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Each year on McClure School Day, students in the J. Warren McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies at the Scripps College of Communication get the chance to learn about possible career paths and the state of the technology industry from Ģ����Ƶ University alumni and experts in the field. 

"The big thing we talk about is if you go back 10 or 20 years, everybody had at least the same opportunity to get the same network TV channels and same information. That is not the case now across the state of Ģ����Ƶ, particularly in southeast Ģ����Ƶ,” said Ģ����Ƶ Department of Development Broadband Ģ����Ƶ Chief Officer Peter Voderberg. "Today, no access to high-speed internet means no information to go to work, go to school, or visit with doctors. Connection is so important for how we communicate and how we work and play and everything in between. Because of how much the internet is becoming interwoven with the way we do everything, it’s important for everyone to have access.”

Voderberg talked with students and faculty about the effort to bring high-speed internet access to southeast Ģ����Ƶ as one of the featured speakers during McClure School Day on April 15.  The event included two parallel sessions, one on Information and Telecommunications Systems (ITS), Cybersecurity and Broadband and one on Virtual Reality (VR) and Game Development.

Voderberg’s session was called "Universal Coverage: Ģ����Ƶ’s Experience and Plan for the Future." He talked about the work being done to make sure Appalachian Ģ����Ƶ, the community Ģ����Ƶ University serves and is a part of, isn’t left behind. But there are challenges.

“For Southeast Ģ����Ƶ and the Appalachian region in general, there are many difficulties bringing high speed internet access to all. The terrain, trees and foliage interfere with fixed wireless signals and population density, because there are not as many people grouped together, causes issues because we have to run longer lines to provide high speed internet access,” said Voderberg. “But our goal is to achieve high speed internet access for every home in Ģ����Ƶ. We are working with the Governor’s office of Appalachia and Appalachian Regional Commission to see what we can do to make programs more successful and also see if in distressed counties, there are additional dollars to go to those areas to make it more attractive for broadband providers.”

Students asked Voderberg several questions during the session. One of those questions lead to a discussion about what Broadband Ģ����Ƶ is doing to make sure the workforce and infrastructure are available to install wireless for all.

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“It was a great opportunity to talk to a group of people who were very excited and engaged because many of them understand what it is like not to have internet access,” said Voderberg. “I had the opportunity to meet with students and alumni afterward. We also had some wonderful, thoughtful conversations about cybersecurity and its impact on the work we are doing across the state.”

Voderberg was one of 14 different speakers during the event. Other notable speakers included: Keynote Speaker Dr. Robert Soni, VP of RAN Technology, AT&T; Warren Stratton, senior project designer, Virtualitics; Austin Drozin, indie developer at NewFutureKids and director of curriculum at GameU; Victor Paini, director data center site operations, Meta; Chris Garcia, INV3RSION, LLC and Holly Drake, chief information security officer, State of Ģ����Ƶ.

Outstanding undergraduate awards were given out to Anya Ramey, Eli George and Mirage'A Lamb, who are all senior information and telecommunication systems majors, along with Jack Sherlock, Grace Cobb and Sorrel Kerr-Jung, who are all senior virtual reality and game development majors.

“McClure School Day reflects a long-term commitment to students and a shared vision among faculty, staff, alumni, and industry. We want our students to be the best they can be, and the experiences that they have at McClure School Day will stick with them as they enter the workforce and blaze their own paths,” said McClure School Director Chip Linscott.