SEC Academic Conference at MSU Features Speakers from Government Agencies, SEC Institutions

February 14, 2017

Mississippi State University is hosting the event that will feature researchers and academic leaders representing all 14 SEC institutions.

By: Allison Matthews (Mississippi State University)
SECU (Twitter: @TheSECU)

More than 60 academic and governmental researchers will participate in next month’s SEC Academic Conference as speakers and panelists when the SEC institutions come together to discuss “The Future of Water.”

Mississippi State University is hosting the March 27-28 event that will feature researchers and academic leaders representing all 14 SEC institutions. Governmental organizations, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey, and Environmental Protection Agency, also will be represented, among others, including Mississippi’s Delta Council.

“The Future of Water: Regional Collaboration on Shared Climate, Coastlines and Watersheds” is the theme of this year’s conference that will focus on research collaboration. For the complete agenda and registration, visit www.secconference.msstate.edu.

Headlined by best-selling author John M. Barry, former National Geographic executive environment editor Dennis Dimick, and University of California, Irvine, professor and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory senior water scientist Jay Famiglietti, the event is expected to engage experts on a variety of water resource topics.

The program includes:

Name	Institution/Organization
Dr. Ray Vaughn	Vice President for Research and Economic Development	University of Alabama-Huntsville
Dr. Tony Skjellum	Professor and Director, SimCenter, Computer Science and Engineering	University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Dr. Csilla Farkas	Director, Center for Information Assurance Engineering	University of South Carolina
Dr. Dipankar Dasgupta	Director, Center for Information Assurance	University of Memphis
Mr. Matt Rogers	Rhodes Scholar	Auburn University
Dr. Winnie Callahan	Associate Research Personnel, Cyber Institute	University of Alabama
Dr. Allen Johnston	Associate Professor, Information Systems, Statistics and Management Science	University of Alabama
Dr. Darryl Williams	Associate Research Personnel, Cyber Institute	University of Alabama
Dr. Prasad Calyam	Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science	University of Missouri
Mr. Reg Hyde	Executive Director, Cyber Institute	University of Alabama
Mr. Jeff Castelli	Managing Director	Accenture, Inc.
Ms. Siobhan MacDermott	Global Cybersecurity Public Policy Executive	Bank of America
Dr. Narasimha Reddy	Associate Agency Director for Strategic Initiatives and Centers	Texas A&M University
Dr. Kang Li	Director, Institute for Cyber Security and Privacy	University of Georgia
Dr. Steve Cambone	Director, Institute for National-Security and Cyber-Security Education and Research	Texas A&M University
Dr. Jagannathan Ramanujum	Director, Center for Computation and Technology	Louisiana State University
Dr. Henry Thomas Capello, Jr.	Principal Research Engineer, Transformational Technology and Cyber Research Center	Louisiana State University
Dr. Patrick Traynor	Co-Director, Institute for Cybersecurity Research	University of Florida
Dr. Golden Richard, III	Associate Director, Cybersecurity Center for Computation and Technology	Louisiana State University
Dr. Dale Thompson	Associate Professor, Computer Science and Computer Engineering	University of Arkansas
Dr. David Bath	Project Coordinator, Center for Intel and Security Studies	University of Mississippi
Dr. Sen-ching (Samson) Cheung	Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering	University of Kentucky
Dr. Drew Hamilton	Director, Center for Cyber Innovation	Mississippi State University

“This conference will bring together the best of the best in the SEC doing water research,” said Daniel Petrolia, an MSU associate professor of agricultural economics who is part of the conference organizing committee. “We will tackle some of the most pressing water issues facing the Southeast, the U.S. and the world,” Petrolia added.

Increased climate variability and water demand are bringing water issues to the forefront of research discussion, conference organizers said. Drought, declines in aquifers used for irrigation, and sea-level rise are among core topics of interest. The conference is designed to stimulate communication and collaboration toward sustainable and resilient water resource management in the Southeast, with overarching themes to include shared inland waters and aquifers, coastlines, climate and regional policy.

The SEC Academic Conference represents an expanded slate of academic programming currently supported by the Southeastern Conference. The on-campus event is expected to showcase SEC university research in areas of critical importance within the region and around the nation. SECU is the academic initiative of the SEC, and it serves as the primary mechanism through which the collaborative academic endeavors and achievements of SEC universities are supported and advanced.