Program
Speakers & Agenda
Final Conference Schedule
QASC 2026 has concluded. Explore the complete schedules, papers, and speaker profiles from all three days below.
All times are Louisiana local time, Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC-5).
Days 1 and 2 paper presentations: 10 minutes per talk, followed by 5 minutes of Q&A.
Day 1 / 25 September 2026
Grambling State University · In person
8:00 AM
Registration
8:00 - 9:00 AM
Breakfast
9:00 - 10:00 AM
Opening Remarks
President and University Leadership, Grambling State University and Chicago State University
10:00 - 10:30 AM
Keynote 1
SS Iyenger
ZeroTrust Screen-Machine Learned Network Forensic Sniffing & Behavior Analysis for Intrusion Detection Systems
Florida International University
10:35 - 11:00 AM
Keynote 2
James Joshi
AI Privacy -Challenges & Road Ahead
University of Pittsburgh
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Session 1 (Session chairs: Bharat S. Rawal & Vashanth Iyer)
- Paper 8A Hybrid No-Sum Sequences (HNS) for Cryptography and Key Generation (Authors: Bharat Rawal)
- Paper 32BDZT: Behavior-Driven Zero Trust Security with Post-Quantum Cryptography for Heterogeneous Quantum Processors (Authors: Christopher Turk; James Manns; Neha Srivastava)
- Paper 39Enhancing Facial Emotion Recognition Using EfficientNet-B4 with Advanced Augmentation Techniques (Authors: Dr. Jaya Sharma; Harshit Sahu; Janmejay Pathak; Shivraj Bhalekar; Dr. Sudeep Ramesh; Dr. Jude Thomas)
- Paper 95Design of a Hybrid Classical-Quantum Framework for Quantum-Aware Database Query Processing (Authors: Jaclyn Claiborne; Tenicka Norwood; Pushpita Chatterjee; Dr. Debashis Das; Uttam Ghosh)
- Paper 97An Intent-Based Networking Framework for Closed-Loop Reliable Small UAS Operations (Authors: Pushpita Chatterjee; Tenicka Norwood; Elizabeth Serena Bentley; Dr. Debashis Das; Uttam Ghosh)
- Paper 73Quantum-Enhanced Distributed Sensor Fusion: Lower Bounds on Aggregation from Projection Noise to Heisenberg-Limited Byzantine-Tolerant Networks (Authors: Vasanth Iyer)
- Paper 63Explainable AI-Driven Attack Detection in Quantum Key Distribution Networks Using GA-Optimised Random Forests and SHAPAnalysis (Authors: Gopal Chaudhary; Vishal Srivastava; Bharat Rawal)
- Paper 7912:45 PMQuantum-Enhanced Federated Learning for Privacy-Preserving Healthcare Analytics (Authors: vamshikrishna challa)
1:00 - 1:15 PM
Keynote Luncheon
Collect your lunch and take your seat. Keynote presentations begin at 1:35 PM.
1:35 - 1:55 PM
Keynote 3
Talitha Washington
Topic: TBD (AI)
Executive Director, Center for Applied Data Science and Analytics, Howard University
2:00 - 2:30 PM
Keynote 4
Portia Singh
Beyond the Sandbox: Trust, Containment, and the Populations AI Safety Forgets
University of Pittsburgh
2:30 - 4:30 PM
Panel Discussions / 3 Presentations
Biswaranjan Senapati
Accenture LLP
Bio-Quantum Computers and Industrial Application in Cybersecurity and PQC
William (Bill) Butler
Capitol Technology University
Topic to be announced
E.G. Nadhan
Chief Quantum Ambassador, QuantaCyber
Expertise can be delegated. Board judgment and accountability cannot be!
