

Dr. Balch is a highly respected clinician, academic leader and innovator, distinguished in surgical oncology, colorectal surgery, and robotic surgery. His medical journey began at the University of Texas at Houston, followed by a general surgery internship and residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He then completed advanced training in Surgical Oncology and Colorectal Surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Dr. Balch earned a Physician Executive MBA from the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee in 2013, equipping him with the expertise required for advanced leadership roles in health care.

Bernard Kim
Director of Global Sales and Marketing, Norgen Biotek
Invited Speaker
(Participating by the invitation of Letgen Biotechnology.)

With 25 years of experience in academia, government laboratories, and the biotechnology sector across Germany, the United States, and Canada, Bernard Kim has been dedicated to advancing transformative diagnostic solutions that shape global healthcare. As Senior Vice President and General Manager at Seegene and Norgen Biotek, he led the development of a comprehensive molecular diagnostic platform, redefining clinical sample processing—from collection and nucleic acid purification to full automation.

Holding a Ph.D. in Molecular Plant Pathology, Bernard Kim completed postdoctoral research focused on rapid diagnostics, biological control, and plant-pathogen interactions to protect agricultural health. This foundation inspired a transition toward public health, where he managed research and development and manufacturing teams, successfully launching over 50 products in molecular diagnostics, RNA/DNA purification, and sample collection at Norgen Biotek.

He is attending the congress as an esteemed guest of Letgen, the Main Sponsor of the congress and the Turkish distributor for Norgen Biotek.

Michael Francom
Regional Agricultural Counselor
U.S. Embassy, Ankara, Turkiye
Invited Speaker

Michael Francom is the Regional Agricultural Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara. In addition to Turkiye, he is responsible for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Central Asia. His prior overseas assignments include China, Ethiopia, and back-to-back postings in South Korea. Michael has also worked in various positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.

Michael earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Utah and Master of Arts in International Affairs from George Washington University.

Michael is married with six children and two grandchildren, and is a native of Utah.

Denita Hadziabdic-Guerry, Dr. (PhD)
Associate Professor, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology
Fulbright Ambassador
Invited Speaker

Dr. Denita Hadziabdic-Guerry is a researcher specializing in the population genetics of fungal plant pathogens, population biology, forest health, forest pathology, and the diversity and conservation of native plants. Her research is driven by a strong commitment to addressing global challenges at the intersection of biodiversity and food security. A central focus of her work is the preservation of indigenous and nutritionally important plants adapted to climate change, with the goal of contributing to hunger eradication efforts across the African continent. By safeguarding plant biodiversity, Dr. Hadziabdic-Guerry seeks to strengthen regional food security, promote scientific literacy, and inspire and mentor the next generation of science ambassadors in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ashok Vaseashta, Dr. (PhD)
CTO/Researcher
International Clean Water Institute, Manassas, USA
Invited Speaker

Ashok Vaseashta is Executive Director for strategic research with the International Clean Water Institute in Virginia, USA. He served as a Professor at Virginia Tech and Marshall University, Director of Research at the Institute for Advanced Sciences Convergence and International Clean Water Institute for NUARI, Vice-Provost (Rector) for Research in South Carolina, and Executive Director and Chair of the Institutional Review Board in New Jersey. He received a Ph.D. from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, in 1990, followed by Kobe post-doctoral fellowship. He was awarded an Honoris Causa doctorate from Riga Technical University and an Honorary full membership of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova. He served the U.S. Department of State in two rotations as a strategic S&T advisor. Inspired by nature and guided by societal necessities, he strives for technological innovations to address the global challenges of the 21^st century using the nexus of advanced technological platforms. He specializes in dual-use research to identify opportunities and challenges, using research tools such as foresight, heuristics, artificial intelligence, and complexity science. His research interests include chem.-bio sensors, nanotechnology, environmental/ecotoxicology science, critical infrastructure protection, and the environmental impact of micro/nano plastics - all using the nexus of advanced technological solution platforms. He is the author/editor of 25 books and has published over 350 articles in scientific journals, book chapters, and conferences. He serves on the editorial boards of several international journals and is an active member of various professional organizations.