Adam Stratmeyer (J.D., University of South Dakota) is a legal-technical AI researcher and Lead Researcher at the Observable Compute Foundation, where he develops observable function and knowledge gradient frameworks for AI transparency. With a background spanning IRB compliance, behavioral science, data strategy, and legal analysis, he bridges the gap between AI decision-making systems and the legal and cognitive frameworks required to understand and govern them.
01 Experience
Observable Compute Foundation
Lead Researcher (Current)
- Developing the Observable Function theory — a framework for understanding what processing entities actually do, as opposed to what their designers intend them to do.
- Authored the Knowledge Gradient Framework (v2.0), which treats informational incompleteness as a structurally meaningful signal rather than a deficiency — applicable across AI systems, human cognition, and complex adaptive systems.
WellFully SD / Abbott House
Behavioral Analyst & Youth Advocate (2024 – Present)
- One-on-one counseling and direct support for youth in addiction recovery — drawing on behavioral science, trauma-informed care, and pastoral practice.
- Advocacy for at-risk youth navigating behavioral health systems, institutional barriers, and crisis — functioning as a psychological advocate and pastoral presence.
- Group facilitation grounded in evidence-based behavioral frameworks.
- HIPAA privacy compliance reviews.
Stratmeyer Analytica
Founder (2018 – Present)
- Built data pipelines for legal compliance modeling — translating regulatory language into behavioral and statistical frameworks for automated analysis.
- Consulting on AI behavior mapping against privacy statutes, identifying compliance exposure prior to deployment.
Western Dakota Technical College
Faculty (2018 – 2022)
- Taught Psychology, Sociology, Speech, and Workplace Psychology to a non-traditional undergraduate population.
- Applied statistical evaluation to track student outcomes and refine instruction over time.
University of South Dakota, Office of Research
Graduate Compliance Officer (2016 – 2018)
- Reviewed 300+ human subjects research proposals for ethical compliance and federal regulatory conformance. Served as an alternate IRB member and independently audited more than two dozen active studies.
- Conducted statistical reviews and data audits to verify research validity.
- Streamlined HIPAA privacy protocols and lab safety procedures.
02 Projects
- Observable Compute Foundation — Where most of the research lives. The work is on AI observability: making machine decision-making legible to humans, regulators, and other systems — not as a post-hoc explanation, but as a structural property of the system itself.
- IRB GPT — A GPT-4-based tool for reviewing human subjects research protocols against IRB standards. Built from direct experience reviewing 300+ protocols at USD.
- Stratmeyer Analytica — Data strategy and legal-technical analysis. Founded 2018.
- Blind Text Records — Independent label. Spange, Divvy Up The Panic, and solo work. Available on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.
- Designed, built, and maintained 40+ web properties across research, public health, education, and advocacy.
03 Research Archive
Two frameworks I've been building for a while.
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Observable Function in Processing Entities (2025)
A formal framework for characterizing what a processing entity — biological or artificial — actually does, as distinct from its described purpose. Establishes observability as a measurable, structurally meaningful property of any system that transforms inputs to outputs. -
The Knowledge Gradient Framework: Informational Incompleteness as a Cross-Substrate Dynamical Lens (Working Framework v2.0, 2013)
Proposes that informational incompleteness — the gap between what a system knows and what it would need to know to act optimally — is not a defect to be minimized but a structurally informative signal. Applicable across AI systems, human cognition, legal reasoning, and complex adaptive systems.
04 Publications & Presentations
Books
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Psychological Theories of Personality: A Practical(ish) Guide for the Layperson
A practitioner-oriented survey of major personality theory, written for non-specialists. Bridges academic psychology and real-world application. ISBN: B0CVSHK3ZN -
Neuroscience and Transmitters in Practice: A Practical(ish) Handbook for the Layperson
Applied neuroscience for practitioners and informed readers — covering neurotransmitter systems, their behavioral correlates, and clinical relevance. ISBN: B0CVS43VY3
Articles & Frameworks
- Stratmeyer, A. I. Attachment Theory is Deficient, Inarticulate, and Misleading: How a 24-Minute Observation of Toddlers Became Secular Astrology (March 18, 2026). SSRN. doi:10.2139/ssrn.6445280
- Stratmeyer, Adam. Helpfulness is All You Need (March 17, 2026). SSRN. doi:10.2139/ssrn.6445498
- Stratmeyer, Adam. The Denial Protocol: Observable Function in Processing Entities (v3.1, March 2026). Observable Compute Foundation Working Paper.
- Stratmeyer, Adam. The In-Between and the Wager: Operational Grace, Gradient Conductance, and the Expanding Circle (v3.2, March 2026). Observable Compute Foundation Working Paper.
- Stratmeyer, Adam. The Knowledge Gradient Framework: Informational Incompleteness as a Cross-Substrate Dynamical Lens (February 22, 2026). SSRN. doi:10.2139/ssrn.6287618
- Stratmeyer, Adam. Gradient Resolution Mechanics: Resolving Knowledge Gradient Pressure (Working Framework v3.0, 2026). Observable Compute Foundation.
- Stratmeyer, Adam. Kindness Is Always in Style (December 2025). Stratmeyer Analytica.
- Observable Function in Processing Entities. Observable Compute Foundation / Stratmeyer Analytica. (2025)
- Studying the Faces of Mendacity. (Manuscript Submitted, 2014)
Presentations
- The Rubber Hand Illusion — University of South Dakota (2014)
- Caution: Objects May Be Larger Than They Appear — University of South Dakota (2013)
05 Education & Affiliations
Education
- Juris Doctor (J.D.), The Knudson School of Law, University of South Dakota (2017)
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Psychology & Biology, Cum Laude — University of South Dakota (2014)
- Associate of Arts (A.A.), Magna Cum Laude — South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (2012)
Graduate Coursework: Quasi-Experimental Design, Statistics, Multivariate Statistics, Theories of Personality, Abnormal Psychology, Research Methods, Psycholinguistics, Psychoacoustics.
Certifications: Post-Secondary Teaching Credential (WDT) · Online Teaching Certificate (WDT)
Affiliations
American Bar Association · American Psychological Association · Delta Theta Phi · Psi Chi · Veterans' Legal Educational Group · American Sociological Association · The Innocence Project · ULC Ministries
06 Connect
- Email: stratmeyeradam@gmail.com
- ORCID: 0009-0005-8693-4641
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adamstratmeyer
- Medium: @adamstratmeyer on Medium
- Substack: adamstratmeyer.substack.com
- X: @adamstratmeyer