Centenary College Plays Role in Upcoming Cyber Summit

SHREVEPORT, La.—Centenary College will be among some of the top leaders of the Air Force's cyber arm at the upcoming Cyber Awareness Summit Oct. 7-9, when the College sponsors the keynote speaker on the opening day, and headlines one of the panel discussions on the second day of the summit.

Douglas Rushkoff

Douglas Rushkoff, a New York-based writer, columnist and lecturer on technology, media and popular culture, will be the featured Keynote Speaker, Tuesday, Oct. 7 beginning at 4 p.m. during the summit at the Shreveport Convention Center. Rushkoff will also speak to the students at Centenary College.

Winner of the first Neil Postman award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity, Douglas Rushkoff is an author, teacher, and documentarian who focuses on the ways people, cultures, and institutions create, share, and influence each other's values. He sees "media" as the landscape where this interaction takes place, and "literacy" as the ability to participate consciously in it. His 10 best-selling books on new media and popular culture have been translated to over 30 languages.

Rushkoff writes a column for the music and culture magazine, Arthur. His commentaries have aired on CBS Sunday Morning and NPR's All Things Considered, and have appeared in publications from The New York Times to Time magazine. He wrote the first syndicated column on cyberculture for The New York Times and Guardian of London, as well as regular columns for Discover Magazine and The Feature.

Rushkoff is a PhD candidate at Utrecht University's New Media Program and serves on the Board of Directors of the Media Ecology Association, The Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics, and as a founding member of Technorealism, as well as the Advisory Board of The National Association for Media Literacy Education, MeetUp.com and HyperWords . Rushkoff graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University, received an MFA in Directing from California Institute of the Arts, a post-graduate fellowship (MFA) from The American Film Institute, and a Director's Grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Chris Martin

On the second day of the summit, Dr. Chris Martin, Dean of the School of Business at Centenary College, and Dr. Nate Bennett, Catherine W. and Edwin A. Wahlen Professor, College of Management, at the Georgia Institute of Technology, will present their research and lead a discussion on Protecting Corporate Brand from Cyber Attacks, and takes place Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 1:30 until 3:30 p.m.

Martin and Bennett will lead the discussion on two of the top concerns of many company executives: IT security and the protection of corporate brand. While seemingly unrelated issues, the common thread is the vulnerability of both to cyber attacks.

Dr. Nate Bennett

With the internet, as the backbone of corporate sales, operating, and financial systems, the potential risk of a cyber attack is clear. However, protecting a company's brand has similarly become increasingly difficult as consumers, employees, and ex-employees have added their voices to the internet. Consumer and employee generated content through blogs, bulletin boards, rogue web sites, and social networks can quickly, widely, inexpensively, and negatively influence perceptions others hold of a company's brand and its reputation. In the session, the panel will provide a clearer understanding of why disgruntled employees and angry consumers take their message to the web. A number of strategies companies employ in response to negative CEGC and the most effective in dealing with such online attacks will also be discussed.

Centenary College is the title sponsor of the Cyber Awareness Summit taking place at the Shreveport Convention Center, Oct. 7 — 9. Other sponsors are the Cyber Innovation Center/National Cyber Research Park, the 8th Air Force and the provisional Air Force Cyber Command at Barksdale Air Force Base. For more information on the summit, visit cyberinnovationcenter.org.

About Centenary College of Louisiana

Centenary College is a private, four-year arts and sciences college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1825, it is the oldest chartered liberal arts college west of the Mississippi River and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Centenary is one of 16 colleges and universities constituting the Associated Colleges of the South and is regularly rated as one of the top colleges in the South. In 2008 Centenary College celebrates 100 years in Shreveport and Bossier City.