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Third annual Focus Forward event emphasizes West Virginia opportunities in emerging private weather industry

Focus Forward Beyond the Cloud

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WHAT: Third Annual Focus Forward: Beyond the Cloud hosted by the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative, High Technology Foundation, West Virginia University, Marshall University, Vantage Ventures and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 17, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

WHERE: Virtual webinar via Zoom. 

WHO:  

  • Jim Estep, President and CEO, High Technology Foundation   
  • Zac Flamig, Tech Lead, Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative, AWS  
  • E. Gordon Gee, President, West Virginia University  
  • Jennifer Giovannitti, President, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
  • Zach Goldstein, Chief Information Officer, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  
  • Jonathan O’Neil, Director, Big Data Project, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
  • Bruno Sánchez-Andrade Nuño, Principal Scientist, Microsoft “AI for Earth”  
  • Donna Peduto, Executive Director, WVPEC  
  • Doug Perry, Deputy CIO, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
  • Brad D. Smith, Executive Chairman, Intuit Board of Directors, Chairman, Nordstrom Board of Directors, Sitting Member, SurveyMonkey Board of Directors, Co-founder, The Wing 2 Wing Foundation 

RSVP: Members of the media who are interested in attending the virtual event, please RSVP to Katie Farmer at 315-256-8509 or katie.farmer@mail.wvu.edu

NOTES: Building on past years’ dynamic discussions that examined how artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data will impact future jobs and required skills, this is the first in a series of events to examine how West Virginia can become the epicenter of the nation’s expanding private weather industry. 

Participants will discover the unique assets West Virginia holds to become a leader in this space and how to leverage unparalleled data sets and world-leading supercomputing resources through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the I-79 Technology Park in Fairmont, West Virginia to ignite more entrepreneurial activity and economic growth. 

Find and full agenda and read more about the event.

-WVU-

kf/03/11/21

CONTACT: Katie Farmer, WVU Office of the Provost 

Katie.farmer@mail.wvu.edu; 315-256-8509 

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