Dr. Rajeev Bukralia, Professor and Graduate Coordinator

| Faculty

Address: Office: 225 Wissink Hall
Phone: 507-389-1437
Email: rajeev.bukralia@mnsu.edu

Note for Prospective Graduate Students: If you have questions about CIS graduate programs—such as admission requirements, application deadlines, program structure, tuition, graduate assistantships, or curriculum—please email: cis-gradcoordinator@mnsu.edu.

BIO

Dr. Rajeev Bukralia is a recognized thought leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science. A tenured full professor and graduate faculty member in the Computer Information Science (CIS) Department at Minnesota State University, Mankato, he also serves as the founding director of the MS in Data Science and MS in Artificial Intelligence programs. In addition, he founded and advises DREAM (Data Resources for Eager & Analytical Minds), an award-winning student organization with more than 300 members, dedicated to data science and AI.

Professor Bukralia's academic and research interests include AI, data science, and IT strategy. He leads a research group focused on developing and deploying AI solutions, including Small Language Models (SLMs), for industry. His leadership experience, including serving as CIO, has given him an expertise in aligning technology with organizational goals. Dr. Bukralia collaborates extensively with domain experts and business leaders to stay attuned to emerging trends and challenges in the field. His work with regional and national data science and IT communities, along with industry fellowships, further strengthens his engagement with industry.

His contributions to education and the profession have been recognized with numerous honors, including Minnesota’s Tekne Tech Educator of the Year Award, the Minnesota State Outstanding Educator Award, and the South Dakota Board of Regents Faculty Award. Dr. Bukralia also a recipient of the Presidential Challenge Coin and Outstanding Student Organization Advior awards from Minnesota State University and the Outstanding University Service Award from Black Hills State University.

Previously, Dr. Bukralia held senior leadership roles in higher education, including Chief Information Officer (CIO), Associate Provost, Dean of Libraries, and Dean of Educational Outreach.

Degree

Doctor of Science, Information Systems, Dakota State University

Research Interests

Data Science (predictive analytics, databases)
Artificial Intelligence (LLMs/SLMs, computer vision)
Ethics of artificial intelligence (Responsible AI, XAI, AI governance)
AI Strategy

Awards

Minnesota's Tekne Tech Educator of the Year (2024), Minnesota Technology Association
Presidential Challenge MavCoin (2024), Minnesota State University
Minnesota State Colleges & Universities Board of Trustees Outstanding Educator (2020), Minnesota State University
William Flies Science & Engineering Fellowship (2020), Minnesota State University
Outstanding Recognized Student Organization Advisor (2019), Minnesota State University
William Flies Science & Engineering Fellowship (2017), Minnesota State University
South Dakota Board of Regents Faculty eLearning Award (2007), Black Hills State University
Outstanding University Service Award (2004), Black Hills State University

Memerships

Visit DREAM website