Contact: Laura McPhail

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Early bird registration for the Mississippi State University National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center’s (NSPARC) fourth annual Data Summit is available through Aug. 31.

Registration for the Sept. 12-13 event can be completed for $25 at datasummit.info. The registration fee increases to $40 on Sept. 1.

This year’s theme is “Cybernetic City: An Ecosystem for Big, Smart, and Fast Economies.”

Scientists, academic practitioners, and industry experts from multiple agencies, businesses and organizations, as well as elected officials, will meet at The Mill at MSU Conference Center, 100 Mercantile St. in Starkville, for two days of presentations, panel discussions, breakout sessions, a networking reception, and three-course lunch with keynote addresses—all focused on the undeniable value of data in increasingly connected cities and towns.

Julie Jordan, MSU’s interim vice president for research and economic development, will open the conference on Sept. 12, and MSU President Mark E. Keenum will open the conference on Sept. 13.

“We are very much looking forward to meeting hundreds of professionals from across multiple industries and sharing ideas about our big, smart and fast data economy,” said NSPARC Interim Executive Director Allen Parrish. “It is always exciting to see what data are doing for the community, whether it is creating viable solutions, driving legislative decision-making or improving quality of life.” 

Workforce issues will take center stage during the conference, but Data Summit 2019 will feature other informative sessions covering a variety of topics, including:

—How Data and Technology are Shaping the Workforce of the Future

—Integrated Data for Community Resilience

—Transforming the Global Energy Economy with Data

—Wearable Sensors in Athletics: The Data Ecosystem in Sports

—The Quantum Day of Reckoning: When Quantum Computing Will Break Most Crypto and What You Can Do to Prepare

—Deploying Machine Learning in Common Devices to Bring Disruptive Products to Market

—23 and Criminology: The Unintentional By-Product of Genetic Genealogy

—Bots and Deepfakes as Influencers in the Social Media Landscape

—Technology Education Today for the Workforce of Tomorrow

—Bringing Intelligent Security to Big Data

—Creating Job Opportunities for People with Disabilities through Data Technology

This year’s conference has been expanded to include a data technology “petting zoo” where attendees can check out the latest innovations in augmented and virtual reality devices. A juried poster symposium for undergraduate and graduate research also will be held as part of the summit.

“We are very proud of how the Data Summit has grown substantially in just four years,” said NSPARC Deputy Executive Director Steve Grice. “We started out in 2016 with a gathering of legislators to discuss how data science can help inform decision-making. Since then, we have evolved this event by providing an intersection between professionals in academia, government affairs, and industries such as energy and sports. Though they may seem disparate, they all benefit from the use of data science, and it is important to have all of those different perspectives present at the discussion table.”

Elected officials scheduled to attend the 2019 Data Summit include 3rd District Congressman Michael Guest, R-Miss., who also is scheduled to speak; State Senator Josh Harkins, R-Miss.; and Cecil Brown, Central District Public Service Commissioner.

Special emphasis on new trends and innovations in data security will be given by keynote speakers Kristin Judge, founder of Cybercrime Support Network, and Tony Sager, senior vice president and chief evangelist at The Center for Internet Security, Inc.

Other scheduled speakers and special guests include Janice Zdankus, Hewlett Packard Enterprises; Hani Elshahawi, Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc.; Craig Sparks, C Spire; Erin Lockett, ExcelinEd; Craig P. Orgeron, Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services; Chris Buetti, National Basketball Association (NBA); Sumesh Arora, Mississippi Development Authority; Camille Scales Young, Cornerstone Government Affairs; Scott Waller, Mississippi Economic Council; Desmond Dickerson, Cognizant Center for Future of Work; Chris Howard, Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services; David Mittelman, Othram; Roger Grimes, KnowBe4; Aundrea Self, WCBI-TV; Kristi Fondren, Marshall University; several scientists and academics from Mississippi universities; and many more.  

To register or for more details, including a full list of sponsors, speakers and topics, visit datasummit.info, and follow the summit on Twitter with #DS2019.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.

About NSPARC
Mississippi State University’s National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center (NSPARC) is nationally recognized for creating technology and solutions powered by data science. We use expertise in data analytics, predictive analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, system of systems, data governance, cybersecurity, and high-performance computing to develop solutions that further human progress. For more information, visit nsparc.msstate.edu.