UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Driving Digital Innovation” will be the topic of the next in a series of public forums focused on implementing the University’s multi-year Strategic Plan. The forum will take place 1-2:30 p.m. March 30 at Penn State Behrend in  Burke Building, room 180.

Faculty, staff and students from across the University are invited to participate, either in person or via livestream. To watch via livestream, go to the event page online: strategicplan.psu.edu/events/behrend-033017. Community members also can participate by sending questions or comments to strategicplan@psu.edu and putting “Driving Digital Innovation” in the subject line, or by tweeting, using the hashtag #PSUplan.

“By hosting this forum, we are promoting more vital discussion of the Strategic Plan and its thematic priorities," said Ralph Ford, chancellor of Penn State Behrend. "This event offers a valuable opportunity for discussion of how the University will be a leader in digital innovation – here and at other Penn State campus communities across the Commonwealth.”

The forum will include an overview of the ongoing Strategic Plan implementation process and ideas and initiatives under consideration that relate to "Driving Digital Innovation." Participants will have time to ask questions and offer comments.

The many ideas, questions and opportunities to be discussed during this forum include:

• Building capacity for health informatics research and expanding capacity for research using biomedical and health sciences big data. How can we leverage health-related information to advance digital innovation toward precision health and discovery informatics while protecting sensitive information?  
• Building, coordinating and augmenting our capabilities in data science and analytics, as well as artificial intelligence. How can we build on Penn State’s inter-college education and research programs related to data sciences, human technologies and AI to position Penn State further as a global leader in driving digital innovation?
• Sustain and strengthen programs related to developing secured, accessible and interoperable cyber infrastructure. How can we enhance existing cyber infrastructure to enable digital innovation research, education and outreach across Penn State’s geographically distributed campuses?

“It is hard to imagine a global challenge – whether it is about health, security, education, energy, finance or the environment – that does not have digital innovation as a critical component to addressing it,” said John Yen, professor of information sciences and technology, director of strategic research initiatives, and a co-chair of the steering committee focused on this Strategic Plan theme. “We have many ideas for Penn State-led programs and initiatives that will advance our institution-wide focus on digital innovation, an area in which we already are recognized as a global leader.”

Added Vasant Honavar, professor of information sciences and technology and director of Penn State’s Center for Big Data Analytics and Discovery Informatics, said the forum at Penn State Behrend will help engage people in the Strategic Plan implementation process.

"This is critical to identifying initiatives that can leverage Penn State’s many strengths to leap forward to the next frontier of the digital world," Honavar said.

The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost and the Office of Planning and Assessment are co-hosting the strategic planning forums. For more information, visit strategicplan.psu.edu/events.