Dr. Sambandh Dhal is a Post-Doctoral Associate at Idaho National Laboratory, where his research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to augmented sorting with a particular emphasis on the detection of Rare Earth Elements in e-waste. His research portfolio also extends to leveraging AI to address critical issues related to food security, food safety, and sustainable agriculture. Dr. Dhal earned his Ph.D. in computer engineering from Texas A&M University under the supervision of Dr. Stavros Kalafatis and co-advisement by Dr. Ulisses Braga-Neto. He also holds an M.S. in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University, which was awarded in 2019. During his time at Texas A&M, Dr. Dhal held significant leadership roles, including serving as the inaugural Finance Officer of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Students' Association. He was actively involved in the Indian Graduate Students' Association, where he served as Director, Vice President, and eventually, Advisor. In addition, Dr. Dhal was the Vice President of Community Engagement in the Graduate and Professional Student Government.Dr. Dhal’s academic achievements have been recognized through multiple awards and honors, including his induction into the prestigious IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) in 2022. His research excellence has been further acknowledged by the Texas Instruments Graduate Mentoring Fellowship and the 2024 Excellence in Research-Doctoral award.