Travis Bland is the Interim Dean of the College of Health, Science, and Technology. Dr. Bland received his Ph.D. from the Center for Public Administration and Policy at Virginia Tech. Professor Bland specializes in evaluating public programs and is a strategic planning and organizational health and design consultant. His research interests include front-line behavior, social welfare policy, and behavioral science (psychology of human decision-making and employee motivation and performance). Dr.

SPECIALIZATION: philosophy of AI; machine consciousness

COMPETENCE: philosophy of mind, applied ethics (computer, business, healthcare, environmental), political philosophy, social capital; managemenr theory at the age of AI

SPECIAL INTEREST: cognitive science; e-learning; Artificial General Intelligence

Brandon Barclay Derman is Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, in the School of Integrated Science, Sustainability and Public Health, part of the College of Health, Science and Technology at the University of Illinois Springfield. Dr. Derman received his Ph.D. in Geography (with additional specialization in Sociolegal Studies) from the University of Washington. Professor Derman specializes in environmental politics, law, policy and justice, with an emphasis on climate change.