"Broadband in Cities & Towns:
The Role of New Technology in Supporting Sustainable Economic and Community Development"
February 27 & 28, 2006
Benedict College
Division of Community Development
&
School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Columbia , SC
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE DIRECTOR
Dr. Jabari Simama
For over 25 years, Dr. Jabari Simama has been a distinctive voice for using technology to serve the public interest. He has been a true champion of the public/private partnership model, and has maintained the simple perspective that the highest use of technology is that which "makes us more human."
Dr. Simama is the Vice President of Community Development at Benedict College and the Director of the Center for Excellence in Community Development. Presently his Division has over $125 million in development projects that are in various stages of implementation. Prior to moving to Columbia, SC, in 2005, Dr. Simama created and directed the city of Atlanta's first multimillion dollar cable access program, a quarter-of-a-century old community media institution that turns 26 in February. Later, after serving two terms on the Atlanta City Council, Dr. Simama raised $10 million to establish and direct the City of Atlanta's Office of Community Technology, where he oversaw the development of a citywide network of community technology centers that at maturity would connect 100 CTCs with broadband.
Dr. Simama also created the first RFP for a citywide Wi-Fi network in a major city in America. He is credited with marketing the viability of the concept as solution to bridging the divide and as a new revenue stream for local government. Each year since Y2K, Dr. Simama has assembled thought leaders working to narrow the digital divide with public officials in government to discuss the role of technology in economic and community development. He aims to do the same at Benedict College with the new series of conferences marketed under the banner, "Broadband in Cities & Towns."
Winner of 3COM's Urban Challenge Award, E-Gov's Explorer's Award, and Government Technology's Doers, Dreamers, & Drivers of information technology in government honor, Dr. Simama will soon be profiled in a new book on the African American Hall of Fame of Technology, edited by John Barber, author of Blacks in the Information Society. He holds a Ph.D. from Emory University and is a native of Columbia, MO.
SCHOOL OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM)
The School of Science, Technology and Engineering (STEM) is committed to producing leaders in the fields of biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental health science, mathematics, physics, computer engineering, electrical engineering and select secondary science and mathematics teaching disciplines. Students desiring careers in other engineering disciplines may choose our physics-engineering dual degree program which provides flexibility to obtain both a B.S. in physics and B.S. in another engineering area offered by one of our partner institutions.
The School of STEM provides curriculum and experiences that facilitate discovery and application of knowledge in preparation for graduate studies, professional service and significant contribution to the greater scientific community. The School is organized into three departments: Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Health Science; Mathematics and Computer Science; and Physics and Engineering. This organization provides students with cross-dis-cipline role models as educators, mentors and partners in research and the learning process.
The association of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines into a single academic unit affords the advantage of collaboration amongst related areas. Collegial activities that extend beyond pure disciplinary boundaries expose students to the many opportunities in the mathematical, computing, physical and biological sciences, and engineering. In addition, the School of STEM structure allows for teams to form naturally, based on scholarly interests, to address new challenges and those identified by federal agencies and private organizations that emphasize projects across the disciplines.
Dr. Stacey Franklin Jones
Dr. Stacey Franklin Jones is the Dean of the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and an Associate Professor of Computer Science of Mathematics at Benedict College. Dr. Jones is a graduate of Howard University, Johns Hopkins University and George Washington University. She holds a bachelor of science degree in mathematics (HU), two masters of science degrees in Numerical Science and Technology Management (JHU), and a doctor of science in Computer Science (GWU). Dr. Jones has over 20 years of successful management experience acquired in the defense contract industry and higher education, complemented by formal training at Johns Hopkins University, Harvard Graduate School of Education Management Development Program and the Hampton University Executive Leadership Program. Dr. Jones is a Westinghouse Engineering Achievement Award recipient, recognized for the design and development of the beam steering control for electronically agile antenna of the U.S. Air Force AN/APQ-164 (B1-B). Dr. Jones is the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)'s 2004 Outstanding Woman in Technology Golden Torch Award Recipient. She is a Senior Member of IEEE, National Society of Black Engineers 2004 Outstanding Woman in Technology and a 2005-2006 Bush/Hewett Foundation Award Grantee
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