It is with great pleasure that I reflect on the 4th SNAS Interdisciplinary Research Conference, held on October 10, 2025, at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Madison, NJ campus, in the historic and elegant setting of the Vanderbilt-Twombly estate. From the moment SNAS participants arrived on the beautiful campus, the welcome was warm and genuine, and the venues opened to us with gracious hospitality. We are deeply thankful to the Silberman College of Business, FDU, for opening its doors and setting the stage for such an inspiring gathering.

SNAS received 55 abstract submissions this year. This year’s theme, “Technology & Humanity: Exploring the Impact of Data-Driven Technologies on Human Development,” spoke directly to the heart of where research meets society, and where data-driven innovation meets our shared human values. With 95 participants from three continents (85 in-person & 10 joining online), we were proud to bring together a truly interdisciplinary, multigeneration community of thinkers, researchers, learners, and mentors.

The keynote address by Micheline Nader on “LEAP Beyond AI: Reinventing Leadership and Human Intelligence” was especially powerful. It captured the soul of our “Technology & Humanity” theme, reminding us not only of what modern tools can do, but why we use them, for people, for communities, for better futures. Equally worthy of note was our Dean’s Panel on “The Integration of Artificial Intelligence into Higher Education Curricula”, where three higher-education leaders, Dean James Almeida of Silberman College of Business, FDU, Dean Oya Tukel of Martin Tuchman School of Management, NJIT, and Dean Nawal Ammar of Ric Edelman College of Communication, Humanities & Social Sciences, Rowan University, tackled the difficult questions of the day: how do we equip students for a future in flux; how do we retain meaning and depth in teaching and research when technology is accelerating change; how do we ensure equity, inclusion, and humanity stay at the center of our work? The discussion was lively, thoughtful, and rich with real-world experience.

One of the hallmarks of the SNAS Conference is the selection of the Best Abstract Award, which recognizes the submission that best reflects both the mission of SNAS and the annual conference theme. This year, the award was presented to Dr. Zeynep Akcay Ozkan of Queensborough Community College, CUNY, for her paper entitled “AI and Ethics in Healthcare: Predicting Cancer with EHR Data and Addressing Equity in Model Development.” Congratulations to Dr. Ozkan on this outstanding contribution to our theme and to the collective conversation.

This year was special in that it marked the first time SNAS awarded competitive travel grants to PhD Students. Our sincere thanks and encouragement go to all PhD Students who became part of this experience. Supporting PhD Students is critical to the mission of SNAS. 2025 awardees were:

• Amir Bralin, PhD Student, Computer Science, Purdue University
• Lilia Chebbah, PhD Student, Computer Science, Georgia State University

In addition, I would like to acknowledge our remarkable high-school student presenters and their mentors: your work, your commitment, your curiosity truly impressed us. The conference featured seven presentations by high school students in the Junior Researcher session. These students embarked on their research journeys with an impressive level of professionalism. Each junior researcher received a Certificate of Participation in recognition of this effort. The conference also featured a presentation from industry, reminding us that the interface between academia and practice is real, consequential, and fertile ground for inquiry.

To everyone who attended, presented, volunteered, mentored, or supported — thank you! Your willingness to share work, engage in discussion, connect across disciplines and experience levels is what makes a conference like this more than an event, it’s a community. We look forward to seeing everyone next year. Until then, stay curious and stay connected.

Omer Topaloglu, Ph.D.

General Chair, 2025 SNAS Conference & Former SNAS President