Conference Committee
Chair
Ajay Prasad is a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) professional based out of the Metro Detroit area with 21+ years of experience & expertise in the implementation and technical sales of ENOVIA PLM across various industries. Ajay has a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Industrial Engineering & Management from RV College of Engineering, Bangalore, India and Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Birmingham, UK. After graduating, he worked in mainframes technology and later in PLM, implementing and customizing ENOVIA solutions across industries like automotive, healthcare & industrial equipment working with customers across the globe. Ajay currently works as an ENOVIA Worldwide Industry Process Expert at Dassault Systemes being responsible for technical sales and go to market of ENOVIA PLM. He serves as a bridge between field teams, customers and product R&D in pre and post sales situations to foster customer success and adoption of ENOVIA PLM. He is also the "Knowledge and Know How Manager" responsible for securing data sources needed for developing AI powered experiences in ENOVIA PLM. Besides his career as a PLM professional, Ajay is also a Senior Member of IEEE and part of the Southeastern Michigan (SEM) section. He is also a US Patent holder and has published a technical paper in SAE besides authoring technical articles and opinions in Engineering.com and IEEE SEM Wavelengths.
Secretary
Raghu C Nallapati is a distinguished researcher and embedded software professional dedicated to shaping the future of transportation through advanced embedded systems and Artificial Intelligence. With 11 years of extensive experience in the automotive domain, Raghu has established himself as a leader in Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) architecture, embedded controls, autonomous, and law-enforcement technologies. Currently, Raghu is a Software Team Lead at General Motors, where he oversees Body Controls and Exterior Lighting Module software for next-generation platforms like the Blazer EV and Corvette. His technical command spans the full lifecycle of embedded development and release, from architectural design using AUTOSAR to rigorous testing across CAN, LIN, and Ethernet protocols. Beyond his corporate achievements, Raghu is a dedicated academic researcher pursuing a Doctor of Engineering in AI in Automotive at the University of Michigan. His doctoral work investigates the application of AI in law enforcement vehicles. He conducts this research in collaboration with the Law Enforcement Product Council (LEPC), focusing on predictive maintenance and situational awareness tools for policing. Raghu is committed to professional service and technical stewardship. He is an Associate Member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), an IEEE Senior Grade Member, and an SAE Professional Member. As an active leader in the engineering community, he reviews technical paper manuscripts for SAE and various IEEE conferences. Additionally, as Chair of the IEEE SA P3734 working group officers for Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Performance and Safety Requirements in Police Vehicles, he plays a pivotal role in establishing industry standards for the safe deployment of AI in transportation.
Vice-Chair
Dr. Kalwani, A seasoned scientific, technical and computing professional, Sharan has
spent over 30+ years’ experience in high performance computing,
engineering applications, infrastructure, simulation, benchmarking,
networking, operations, technical support and project management.
He is a senior member of IEEE, ACM, SEMCO, ASEI. He has published a
book on the topic: "UNIX and TCP/IP network security"; and is now
working on his second text, about a new computer programming
language. He also serves as one of the writers/editors of the IEEE
Southeastern Michigan Sections monthly newsletter - Wavelengths. He has
also served as Vice-Chair of IEEE Sustech 2023, IEEE Sustech 2022, IEEE
SusTech 2021 Global Conferences and is the on the organizing committee
for Online Forum for Climate Change Technologies 2023, 2024 and 2025 .
He is the recipient of:
* 2018 IEEE MGA Achievement award and
* 2024 Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) Anne O. Fletcher Award
for his various contributions towards technical activities. On X he can be
found @skalwani
Director of Awards and Marketing
Christopher Johnson is a storyteller who uses his expertise to help people communicate their life experiences better. He has woven his voice, broadcasting, event production, and 2+ decades of IT experience with curiosity and tenacity to deliver Calm Clear Communications (his company). Christopher operates in the intersection of people and technology. He is an event producer, helping presenters overcome the tech hurdles involved with virtual and hybrid events. He is a producer and weekend host on Michigan Public (the state's largest NPR affiliate), providing the local connection for the 500K weekly listeners. And he has been the voice of TEDxDetroit for more than 10 years.
