Keynote Speakers
Dr. Michael Wesch
Dubbed "the explainer" by Wired magazine, Michael Wesch is a cultural anthropologist exploring the impact of new media on society and culture.
After two years studying the impact of writing on a remote indigenous culture in the rain forest of Papua New Guinea, he has turned his attention to the effects of social media and digital technology on global society. His videos on technology, education, and information have been viewed by millions, translated in over ten languages, and are frequently featured at international film festivals and major academic conferences worldwide. Wesch has won several major awards for his work, including a Wired Magazine Rave Award, the John Culkin Award for Outstanding Praxis in Media Ecology, and was recently named an Emerging Explorer by National Geographic. He has also won several teaching awards, including the 2008 CASE/Carnegie U.S. Professor of the Year for Doctoral and Research Universities.
Jerry Newman
Dr. Jerry Newman is a SUNY Distinguished Professor at SUNY Buffalo. His interests are in the area of human resource management, with particular emphasis on compensation and rewards. He is author of the book My Secret Life on the McJob: Lessons in Leadership Guaranteed to Supersize any Management Style (McGraw-Hill, 2007). This book was selected as one of the twelve "Best of 2007" by the Wall Street Journal. Newman is also co-author of the text, Compensation (2007), a best in class book for McGraw-Hill since 1984 (now on 9th edition). He is also author of approximately 100 articles on compensation and rewards, performance management and other Human Resource issues. In more than 30 years of consulting Jerry has worked with such companies as Cummins Engine, AT&T, Graphic Controls, Hewlett-Packard, RJR Nabisco, Sorrento Cheese, McDonalds, and A & W Root Beer. Dr. Newman is a recipient of nine teaching awards including the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in teaching.
Paul Harrington
Paul Harrington, PhD. is a economics teacher and researcher at the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston. He and his colleagues at the Center have been engaged in research and evaluation concerning teens and young adult transitions to careers. Working with economist Neeta Fogg and Counseling Psychologist Thomas Harrington, Paul is now completing work on the Third Edition of the College Majors Handbook, a detailed analysis of the career outcomes of college graduates who completed their degrees in 60 major fields of study. He also recently co-authored the College Majors Scorecard, designed to help college bound students decide on fields of study at the undergraduate level. Paul’s most recent research has focused on the transition of disabled high school graduates into the nation’s post secondary system. This research project, supported by the New England ADA Center examines the impact of various types of disabilities on the post graduate access and retention of high school graduates. This study develops a new method of tracking disabled students into the nation’s post secondary education system.