4:30 - 5:30 PM
Keynote 5
Rajkumar Buyya
Neoteric Frontiers in Cloud and Quantum Computing
Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor, University of Melbourne; Director, qCLOUDS Laboratory; Founding CEO, Manjrasoft
6:00 PM
End of Day
Day 2 / 26 September 2026
Virtual (Online)
8:00 - 8:30 AM
Keynote 6
Vikram Das
Post-Quantum Cryptography: The basics, and what the patient adversary is already waiting to use
8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Session 2 (Session chairs: Vivya Kalidindi & Ujunwa Madububa Mbachu)
- Paper 34Q-FlowOpt: A Quantum-Inspired Hybrid Framework for Dynamic Resource Allocation in Multi-Zone Cyber-Physical Systems (Authors: Shwetha Ramadas; Krutthika Hirebasur; Sudhir Trivedi)
- Paper 39Enhancing Facial Emotion Recognition Using EfficientNet-B4 with Advanced Augmentation Techniques (Authors: Dr. Jaya Sharma; Harshit Sahu; Janmejay Pathak; Shivraj Bhalekar; Dr. Sudeep Ramesh; Dr. Jude Thomas)
- Paper 52Quantum-Safe eBPF-Based Runtime Security for Cloud-Native Service Meshes (Authors: Samuel Tweneboah-Koduah; Shahram Wali; Anthony Tsetse; Erik Moore; Ramjee Prasad)
- Paper 67Explainable AI-Driven Cybersecurity for Energy-Aware Green IoT Networks (Authors: Sara Kengesbayeva; Nurzhigit Smailov; Zhandos Dosbayev)
- Paper 75Defensible Governance Evidence for Post-Quantum Cryptography Migration: A Tamper-Evident Evidence Chain and Prototype Evaluation (Authors: Bharathi Vivekanandan)
- Paper 78Zero-Trust Guardrails for Shared Student Cyberinfrastructure (Authors: Harold Ramcharan)
- Paper 80EnterpriseBench: A Benchmark Framework for Evaluating Agentic AI Systems in Enterprise Environments (Authors: Dambarbhadur Rawal; Ramesh Naidu Kristamsetty; Alexander Peter; Richard Watson Stephen Amudha; Kishan Haravu Pradeep; Antony Johan)
- Paper 49Next-Generation Cryptography for Secure E-Commerce Platforms: A Restaurant Case Study (Authors: Gage Harper; Jelani Stevenson; James Lamonth; Bharat Rawal)
10:30 - 11:00 AM
Keynote 7
Eman Hammad
University of Toronto
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Session 3 (Session chairs: Yufan Chen & Krutthika Hirebasur Krishnappa)
- Paper 37Benchmarking Machine Learning Pipelines for Network Intrusion Detection on NSL-KDD: A Systematic Zero-Day Gap Analysis (Authors: Emmanuel Akwasi Opoku; Shwetha Ramadas)
- Paper 59GovernRAG: A Governance-Manifest Architecture with Reference-Monitor Mediation for Auditable Retrieval-Augmented Generation (Authors: Vivek Gunasekaran)
- Paper 68Enhancing College Students’ Mental Health Using Graph Neural Network on mHealth App Dataset (Authors: Alissa Forde; Kalayu Belay; Hongmei Chi)
- Paper 71DQN-Based Trajectory Optimization for Mobile Boat-Assisted RF–UWOC Networks (Authors: Vinay Kumar)
- Paper 76Predictive Biomarker Discovery for Diabetic Retinopathy via Machine Learning Analysis on Gene Expression Data (Authors: Arpana Basnet; Sumit Katuwal; Roshan Paudel)
- Paper 77Adaptive Quantum Feature Encoding for Hybrid Quantum Machine Learning: A Dynamic Feature-weighted Framework for Prediction of Soil Fertility (Authors: Sai Priya Nelli; Nagamani M; Srikanth T)
- Paper 85AI-Tagged Quantum Retrieval for Galaxy Morphology Catalogs Using DenseNet121 Classification and Simulated Grover Search (Authors: Kamaleshwaran Vivekanandan)
- Paper 93The Governance Evidence Reference Architecture (GERA): An Evidence-Centric Design Science Artifact for Trustworthy and Auditable AI Governance (Authors: Bharathi Vivekanandan)
1:00 - 1:45 PM
Lunch & Panel Discussion
Transforming Research into Real-World Impact through Quantum, AI, and Cybersecurity
This panel convenes experts from academia, industry, and research organizations to discuss how advances in quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity can progress from experimental research to practical, trustworthy, and scalable systems. The discussion will address how these fields converge and what it means for research, education, technology development, and industry over the next five years.
