AI Fellows Kick-Off Conference
Guest Speaker Bios
Karen McPherson
Section Chief for Computer Science, IT, and Technology Education
NC Department of Public Instruction, Office of Career and Technical Education
Karen leads statewide standards implementation, curriculum and assessment acquisition, and professional learning for CSITT programs. A former district Curriculum and Instructional Management Coordinator and longtime high school business and marketing teacher, she brings classroom credibility and systems-level experience to her work with educators across the state. Recognized as the 2017 Camden County Schools Teacher of the Year and a Kenan Fellow, she holds a principal license, 6–12 Business and Marketing teaching licenses, and industry certifications. Karen champions responsible, classroom-ready AI that benefits every student.
Emma Braaten
Director of Digital Learning
Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, NC State University
As Director of Digital Learning with the Friday Institute at NC State University, Emma Braaten leverages more than two decades of experience as a Chief Technology Officer in a school district, Digital Learning Specialist and Coach with NCDPI, School Librarian, and Classroom Teacher to inform research and practice in the K-12 setting. Her work currently focuses on addressing educational disparities to ensure that all students have access to high-quality education; advancing education through innovative approaches and practices, including the integration of emerging technologies and tools; and influencing broader educational policies and practices for systems-level impact. Reach her at ekbraate@ncsu.edu.
Taryn Shelton
K-12 Data Science Program Coordinator
Data Science and AI Academy, NC State University
Taryn Shelton works to advance data science education by integrating foundational data skills and literacy into middle and high school classrooms. A former middle school science teacher and instructional coach in Cumberland County, she is passionate about making learning hands-on, relevant, and empowering for both teachers and students. Taryn has led statewide professional learning programs, including Data Explorers, a yearlong mathematical modeling cohort for math and science educators, and Real Teaching with Real Data, which equipped teachers to bring NC State Public Health data into their classrooms. She now champions the newly revised Introduction to Data Science course for grades 8–12, giving schools practical tools to prepare students for success in a data-driven world.
Dr. Mary Hemphill
CEO & Founder
The Limitless Leader Collective
Dr. Mary Hemphill is a leadership expert, development coach, K-16 educator, administrator, author, and motivational speaker. With an extensive 20-year career spanning roles as a teacher, administrator, state director, and adjunct professor, she brings a wealth of experience to her work. Holding a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies, Mary has directly influenced and coached educational and corporate leaders worldwide, focusing on empowered wellness, innovative strategy, and leadership development.
As CEO and Founder of The Limitless Leader LLC, Mary leads an organization dedicated to helping individuals unleash their leadership potential, enabling them to better serve their communities, companies, and personal careers through coaching, consulting, workshops, and keynotes tailored for corporate and educational leaders and organizations.
Throughout her tenure as North Carolina’s first state director of Computer Science, Director of Academics, and Chief Academic Officer, Mary has been instrumental in driving strategic initiatives and programs and guiding leaders through change management. Her contributions were recognized when she was named Regional Principal of the Year for the Sandhills Region of North Carolina in 2017 and received the Model Schools Award for her transformative work in school turnaround and reform.
Dr. Leslie Maniotes
Founder & Partner, BLV Consulting
Author of Guided Inquiry Design
Dr. Leslie Maniotes is an international author, consultant, and co-creator of the Guided Inquiry Design® (GID) framework. With more than two decades of experience leading schools and districts through instructional transformation, she empowers educators to design and facilitate learning that is research-based, collaborative, and student-centered.
Her current work sits at the intersection of inquiry learning and artificial intelligence. As one of the Leadership Development Facilitators for the NCBCE AI Fellows, Leslie helps educators navigate the fast-changing landscape of AI while staying grounded in proven pedagogy. She champions a human-centered approach: AI as a collaborator, teachers in the lead, and students empowered as critical thinkers and questioners.
Leslie’s thought leadership bridges cutting-edge technology with deep learning practices, equipping educators to prepare students for an AI-rich future where inquiry, creativity, and discernment are more essential than ever.
Caroline Sullivan
Executive Director
NC Business Committee for Education (NCBCE)
I-Sah Hsieh
Deputy Secretary for AI & Policy
NC Department of Information Technology
I-Sah Hsieh, an AI governance/ethics expert with more than 25 years’ experience, serves as the N.C. Department of Information Technology’s deputy secretary for artificial intelligence and policy.
In his role, Hsieh establishes and oversees the AI governance framework and policies for NCDIT and state agencies. He ensures the ethical, transparent and accountable integration of AI technologies into public services to support innovation while managing associated risks. From leading and crafting governance structures that prioritize ethics and security, he directly has an impact on how technology serves the state’s residents, businesses and visitors.
