Douglas C. Schmidt is a Professor of Computer Science and Associate Chair of the Computer Science and Engineering program at Vanderbilt University. A Senior Researcher at the Institute for Software Integrated Systems, he has also served as Chief Technology Officer at Carnegie Mellon's Software Engineering Institute. Dr. Schmidt has authored 10 books and over 500 papers on software patterns, optimization, and real-time middleware. He has led the development of ACE, TAO, and CIAO, widely-used middleware frameworks applied in defense, telecom, financial services, healthcare, and gaming industries.

Dr. Jules White is a Professor of Computer Science at Vanderbilt University, where he also serves as the Director of the Initiative on the Future of Learning & Generative AI and the Associate Dean of Strategic Learning Programs in the School of Engineering. He is recognized for creating one of the first online courses in Prompt Engineering, which focuses on effective communication with AI systems. A recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Dr. White has published over 160 papers and has received multiple Best Paper Awards for his research. His work primarily explores large language models, including ChatGPT, as well as topics in cybersecurity and software engineering across various sectors such as healthcare and manufacturing. He leads the Mobile Application Computing, Optimization, and Security Methods (MAGNUM) Group at Vanderbilt University, where he conducts his research and development efforts.