CYPHER’s newly certified AI strategist strengthens connections between academic innovation and industry transformation
Dr. Yan (Lindsay) Sun, IEEE Fellow, Professor and Chair of Electrical, Computer & Biomedical Engineering, and Founding Director and now Co-Director of the Center for Cyber-Physical Intelligence and Security (CYPHER), recently achieved a significant professional milestone: completing the Chief Data and AI Officer (CDAIO) Executive Training Program at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College. Her team was also awarded the prestigious “Best of Cohort” honor.
More than a credential, this experience reflects Dr. Sun’s ongoing commitment to connecting academic innovation with industry practice.
“Being the only academic professor in the cohort sharpened my focus,” said Dr. Sun. “what really mattered was how our team combined industry experience with research thinking to deliver a data and AI strategy and roadmap that creates real organizational value.”
She added:
“I want to thank my teammates and coach — during this seven-month journey we became really good friends, and that camaraderie will extend long beyond the award.”
Dr. Sun’s teammates included Ben Ganzfried, who leads Data Platform Strategy at Hungryroot and serves as a board advisor for small and midsize businesses in data and AI strategy; Bryan Arias, Vice President of Analytics and Process at Allegacy Federal Credit Union; and Wilberto Montoya, a Senior Software AI Engineer at Microsoft. The team worked under the guidance of their coach, Karan Dhawal, a Chief Data Analytics and AI leader, adjunct faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University. Congratulations to the entire team and to coach Dhawal for this outstanding achievement.
Reflecting on the program’s impact, Dr. Sun shared:
“As a Certified AI Strategist, I now bring a deeper lens to CYPHER’s academic–industry collaborations. This includes supporting the center’s strategic partners on their journeys in data and AI transformation, and mentoring the next generation of innovators who see AI as an enabler, accelerator, or foundation for new ideas that benefit institutions, society, and humanity.”
For CYPHER, this achievement represents more than individual recognition. It reinforces the center’s mission to advance the security and resilience of cyber-physical systems, including power grids, manufacturing systems, and shipbuilding, and to promote trustworthy AI across research, curriculum development, and industry partnerships. It also reflects a continued commitment to collaboration, purpose, and real-world impact.