Understanding the digital revolution to grasp our digital future

AMES, Iowa — What lessons have we learned from digital technology? What does the future hold? 

Douglas Van Houweling

Van Houweling

These questions will be discussed during a lecture Sept. 26 at Iowa State University.

Douglas Van Houweling, professor emeritus in the School of Information at the University of Michigan, will present “Our Digital Future (Through the Lens of the Past)” at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, in the Memorial Union Great Hall. 

Van Houweling’s lecture is free and open to the public. Registration is required for events on Friday, Sept. 27 related to the computer science department’s 50th anniversary celebration.

He will talk about how digital technology has transformed our world, with discussions of what has been learned, where we are headed and how we can realize a better future.

Van Houweling has had a long career in higher education information technology leadership and management. He was a pioneer in the development and deployment of advanced network infrastructure for higher education and research with the National Science Foundation Network (NSFNET) — which grew into the backbone of the internet as we know it today. From 1997 to 2010, Van Houweling was the CEO of Internet2, a national computer research and networking consortium.

In 2005, Van Houweling became the inaugural recipient of Iowa State’s John V. Atanasoff Discovery Award, and in 2014, he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame. He received his Ph.D. in government from Indiana University, and his bachelor’s degree in government from Iowa State.

John V. Atanasoff and Clifford Berry invented the first electronic digital computer in 1937 at Iowa State. The ISU computer science department was officially formed in 1969. For years, Iowa State has been changing the world with groundbreaking research. 

This lecture is co-sponsored by the computer science department, Computer Science and Software Engineering Club, and the Committee on Lectures, which is funded by Student Government.

Find more information about ISU lectures online or by calling 515-294-9934.