February 14, 2017

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

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

NameInstitution/Organization
Dr. Ray VaughnVice President for Research and Economic DevelopmentUniversity of Alabama-Huntsville
Dr. Tony SkjellumProfessor and Director, SimCenter, Computer Science and EngineeringUniversity of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Dr. Csilla FarkasDirector, Center for Information Assurance EngineeringUniversity of South Carolina
Dr. Dipankar DasguptaDirector, Center for Information AssuranceUniversity of Memphis
Mr. Matt RogersRhodes ScholarAuburn University
Dr. Winnie CallahanAssociate Research Personnel, Cyber InstituteUniversity of Alabama
Dr. Allen JohnstonAssociate Professor, Information Systems, Statistics and Management ScienceUniversity of Alabama
Dr. Darryl WilliamsAssociate Research Personnel, Cyber InstituteUniversity of Alabama
Dr. Prasad CalyamAssistant Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer ScienceUniversity of Missouri
Mr. Reg HydeExecutive Director, Cyber InstituteUniversity of Alabama
Mr. Jeff CastelliManaging DirectorAccenture, Inc.
Ms. Siobhan MacDermottGlobal Cybersecurity Public Policy ExecutiveBank of America
Dr. Narasimha ReddyAssociate Agency Director for Strategic Initiatives and CentersTexas A&M University
Dr. Kang LiDirector, Institute for Cyber Security and PrivacyUniversity of Georgia
Dr. Steve CamboneDirector, Institute for National-Security and Cyber-Security Education and ResearchTexas A&M University
Dr. Jagannathan RamanujumDirector, Center for Computation and TechnologyLouisiana State University
Dr. Henry Thomas Capello, Jr.Principal Research Engineer, Transformational Technology and Cyber Research CenterLouisiana State University
Dr. Patrick TraynorCo-Director, Institute for Cybersecurity ResearchUniversity of Florida
Dr. Golden Richard, IIIAssociate Director, Cybersecurity Center for Computation and TechnologyLouisiana State University
Dr. Dale ThompsonAssociate Professor, Computer Science and Computer EngineeringUniversity of Arkansas
Dr. David BathProject Coordinator, Center for Intel and Security StudiesUniversity of Mississippi
Dr. Sen-ching (Samson) CheungProfessor, Electrical and Computer EngineeringUniversity of Kentucky
Dr. Drew HamiltonDirector, Center for Cyber InnovationMississippi 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.