i-ETC 2025: The Fifth Annual Intermountain Engineering, Technology, and Computing
Conference
Theme: Innovations & Solutions for Today’s Challenges
Professor and Director of Scientific Computing &
Imaging Institute at University of Utah
ABSTRACT:
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an essential engine for innovation and economic growth, providing new opportunities for scientific discovery in almost every domain. However, realizing AI's positive and transformative potential requires a transdisciplinary approach that ensures AI research and development (R&D) progress responsibly. In this talk, I will discuss the importance of democratizing AI R&D—including access to advanced cyberinfrastructure—to achieve the goal of responsible AI. I will then introduce the University of Utah's One-U Responsible AI Initiative, which aims to catalyze an innovation ecosystem at the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute to enable responsible, transdisciplinary AI development and use for societal impact in the areas of environment, health, and education.
Biography:
Dr. Manish Parashar is the Chief AI Officer at the University of Utah. He is also the Director of the Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute, Chair in Computational Science and Engineering, and Presidential Professor at the Kalhert School of Computing. Manish’s expertise is in high-performance parallel and distributed computing and cyberinfrastructure. Manish is the founding chair of the IEEE Technical Community on High Performance Computing (TCHPC) and is a Fellow of AAAS, ACM, and IEEE.
Managing Director of Grid Innovation &
Strategy at PacifiCorp
Abstract:
Technology and innovation underpin PacifiCorp’s strategy: it co-developed the Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) and is preparing to join the Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM) to optimize dispatch and cut costs across the West. In Utah, Rocky Mountain Power’s Soleil Lofts project aggregates 600 Sonnen batteries (12.6 MWh) into a utility-managed virtual power plant, providing backup power to residents and grid services during peak periods. PacifiCorp has supported installation of over 4,800 electric vehicle charging ports and leads U.S. Department of Energy funded initiatives like WestSmart EV@Scale—aiming to electrify freight corridors and build a durable EV ecosystem across seven Western states. The company is also using technology and innovation to improve grid resiliency from growing climate risks and proactively expanding high-voltage transmission and refining rate designs to equitably serve burgeoning data center customers.
Biography:
Rohit Nair is the Managing Director of Grid Innovation & Strategy at PacifiCorp, a Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary, where he leads the company’s advanced metering infrastructure, geospatial systems, grid modernization, and business transformation efforts. An accomplished engineer and strategist, Rohit has driven numerous technology and policy initiatives—most recently spearheading the evaluation of emerging solutions to mitigate wildfire risk and guiding PacifiCorp’s pursuit of multibillion-dollar federal grants and loans to improve resiliency and affordability.
Rohit holds master’s degrees in electrical engineering and business administration, blending technical expertise with strategic acumen. Outside of work, he treasures family time with his wife and young kids, shares his knowledge on Indian philosophy and meditation through Salt Lake City’s yoga teacher trainings, and enjoys outdoor adventures such as hiking and skiing.
General Chair
(UVU)
General Co-Chair & Engineering Track Co-Chair
(BYU)
General Co-Chair
(USU)
Advisory Board and Engineering Track Co-Chair
(BYU)
Advisory Board
(UVU)
Advisory Board
(UVU)
Publication Chair
(MSU)
Engineering Track Chair
(ISU)
Computing Track Chair
(UVU)
Computing Track Chair
(BYU)
Technology Track Chair
(UVU)
Poster Chair
(UVU)
Web Chair
(UVU)
Web Intern
(UVU)
Registration Chair
(UVU)
Local Arrangement Chair
(UVU)
Committee Member
(UVU)
Chair, IEEE Utah PES
Chair, IEEE Utah
Treasurer
(UVU)
Sponsorship Chair and Industry Liaison
(UVU)
Committee Member
(UVU)
Mohammad A.S. Masoum
Utah Valley University, USA
Wei Wang
San Diego State University, USA
Syed Islam
Federation University, Australia
Regan Zane
Utah State University, USA
Zann Anderson
Utah Valley University, USA
Xiangjing Su
Shanghai University of Electric Power, China
Sara Deilami
Macquarie University, Australia
Keyue Smedley
University of California, Irvine, USA
Larry Zeng
Utah Valley University, USA
Dan Donahoe
Chair of IEEE Utah Section
Shanker Shrestha
Vice Chair IEEE Utah Section
Udhaya Kumar Dayalan
Director of Academia, INCOSE Northstar Chapter
Paul Moses
University of Oklahoma, USA
Farhad Shahnia
Murdoch University, Australia
Peter Wolfs
Central Queensland University, Australia
Adel Ali
St. Cloud State University, USA
Reza Razzaghi
Monash University, Australia
Kim Brown
Utah Valley University, USA
Ahmed Abu-Siada
Curtin University, Australia
Yaser Derakhshandeh
Shahrekord University, Iran
Dongsheng Brian Ma
University of Texas at Dallas
Chad Kidder
Past Chair IEEE Utah Section
Rose Hu
IEEE Fellow, Utah State University, USA
Neil Harrison
Utah Valley University, USA
Mahdi Bojnordi
University of Utah, USA
Baigen Cai
Beijing Jiaotong University, China
Yuri Tijerino
Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan
Daryoush Habibi
Edith Cowan University, Australia
Ali Karrech
University of Western Australia, Australia
S. M. Muyeen
Curtin University, Australia
Tyler Bird
Utah Valley University, USA
Cynthia Furse
IEEE Fellow, University of Utah, USA
Dan Christensen
Chair IEEE Senior Member Elevation
Jacob Gunther
IEEE Senior Member, Utah State University, USA
