Mark Spanier
Mark Spanier
Associate Professor / Dept. Chair - Emerging Technologies
Department
The Beacom College of Computer & Cyber Sciences
Education
Ph.D., Mathematics - North Dakota State University, 2015
B.S., Mathematics - North Dakota State University, 2010
Biography
Dr. Mark Spanier is an Associate Professor and Chair of Emerging Technologies in The Beacom College of Computer & Cyber Sciences at Dakota State University. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer science, and cryptography.
His research interests include artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, security of AI, privacy-preserving AI, cryptography, optimization, and applied interdisciplinary research. He works extensively with undergraduate and graduate students on research projects and collaborates with industry, government, and academic partners on problems involving AI and cybersecurity.
Dr. Spanier also serves as co-director of DSU’s Artificial Intelligence Lab and as director/faculty advisor for the DSU + AI Sweden Industrial Immersion Program. Outside of teaching and research, He advises and assists with DSU’s Gaming Club, Competitive Programming Club, and Artificial Intelligence Club.
Contact
Office Location: East Hall
Phone: (605) 256-5838
Email
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Mathematical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
- Adversarial AI and Security of AI
- Cryptography and Post-Quantum Cryptography
- Discrete Mathematics
- Algorithms, Optimization, and Computation
- Applied AI and Cybersecurity
- Inquiry-Based and Experiential Learning
- Undergraduate and Graduate Research Mentoring
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Security of AI and Adversarial AI
- AI-Enabled Cybersecurity
- Privacy-Preserving and Federated Learning
- Cryptography and Post-Quantum Cryptography
- Optimization and Applied Mathematics
- Large Language Models and RAG
- Applied AI for Industry and Critical Infrastructure
- AI Education and Student-Engaged Research
-
Ernest M. Teagarden Award for Excellence in Teaching, Dakota State University, 2023
- AI and Biomedical Research, U.S. Department of Education / South Dakota Biomedical Computation Consortium, Principal Investigator and Program Director, $468,160 (2026–2027)
- DSU + AI Sweden Industrial Immersion Program and Cyber Agriculture, State of South Dakota, Principal Investigator and Program Director, $252,852 (2024–2026)
- S-STEM: GROWSTEM – Building a Sense of Belonging through Engagement, National Science Foundation, Co-Principal Investigator, $996,266 (2023–2028)
- DSU + AI Sweden Industrial Immersion Program, Case New Holland, Program Director and Faculty Advisor, $375,000 (2023–2027)
Selected Publications:
- Zero-Shot Tokenizer Transfer for Targeted Attacks on Retrieval-Augmented Generation, with E. French, S. Aryal, A. Singh, J. Hammond, and K. More. IEEE International Conference on AI in Cybersecurity, 2026.
- Mid-Generation Jailbreaks in Open-Source LLMs Using a Pause-and-Edit Attack, with E. French, S. Aryal, A. Singh, and K. More. IEEE International Conference on AI in Cybersecurity, 2026.
- Weighted Uniform Convergence of Entire Grünwald Operators on the Real Line, with F. Littmann. Computational Methods and Function Theory, 2022.
Selected Presentations:
- AI+ Cyber Education Pathways, SCSP AI+ Expo, Washington, DC, 2026.
- An International Industry Immersion Model for Graduate Education in AI and Cybersecurity, ISCAP Conference, Asheville, NC, 2026.
- Secure AI Curriculum Development, CAE Symposium, Pittsburgh, PA, 2026.
- RAG-Enhanced Adaptive AI for Offensive Cybersecurity, ISCAP Conference, Louisville, KY, 2025.
- AI, Cybersecurity, and Energy Applications: Innovation Through Industry Partnership, Tech Days Conference, Sioux Falls, SD, 2025.
- AI and Cybersecurity, Sioux Falls Cybersecurity Conference, Sioux Falls, SD, 2025.
- AI for Sustainable Development, AI for Sustainability Roundtable, Embassy of Sweden / National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, 2024.