East Texas A&M University alum Milankumar “Milan” Rana has co-edited Quantum Ops: Bridging Quantum Computing and IT Operations and co-authored a chapter titled “AI in Cloud Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity” in Springer Nature's Revolutionizing the Cloud publication.

The publications explore the growing role of emerging technologies in enterprise systems, including how AI can help organizations predict disruptions, automate response efforts and strengthen the resilience of cloud-based infrastructure.

Rana serves as Principal AI/Enterprise Architect at HeadstormAI in Dallas, leading AI platform work for Fortune 500 companies. He has also been featured in publications and appeared on podcasts discussing AI security, cloud operations, enterprise architecture and emerging technologies. As a published researcher, Rana has had his work cited more than 100 times.

Rana earned his Master of Science in Business Analytics from East Texas A&M in 2016. The program helped him expand his technical expertise through data analytics, business intelligence and data-driven decision-making—skills that continue to shape his work at the intersection of technology and business strategy. Continuing his education, he is pursuing a doctoral degree in information technology from the University of the Cumberlands.

Rana's path from graduate student to published author, AI and cloud technology patent holder and industry expert shows how an ETAMU analytics education can launch a career at the forefront of AI.

Reflecting on his education, Rana said ETAMU helped him connect technical expertise with business strategy:

“When I came to Commerce, I was a software developer who knew how to build systems,” Rana said. “ETAMU taught me how to connect data to real business decisions, and that has been the foundation of everything since. AI is only valuable when it solves a real business problem, and that's a lesson I learned in the business analytics program.”