Panelists will examine opportunities in quantum computing, AI-assisted scientific discovery, machine learning, post-quantum cybersecurity, intelligent systems, trustworthy AI, and hybrid quantum-classical technologies. They will also address key challenges such as security, privacy, explainability, reliability, scalability, governance, and the transition from prototypes to operational deployment.
Collaboration will be a central theme. Academia offers fundamental research and workforce development, industry brings real-world requirements and deployment experience, and research organizations connect scientific discovery with validation, standards, and large-scale experimentation. The panel will consider how these sectors can collaborate more effectively to accelerate responsible innovation.
The panel will also discuss how universities can prepare students and researchers for an increasingly interdisciplinary technology landscape. Participants will identify the skills, research priorities, partnerships, and educational models needed to support the next generation of quantum, AI, and cybersecurity professionals.
Moderator
Dhananjay Singh
Penn State University
Panelist
Annamaria Szakonyi
Assistant Professor; Technology and Cybersecurity Expert
Panelist
Funminiyi Olajide
Penn State University Park
Panelist
Tatiana Cardona
Saint Louis University, USA
Panelist
Jude Osamor
Barclays Bank
Panelist
Stephen Sobulo
NorthPoint Technology Institute
1:45 - 4:00 PM
Session 4 (Session chairs: Vasanth Iyer & Jaya Sharma)
- Paper 3Algorithmic Opacity and Consumer Welfare: A Discrete Choice Analysis of AI-Mediated Markets (Authors: JACOB ANKAMAH; Stephen Hynes; Isaac Amankona Obiri; Jacob Asravor; Michael Owusu Ansah)
- Paper 40A Quantum-Inspired Resonance Framework for Mantra-Induced Neural Coherence, Standing-Wave Synchronization, Vagus Nerve Modulation, and Biomagnetic Organization (Authors: Pawan Shukla; Aditya Pal; V. S. Tripathi; Anand Sharma)
- Paper 54DevOps Data Intelligence for Continuous Delivery Performance Optimization (Authors: Asadullah Mohammed)
- Paper 55AI-Driven Workforce Skill Evolution Modelling (Authors: Sudarshan Mondal)
- Paper 64A Survey of AI-Driven Modern Database Systems: Security Risks, Consistency Challenges, and Performance Trade-offs (Authors: UJUNWA MADUBUBA MBACHU; Abhishek Raj Maskey; Connor Heard; Dominic Rosario; Sean Bell; Samyog Acharya; Sushanta Timalsina; Caden Edward)
- Paper 82EchoMind: Secure Full-Duplex Retrieval-Augmented Voice and Document Intelligence for Enterprise Knowledge Work (Authors: Karthikeswaran Imayaraj; Richard Watson Stephen Amudha; Preetham Ganesh; Antony Johan; Anita Johan; Dr. Alexander Peter)
- Paper 87Routing-First On-Premises Document ETL: A Multi-Metric Benchmark of Eight PDF Parser Configurations on NVIDIA DGXSpark (Authors: Karthikeswaran Imayaraj; Richard Watson Stephen Amudha; Kishan Haravu Pradeep; Brian Jacobs; Aldrick James Johan; Abram Francis Johan; Dr. Alexander Peter)
- Paper 88Multi-Objective Quantum Neural Network Architecture Search for Disaster Traffic Forecasting (Authors: Huruy Bsrat; Alex Wang; Hongmei Chi)
- Paper 91TRUST-IT: Trustworthy User-Level Security Learning for Insider Threat Detection (Authors: Ambairam Muthu Sivakrishna; Mohan Ramasundaram)
4:00 - 4:30 PM
Coffee Break
5:00 PM
End of Day
Day 3 / 27 September 2026
Virtual (Online)
8:00 - 11:40 AM
Session 6 (Session chairs: Biswaranjan Senapati & Sandeep Chauhan)
15 minutes per presentation, followed by 5 minutes of Q&A.
