UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Barry L. Shoop, department head of electrical engineering and computer science at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, is the keynote speaker for this year’s Silicon Happy Valley conference. This is the third year for the event, which will be held from 8 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at the Nittany Lion Inn.
Shoop, who has served in a number of key leadership positions during his 24 years at West Point, including director of the Photonics Research Center and director of the electrical engineering program, will talk about the “Dimensions of Disruptive Innovation: Technological, Human and Organizational.” Because the conference’s theme this year is disruptive technologies, Shoop’s lecture looks at disruptive technologies past, present and future.
“Well-managed companies are excellent at developing sustaining technologies, those technologies that improve the performance of their products in ways that satisfy their customers,” said Shoop. “Disruptive technologies, however, are distinctly different and fundamentally change the value proposition in a market according to a distinct pathology. In addition to understanding disruptive innovations, we have found that it is equally important to understand the human dimension of technology innovation — how social, cultural and religious factors impact the acceptance or rejection of technological innovation.”
In addition to Shoop’s talk, the day is filled with other important lectures that focus on disruptive technologies like “Watson Artificial Intelligence (AI) and The EdTech Network” and “Data is Eating Software.” A group panel discussion about early career awards and another featuring students will be among the many highlights of the day.
For more information about the conference and to register, please visit www.siliconhappyvalley.org.