Operator.
Scholar. Builder.
MD S. "Doc" Rana is the Director of the Human-AI Teaming Lab at U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command in Austin, Texas. He founded and directs the Applied Cyber, Data and AI Accelerator at Space Systems Command — the first program of its kind inside the command — and serves concurrently as Acting Chief Data and AI Officer. His work focuses on the operational integration of artificial intelligence with the Space Force mission, the doctrine of human-machine teaming in contested space domains, and the cybersecurity foundations that make either possible.
His federal civilian career spans nearly a decade across the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force Reserve, and U.S. Space Force. He joined Army Futures Command in 2018 as a computer engineer and cybersecurity engineer during the command's initial stand-up in Austin, then served as Artificial Intelligence Task Force Integrator and Special Cyber Advisor. Earlier federal service includes Head of IT and Cyber for the Infrastructure Division at NAVSEA in Philadelphia and Computer Scientist for unmanned systems R&D at SPAWAR in San Diego, where he led cybersecurity engineering for the SHARKCAGE program and the Navy Cyber Situational Awareness initiative.
Rana holds a reserve commission as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force, currently assigned to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command headquarters in Honolulu as Action Officer for AI Integration and Cyber Operations. His Reserve career spans offensive cyber operations at USCYBERCOM, defensive cyber at the 149 Fighter Wing, and active-duty tours at AFRL, U.S. Transportation Command, U.S. European Command at Ramstein Air Base, and DAF PEO C3BM at Hanscom supporting the Advanced Battle Management System program.
He began his career as a Merchant Marine Officer for NYK Line in Nagoya, Japan, after graduating First Class from Marine Academy Bangladesh — one of 59 cadets selected from over 15,000 applicants. He holds graduate degrees in Computer Science and Business Administration, both with 4.00 GPAs, and is completing an MS in Artificial Intelligence at UT Austin. He is a Mid-Career MPA candidate at Harvard Kennedy School as an American Service Fellow and Center for Public Leadership Fellow — and co-founded Palladium Ventures (pldm.vc), a defense-focused early-stage fund investing in the next generation of national security technology.
—TS/SCI with CI Polygraph · DoD Cyber Workforce Qualified · DAWIA Level III Engineering
—Languages: Bengali (Native), Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi (Full Professional)
—Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force Cyber School · Merit Scholar, Marine Academy Bangladesh
—NATO TIDE Hackathon 2026 — one of 4 selected from the ~67,000-member USAF Reserve Command