8:00 - 8:20 AM
Sandeep Chauhan
IT Architect
The Intralogistics Revolution: AI & Automation inside SAP EWM
8:20 - 8:40 AM
Vijay Sudhakar
Sr. Technical PM, Apple
How AI / ML is transforming and enabling enterprises to adopt and leverage its benefits
8:40 - 9:00 AM
Sreekanth Narayan
Sr. IT Program Manager
AI-Driven Enterprise Architecture for Regulated Industries: A Governance, Compliance, and Resilience Framework
9:00 - 9:20 AM
Pankaj Kumar Yadav
Database Engineering Expert
Designing Agentic AI Systems with Advanced RAG & Modern Data Architectures
9:20 - 9:40 AM
Anjan Chatterjee
Sr. Architect, AbbVie
Quantum-Ready Prior Authorization for Patient Access
9:40 - 10:00 AM
Vivek Gunasekaran
AI Governance Specialist
Trustworthy AI in High-Stakes Environments: A Six-Level Governance Lifecycle for Regulated Industries
10:00 - 10:20 AM
Harshavardhan Peddireddy
Platform Data Architect, Meijer Inc.
Privacy-Preserving Synthetic Data for Trustworthy Enterprise AI: A Governance-Driven Framework Validated at Scale
10:20 - 10:40 AM
Saroj Kumar Nayak
Senior Enterprise Solution Architect
Scaling Oracle Cloud ERP with AI and Machine Learning (From static configuration to continuous, evidence-based optimization)
10:40 - 11:00 AM
Dr. Lakshman Kumar Kanulla
Sr SAP SD S4HANA Functional Consultant, Apple
Intelligent Order-to-Cash Transformation Using SAP S/4HANA and Artificial Intelligence
11:00 - 11:20 AM
Vignesh Vimalesan
Electronic Controls Specialist, Cummins Inc.
Cybersecurity for Automotive Service Tools
11:20 - 11:40 AM
Dharmateja Priyadarshi Uddandarao
Senior Data Scientist, Amazon
Measuring AI Investment Through Causal Thinking: From Counterfactuals to Capital Allocation
11:40 AM
Conference Closing / Thank You Notes
Biswaranjan Senapati / Bharat S. Rawal
Presentation Guidelines
Prepare your conference presentation using the recommended structure and formatting guidance. Aim for 8–10 slides in widescreen (16:9) format, with body text of at least 18 pt. Paper presentations allow 10 minutes for the talk, followed by 5 minutes for Q&A.
Download Presentation Guidelines (PPTX)Speaker Profiles
Meet the speakers in the final conference lineup and explore their biographies and presentation topics.
Biswaranjan Senapati
Accenture LLP
Bio-Quantum Computers and Industrial Application in Cybersecurity and PQC
Dharmateja Priyadarshi Uddandarao
Senior Data Scientist, Amazon
Measuring AI Investment Through Causal Thinking: From Counterfactuals to Capital Allocation
Vijay Sudhakar
Sr. Technical PM, Apple
How AI / ML is transforming and enabling enterprises to adopt and leverage its benefits
Sreekanth Narayan
Sr. IT Program Manager
AI-Driven Enterprise Architecture for Regulated Industries: A Governance, Compliance, and Resilience Framework
Pankaj Kumar Yadav
Database Engineering Expert
Designing Agentic AI Systems with Advanced RAG & Modern Data Architectures
Anjan Chatterjee
Sr. Architect, AbbVie
Quantum-Ready Prior Authorization for Patient Access
Vivek Gunasekaran
AI Governance Specialist
Trustworthy AI in High-Stakes Environments: A Six-Level Governance Lifecycle for Regulated Industries
Harshavardhan Peddireddy
Platform Data Architect, Meijer Inc.
Privacy-Preserving Synthetic Data for Trustworthy Enterprise AI: A Governance-Driven Framework Validated at Scale
Saroj Kumar Nayak
Senior Enterprise Solution Architect
Scaling Oracle Cloud ERP with AI and Machine Learning (From static configuration to continuous, evidence-based optimization)
Sandeep Chauhan
IT Architect
The Intralogistics Revolution: AI & Automation inside SAP EWM
Dr. Lakshman Kumar Kanulla
Sr SAP SD S4HANA Functional Consultant, Apple
Intelligent Order-to-Cash Transformation Using SAP S/4HANA and Artificial Intelligence
Vignesh Vimalesan
Electronic Controls Specialist, Cummins Inc.
Cybersecurity for Automotive Service Tools