Before joining NCDIT in March 2025, Hsieh served as governance and data ethics practice principal for SAS, which he joined in 2004. He helped develop AI strategies and solutions as a consultant for policymakers, the United Nations, Fortune 1000 executives and nonprofits.
In addition, he has deep familiarity with working with North Carolina universities, nonprofits and local and state agencies, including the N.C. Department of Revenue and N.C. Emergency Management.
Dr. Ray Levy
Executive Director, Data Science and AI Academy
Professor of Mathematics
North Carolina State University
Dr. Rachel (Ray) Levy is an award-winning writer, researcher, and educator who has dedicated her career to making mathematical modeling, data science, and AI belong to everyone. She is the inaugural executive director of the NC State Data Science and AI Academy and Professor of Mathematics. In this role, she incubates data science research partnerships within NC State, across NC and beyond, leads the design and implementation of the DSA’s ADAPT course model (All-Campus Data Science Accessible Project Based Teaching and Learning), and communicates about data science with national and international audiences.
Dr. Andrea Crowley
Executive Director
Student Success Center
North Carolina Community College System
Dr. Crowley leads statewide transformation strategy for North Carolina’s 58 community colleges, focused on aligning teaching, learning, and workforce systems to ensure economic mobility for all learners. She is the architect of the Guided Economic Pathways (GEP) framework and the T3 Competence model, integrating lifelong active learning design with skills aligned to Industry 4.0.
Dr. Crowley anchored the NC Guided Pathways System (NCGPS) as a statewide continuous improvement model for college redesign. She is designing the AI.iNC (Artificial Intelligence in North Carolina) Future Work Ready strategy integrating AI skills for agile thinking development and as a tool to solve complex problems.
Dr. Ashley McBride
Digital Learning Initiative Section Chief
NC Department of Public Instruction
Dr. McBride is a leader in educational technology with a focus on statewide digital learning strategy and the responsible integration of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. As the Digital Learning Initiative Section Chief at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, she develops professional learning programs, micro-credentials, and policy guidance that help educators leverage technology for deeper learning. She holds a doctorate in Educational Technology from Central Michigan University and is the author of The Edtech Coaching Primer (ISTE). Her work is grounded in preparing students and educators to navigate the evolving digital landscape with confidence, clarity, and purpose.
Dr. Siobahn Day Grady, Ph. D.
Director, Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research
NC Central University
Dr. Siobahn Day Grady is an Associate Professor in the School of Library and Information Sciences at North Carolina Central University and the Founding Director of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research (IAIER). In 2018, she became the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in Computer Science from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University—a pioneering milestone that continues to shape her commitment to expanding opportunity and advancing innovation in computing and higher education.
Melissa Nysewander, Ph.D.
Head of AI Center of Excellence
Fidelity Investments
Melissa Nysewander is a data science leader at Fidelity with a background in traditional science, artificial intelligence, and technical computing solutions. She currently leads the Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence in Fidelity Investment’s Workplace Investing division, which provides a broad range of integrated financial, health, and benefits solutions to over 25k clients. The Center of Excellence delivers AI solutions and insights that improve the client, participant, and associate experience, via enhanced personalization, increased efficiency and better customer service.
Before she was a data scientist, she was a research scientist with a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from UNC Chapel Hill and a career in astronomy and environmental science.
Funda Gunes, Ph.D.
CEO and Founder
Walu AI
Dr. Funda Gunes brings a unique combination of deep technical expertise and Fortune 500 governance leadership to AI strategy and implementation. With 20 years of experience spanning AI software development, academic leadership, and executive governance roles, she understands AI from the ground up.
Her career began at SAS Institute, where she spent a decade progressing from product management to machine learning developer and Principal Data Scientist roles, building the AI systems that would later shape industry standards. She then transitioned to Duke University to run their Master's program in Data Science, where she taught responsible AI courses and provided industry consulting on responsible AI implementation.
As Head of Responsible AI at MetLife, Dr. Gunes built practical governance frameworks that actually work in Fortune 500 environments. She has assessed over 300 AI use cases, trained more than 20,000 professionals, and earned her AIPP AIGP certification to formalize her expertise in AI governance principles.
She holds a PhD in Statistics and combines rigorous analytical thinking with practical business acumen. Her approach to AI governance is grounded in technical reality while focused on strategic business outcomes.
This unique progression, from hands-on AI development at SAS, to academic program leadership at Duke, to executive governance at MetLife, gives her unparalleled insight into what makes AI governance effective across technical, educational, and enterprise contexts.