Alabama State University News February 15, 2012 February White House Executive to Speak During Opening of HBCU Conference John Silvanus Wilson Jr. will deliver the keynote address at the opening session of the national HBCU Entrepreneurship Conference, which will be held on ASU's campus March 5-7. This year's conference theme is "Entrepreneurship: Transforming Education, Government and Industry." Silvanus works with the 105 HBCUs, the White House, federal agencies and private and corporate sectors to ensure that HBCUs are a significant force in helping the nation reach President Barack Obama's goal of having the world's highest proportion of college graduates by the year 2020. Deborah Scott Thomas, president and CEO of Data Solutions & Technology Incorporated and conference event coordinator, said she is excited to have a member of President Obama's White House address participants. "Mr. Wilson is carrying out an important mission as executive director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs. He has spent a large part of his career in higher education and understands the need for the continued growth of HBCUs and the importance of improving corporate and higher education partnerships," Thomas said. Before working with the White House, Wilson was an associate professor of higher education in the Graduate School of Education at the George Washington University. He also spent 16 years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he served as director of foundation relations and as assistant provost. Wilson received a bachelor's degree from Morehouse College, a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University, and both a master's and a doctoral degree in administration, planning and social policy, also from Harvard University. For additional information on the second annual HBCU Conference, visit the conference website at www.asu-hbcu.org<http://www.asu-hbcu.org> or watch for updates on Twitter<https://twitter.com/asu_hbcu_conf> and Facebook.<https://www.facebook.com/pages/ASU-HBCU-Entrepreneurship-Conference/123816441021035?v=wall> SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2012meeting-form.html for the October 21-23, 2012 HBCU Library Alliance 5th Membership Meeting and the Photographic Preservation Pre-Conference in New Orleans, LA. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.