Mark Stone is the Director of the PRAIRIE Initiative and Professor of Biological Systems Engineering at UNL. Through the PRAIRIE Initiative, he leads a college-wide effort to accelerate responsible AI adoption across research, education, and industry partnerships. Before returning to Nebraska in 2023, he served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of New Mexico, where he co-founded the Resilience Institute and held the Regents' Lecturer distinction. His research applies AI and remote sensing to water resources, agriculture, and environmental systems. Stone is a Fulbright Scholar, NSF CAREER Award recipient, licensed Professional Engineer, and a 1998 UNL graduate. He holds a Ph.D. from Washington State University.