February 14, 2017
SEC Academic Conference at MSU Features Speakers from Government Agencies, 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.
