U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, speaks at the 2018 UM Technology Summit. Wicker, who has participated in all the previous Tech Summits, will be on hand Aug. 28 for the fourth annual event at Ole Miss. Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services.
OXFORD, Miss. – Expansion of rural broadband, workforce diversity and technology applications will be among the featured topics addressed at the fourth annual University of Mississippi Technology Summit.
The summit will feature remarks by Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, as the guest government speaker, and David L. Cohen, senior executive vice president and chief diversity officer for Comcast Corp., as the keynote speaker. U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, will be guest of honor.
Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, will be the guest government speaker for the fourth annual UM Technology Summit. Submitted photo
The summit, set for Aug. 28 at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts on the Ole Miss campus, will bring together leaders from government, business and higher education to explore technology- and telecommunications-related issues in industry and education.
“The fourth annual Tech Summit promises to be both interesting and informative as we welcome national industry and government leaders to our campus,” Interim Chancellor Larry Sparks said. “This event offers an important forum for leaders in our state to engage directly with policymakers and business executives who are deciding how technology will continue to shape our economy and many aspects of our lives.”
Wicker, who has participated in all the previous summits, noted that technology is critical for boosting the state’s economy.
“The Tech Summit is a unique event that allows the University of Mississippi to bring together leading innovators in the tech and telecommunications sector,” he said. “I am thrilled to have Chairman Pai and David Cohen join the conversation this year, and I look forward to welcoming all of the summit participants to Mississippi this summer.”
David L. Cohen, senior executive vice president and chief diversity officer for Comcast Corp., is the keynote speaker for the fourth annual UM Technology Summit. Submitted photo
“I look forward to joining Sen. Wicker and other leaders at the Ole Miss Tech Summit later this summer,” Pai said. “It will be an important discussion about trends in technology and how we can leverage future innovations to close the digital divide and deliver digital opportunity to every American.”
The event is particularly meaningful for Comcast, which has roots in the area, Cohen said.
“Comcast was literally born in Mississippi, as our first community antenna television system was in Tupelo, Mississippi,” he said. “This unique event provides an opportunity to address issues specific to rural communities and the industry as a whole.
“I thank Ole Miss for the invitation and look forward to the summit.”
To register for the 2019 summit or learn about previous UM Tech Summits, visit http://techsummit.olemiss.edu/.