Rick is a highly seasoned Information and Communications Technologist (ICT) expert coupling a visionary outlook balanced with a practical sense of execution. With 28 years in the telecommunications / IT industry, Rick was a former CIO of one of the worlds largest global telecommunications service providers. He served both as the vice president of Innovation in Cisco Systems executive consulting organization and their Internet of Everything Solutions group. With over 17 years of executive consulting experience he has advised the C-suite of the largest corporations in the world on the future of technology and to how to successfully leverage these highly complex transitions. He sits on the executive boards of several companies, and is a frequent keynote speaker at major national and international events. Today, Rick is the Program Director and Professor of Practice for Data Science at the University of the Pacific.

John Sifonis has over thirty-eight years of business and technology management consulting experience with Global 500 corporations in Europe, South America, Japan, and Africa. He is recognized for his expertise in formulating and delivering innovative business and technology solutions for competitive advantage. He has held senior executive positions in international consulting and emerging technology ventures. He has the ability to gain a deep understanding of theoretical concepts with the capability to turn concepts in pragmatics. He has co-authored three highly successful books: Dynamic Planning: The Art of Managing Beyond Tomorrow Corporation on A Tightrope and: “Net Ready: Strategies for Success in the E-conomy.” “Net Ready” was on the Wall Street Journal’s bestseller business book list, and has also published over two dozen articles on the role of IT in business strategy formulation, corporate governance, and leadership. He has been a guest lecturer at MIT's Sloan School of Management, Dartmouth College, the Kellogg School of Business, and the WITS School of Management in South Africa.

Dr. Zarei earned her PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington in 2007, and has written extensively on topics related to computational intelligence and machine learning. In addition to teaching and research, she has also participated in on-campus events as a panelist and presenter in "Improving Classroom and Campus Climate for Women at Pacific (particularly in the STEM area)" and "Women of the World: International Perspectives on Gender." She is also the faculty advisor for the Pacific chapter of the Institute of the Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Dr. James Hetrick is a professor and former chair of the Physics Department at the University of the Pacific. After finishing his Bachelor's degree in Physics from Case Western Reserve University, he spent 13 months at the South Pole Station in Antarctica studying cosmic rays, the solar wind, the auroras, and the earth's magnetosphere. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in theoretical particle physics and went on to hold postdoctoral research positions at ETH in Zürich, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Arizona, and Washington University in St. Louis, before coming to the University of the Pacific. At Pacific, Dr. Hetrick teaches a wide variety of classes, including Cosmology and The Physics of Music.

Marc is a seasoned Data Scientist with an extensive background in both Computer Science as well as Data Science. He has significant experience in solution design and development of advanced data science solutions, including Machine Learning and dynamic visualization. He is experienced in all phases of the SDLC project lifecycle from feasibility analysis to development, testing, deployment and technical support.