Speakers
Dr. Ian Ferguson
Ian Ferguson is the Dean of Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at Kennesaw State University. His research expertise is in building interdisciplinary teams to use compound semiconductor materials and devices for applications in the areas of sensors, illumination, energy harvesting, and spintronics. As an international educator and researcher, he has had active collaborations in the US, Europe, and Asia, which have resulted in over 575 refereed journal publications, conference proceedings, books, book chapters, and patents. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA), the American Vacuum Society, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the Institute of Physics, Optica, (formerly OSA), the International Society for Optical Engineering and a Chartered Physicist (CPhys).
Errika Moore
Errika is the inaugural Executive Director of the National STEM Funders Network. Previously, she was the Senior Program Officer at the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, leading the team focused on improving education and workforce development through initiatives for over 900,000 students. Before this, she served as the Executive Director of TAG-Ed (Technology Association of Georgia Education Collaborative), focused on K-12 STEM Advocacy throughout the state of Georgia, Vice President of Member Services and External Affairs for IT Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) – the only national organization focused on increasing the representation of black professionals at senior levels in technology, the Vice President of Operations for the Gifted Education Foundation, Southwire, BMC Software, and IBM.
Currently, she serves on Florida International University Honors College Dean’s Advisory Board, as the Georgia co-lead for the National Million Women Mentors initiative, the Vice Chair for Project Scientist’s national Board of Directors, the University of Texas’ Parent Advisory Council Executive Committee, as the Board Chair for Lab Atlanta, as the Vice President of Sankofa Montessori’s Board of Directors, Inspiredu’s Board of Directors, Movement Strategy Center’s Board of Directors, and the National STEM Honor Society’s Advisory Council. She also serves on the steering committee for the National Center for Family Math, Georgia Department of Education’s Computer Science Advisory Council, Junior Achievement of Georgia’s Leadership Council, Georgia’s CTAE Industry Advisory Council, and DeKalb County’s STEM Advisory Board. She is a member of the IT Senior Management Forum, Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority Inc., and the Atlanta Diversity Managers Affinity Group (ADMAG).
Dr. Laurence J. Jacobs
Laurence J. Jacobs is Senior Vice Provost for Education and Learning in the College of Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Jacobs received his Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from Columbia University and joined the faculty of Georgia Tech in 1988. Before receiving his Ph.D., he worked for two years in the aerospace industry and for one year as a structural engineer.
Professor Jacobs’ research focuses on developing quantitative methodologies for the nondestructive evaluation and life prediction of structural materials. This includes applying nonlinear ultrasound to characterize fatigue, creep, stress-corrosion, thermal embrittlement, and radiation damage in metals. His work in cement-based materials includes applying linear and nonlinear ultrasonic techniques to quantify microstructure and progressive micro-cracking in concrete.
Dr. Jacobs’ publications have been cited more than 4900 times with an h-index of 39 (Google Scholar), 31 (Scopus) or 28 (Web of Science), and he is a Fellow of the ASME. DOE, NSF, ONR, AFOSR, DARPA, NASA, US DOT, Georgia DOT, Exxon-Mobil, EPRI, Sandia National Lab, and GE have funded Professor Jacobs’ research. He has been the PI or co-PI on over $8M worth of contracts since 1990. Dr. Jacobs has graduated 16 Ph.D. students (5 women and 2 African Americans) and 65 M.S. thesis students.