Director of Sponsorship and Speaker Engagement
Durga P. Chavali is a internationally recognized healthcare IT strategist, transformation architect, and editorial thought leader with nearly two decades of experience driving enterprise modernization and ethical innovation across payer, provider, and public health sectors. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Health Care Administration (DHA), with active international research collaborations in multilingual AI, synthetic data governance, and clinical safety frameworks.
Durga is the inventor of interoperability frameworks adopted by industry leaders and has guided large‑scale modernization initiatives aligning with CMS, NIH, FDA, and ARPA‑H priorities. Her leadership has been honored with the EAMCON Breakthrough Innovation Award, the CISCom Distinguished Research Excellence Award, and her recent recognition as a Distinguished Fellow of SCRS and Fellow of IETE.
Beyond technical innovation, Durga serves as Global Ambassador for Women in Tech, mentoring future biomedical AI leaders and advocating for equity in technology leadership. She also contributes as an editorial steward and peer reviewer for ACM, IEEE, and Springer Nature, influencing global discourse on AI ethics, healthcare policy, and digital transformation.
Director of Logistics and Venue Management
Dr. Subhadip Ghosh is a seasoned industry professional with 18 years of expertise in automotive systems, mobility, and cybersecurity. Currently, as a Product Security Architect at Ford Motor Company, he drives the architecture of next-generation secure solutions by integrating security-by-design principles into automotive components. He is also responsible for mentoring a team of engineers and fostering in-house ADAS security innovations.
With a career spanning vehicle security, vehicle autonomy, EVs, and cyber-physical security, Dr. Ghosh has held diverse roles as a developer, engineer, leader, and innovator, bridging the gap between research and product development. His expertise extends across SOTIF, SOA, AV/teleoperation, AI/ML, and embedded security, leading cross-functional teams and delivering safe and secure automotive products.
Beyond industry contributions, Dr. Ghosh is actively engaged in academic research and innovation. As a principal investigator in Ford’s collaboration with the University of Michigan, he contributed to AI-driven risk assessment for camera perception systems, resulting in a Ford patent, and devised a cyber-physical security framework for teleoperated last-mile delivery vehicles.
Holding a Doctorate in Automotive Systems and Mobility from University of Michigan-Dearborn, along with an MS in Electric-Drive Vehicle Engineering and a BS in Computer Science and Engineering, Dr. Ghosh is also serves as industry advisor at University of MIchigan-Dearborn college of engineering, IEEE chapter officer at South-Eastern Michigan section, IEEE manuscript author and reviewer.
Director of Finance and Treasury
Amar Dabaja is an electrical hardware engineer at Veoneer Safety Systems, where she designs passive safety electronics that detect and respond to crashes in automotive applications. Amar graduated from Lawrence Technological University (LTU) in May of 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. Her involvement in IEEE began during her years at LTU as a student branch leader. After graduating, Amar joined the Southeast Michigan Young Professionals Affinity Group as chair in 2023, and she continues to serve in this role today, focusing on supporting young professionals throughout their early-career transitions.
Director of Volunteer Experience
Satyabrata Pradhan is an automotive engineer and program leader shaping the future of software-defined mobility. He blends deep expertise in validation, cybersecurity, automation, and program management with a passion for mentoring and community impact. As an IEEE Senior Member, he actively contributes through presentations, technical discussions, and thought leadership, helping professionals understand emerging technologies in AI, SDVs, and embedded systems. His journey spans engineering, strategy, and cross-functional leadership at a global scale, where he drives innovation, supplier integration, and next-gen automotive initiatives. Beyond work, he is a committed volunteer—supporting cultural organizations, coaching communities, and empowering students and professionals through workshops, idea sessions, and content creation. He uses storytelling to inspire people to dream big, build personal brands, and adopt AI mindsets. Driven by simplicity and impact, he continues to teach, lead, and create—online and offline—motivating thousands to grow with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Engage directly with the minds behind the conference-2026
Venue
