Contact: Joe Farris
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and Mississippi State President Malcolm Portera are among the participants in a three-day summit beginning Sunday [Sept. 9] of Southern governors and Southeastern university presidents.
A discussion of joint initiatives on information technology and coastal research is among the session topics at the Southern Governors' Association annual meeting in Lexington, Ky.
During a Monday morning session [Sept. 10], the heads of a dozen universities in the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA) will join state leaders to talk about development of the South's research and development capabilities.
Portera, current chairman of the SURA Council of Presidents, said the use of region-wide networking technologies for education and research, economic development, and service delivery is one initiative on the session agenda.
"Our prospects for the future are directly linked to our ability in the South to be networked and technologically connected, and that will depend on linking our political and educational leadership," Portera said.
Another major topic will be research on the nation's increasingly developed coastal zones. SURA university presidents have called for expanded and linked ocean-monitoring systems to help protect life and property, as well as marine resources, along the Southern coastlines.
"Monitoring and coordinating information on weather, environment and marine life in our coastal zones can give us important tools for protecting lives and livelihoods," Portera said.
This year's SGA meeting focuses on "The Triple Crown of the South's New Economy: Research, Development and Technology." At least eight governors are expected to participate in the session with the university presidents and other SURA representatives.
SURA membership includes about 50 universities from Texas to Maryland with significant capabilities and interests in science and engineering.