UPIKE

Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana
Ph.D.,Technology Management

Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS
Master of Science, Technology – July 2017

Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India
Bachelor of Commerce: Business Administration – May 2009

SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS
Guraja, P. K., Badar, M. A., Moayed, F. A., & Kluse, C. J. (2024). Leveraging data analytics to study the impacts of state budget appropriations on public higher education institutions in the USA. Journal of Education Finance. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Guraja, P. K., Badar, M. A., Moayed, F. A., & Kluse, C. J. (2022). Systematic literature review of the impact of state budget cuts on public higher education institutions in the U.S. Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, Istanbul, Turkey. IEOM Society International. http://ieomsociety.org/proceedings/2022istanbul/796.pdf

RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
Guraja, P. K. (2024, October). Exploring the implications of artificial intelligence on higher education: A comprehensive review [Conference presentation]. ATMAE 2024 Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
Guraja, P. K. (2024, October). The impact of artificial intelligence on cybersecurity in rural areas of the United States [Conference presentation]. ATMAE 2024 Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
Guraja, P. K., Conley, B., Cure, D., & Smith, J. (2023, September). Teaching emerging technologies at the University of Pikeville: A hands-on approach [Conference presentation]. Appalachian College Association Annual Conference 2023, Knoxville, TN.
Guraja, P. K., Badar, M.A., Moayed, F.A., & Kluse, C.J. (2022, March). Systematic Literature Review of the Impact of State Budget Cuts on Public Higher Education Institutions in the U.S. [Conference presentation]. IEOM 12th Annual International Conference, Istanbul, Turkey.
Guraja, P. K., Badar, M. A., Moayed, F., & Kluse, C. (2022). Leveraging data analytics to study the impact of state budget cuts on public higher education institutions in the United States. Proceedings of the 2022 IEOM Conference, Orlando, FL. Retrieved from https://ieomsociety.org/proceedings/2022orlando/395.pdf
Guraja, P.K. (2021, November). Leveraging Data Analytics to Study the Impact of State Budget Cuts on Public Universities in Kansas [Conference presentation]. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering.
Guraja, P. K., Bhandari, P., & Badar, M.A. (2020, August). Reliability modeling and quality analysis of SQL servers in database reporting, Paper presented at the IEOM 5th North American International Conference, Detroit, MI.
Guraja, P. K., & Aba, E. K. (2018, November). Lean Implementation at Public Universities in Kansas [Conference presentation]. Annual conference of the Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering, Kansas City, MO.
Guraja, P. K., & Aba, E. K. (2017, November). The Application of Statistical Process Control to a University Website [Conference presentation]. Annual conference of the Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering, Cincinnati, OH.
Guraja, P. K. (2017, April). Teaching and Leadership Website Project Using Google Analytics. Paper and Posters Presentations. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/papers_2017/5

LEADERSHIP & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
· Chair, AI and Predictive Modeling Session: Chaired the “AI and Predictive Modeling” session at the prestigious IEEE Southeast Conference 2024, contributing to the advancement of AI research and applications.
· Faculty Speaker, UPIKE Symposium: Presented on The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity: Benefits and Risks at the UPIKE Faculty Oral Presentations, April 12, 2024.
· Invited Speaker, Leadership Series: Delivered a presentation at Mountain Mission High School in Grundy, Virginia, as part of the “Leadership Series” on April 6, 2022, discussing leadership and technology.
· Speaker Series Host: Organized and hosted Dr. Jeff Crume, IBM CTO – Security Americas, for the CCOB Leadership Speaker Series sponsored by the UPIKE IT Club, focusing on discussions around AI, cybersecurity, and leadership in the tech industry.
· Faculty Advisor, UPIKE IT Club: Led the UPIKE IT Club, which won several national awards at the USITCC, including the 2023 Outstanding Membership Growth Award and the 2024 Outstanding Creative Events and Model Student Organization awards.
· Mentorship and Community Impact: Mentored students on research initiatives and co-ops, including supporting ACA Ledford Scholars, helping students secure national internships, and guiding them in competing successfully at national IT competitions.
· Accreditation Leader: Spearheading ATMAE accreditation efforts for the ITM program, ensuring alignment with academic and industry standards, benefiting students and the program’s reputation.
· Conference Organizer: Organized student participation in national events such as the 2024 USITCC Conference, helping ITM students gain hands-on experience through national IT competitions against top universities across the U.S.

PROFESSIONAL/ACADEMIC HONORS AND AWARDS
2024: ACA Faculty Fellowship Award ($7,475) for post-doctoral research on AI in Cybersecurity, Bristol, TN
2024: Inducted into the International Association of Computer Science and Information Technology (IACSIT) as a Senior Member
2024: Inducted into Epsilon Pi Tau, The International Honor Society for Professions in Technology, Bowling Green, OH
2024: Rudisill Scholarship – Awarded by Epsilon Pi Tau for academic excellence and professional promise in the field of technology, presented at the ATMAE Conference, Las Vegas, NV
2024: KEEN Fellowship Golden Ticket ($3000) – Received through the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN) for attending the 2024 Engineering Unleashed Faculty Development Workshop
2023: Represented UPIKE at the NSF/CIC Computer Scientists workshop, Washington DC
2023: Mentored two students on an NIH-funded AIM AHEAD cancer research project, Fairfax, VA
2022: Recipient of Provost Award: Faculty Excellence and Leadership, University of Pikeville, KY
2022: Faculty-In-Residence Award – Honors Scholars Program, University of Pikeville, KY
2022: Mentored two ACA Ledford Scholars on Cyber Security and ML summer projects, Bristol, TN
2022: Won Second Place in the IEOM Doctoral Dissertation Competition, IEOM, Orlando, FL
2020: Horizon Award – Primary Advisor, Pittsburg State University (PSU) Leadership Awards, KS
2020: Third Place in Simulation Competition, IEOM International Conference, Turkey, Istanbul
2018: Second Place in Research Poster Competition at ATMAE National Conference, Kansas City, MO
2017: Excellence in Research Award, Pittsburg State University Leadership Awards, KS
2016: Graduate Teaching Assistantship from PSU, Dept. of Teaching and Leadership, KS
2015: Technology Transformation Project Showcasing – 1st Place, IT Services, ADP India Pvt., Ltd.
2015: Insightful Expertise Award, IT Services, ADP India Pvt., Ltd.
2013: Employee of the Year – North American GE Capital IT Services, Genpact India Pvt., Ltd.
2012: Hall of Fame Award – North American GE Capital IT Services, Genpact India Pvt. Ltd.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Senior Member: International Association of Computer Science and Information Technology (IACSIT)
Professional Member: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Professional Member: Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE)
Professional Member: American Association of IT Professionals (AAITP)
Professional Member: Association of Information Systems (AIS)
Professional Member: Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)
Professional Member: Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T)
Professional Member: American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS)

Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity
Generative AI
Cybersecurity
Data Analytics for Decision-Making
Educational Technologies
Cloud Computing
Workforce Development in Emerging Technologies
Machine Learning
Higher Education