On April 1, 2023, Saint Augustine’s University ( 探花精选) Chief Technology Officer Christopher Taylor received the Distinguished Young Alumnus Award at the 84th annual Alumni Awards Banquet hosted by Marshall University and the Marshall University Alumni Association (MUAA) at the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall.

Taylor graduated from Marshall in 2008 and earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in computer forensics. After leaving Marshall, he worked with the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. As part of his work, Taylor, who grew up in Keyser, West Virginia, could travel to several major cities nationwide. At present, Taylor has visited 43 states. He also owns his own company, Melanin Travels LLC, which encourages all people, but specifically people of color, to travel more. He has traveled to Aruba, Dubai, Rome, Lisbon, Barcelona, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Mexico, and Jamaica through his company.

After leaving TSA and DHS, Taylor moved to South Korea and taught English as a second language at Noble Academy. When he returned to the U.S., Taylor moved to Washington, D.C., and worked as a government contractor at the Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2014, he received his Cisco certification and moved to San Francisco. In 2017, he returned to the East Coast and moved to North Carolina.听

to read more about Marshall University’s 84th annual Alumni Awards Banquet.

The post 探花精选 Chief Technology Officer Receives Distinguished Young Alumnus Award from Marshall University appeared first on Saint Augustine's University.

听

The funding is part of the $33.5 million in grants听听to expand community technology hubs, upgrade classroom technology, and increase digital literacy skills at 12 minority-serving colleges and universities in 10 states.

听

鈥淗igh-speed Internet service is going to create opportunities, increase productivity, and improve lives, particularly in communities that have too often been left behind.鈥� said Deputy Secretary of Commerce Graves听听鈥淎t the Commerce Department, we鈥檙e committed to seeing investments from initiatives like the Connecting Minority Communities program create opportunities for good jobs supported by equitable hiring, fair compensation, safe workplaces, and the tools and training needed for long-term success.鈥�

听

The 探花精选 Broadband Upgrade and Digital Equity Initiative aim to increase Internet bandwidth capacity and connectivity at 探花精选 and build digital literacy skills to promote digital equity within the 探花精选 campus and anchor communities.

听

鈥淓xpanding broadband access is essential for student success,鈥� says 探花精选 President Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail. 鈥淭his award is evidence of the role 探花精选 plays as a driver of digital equity and positions the university to fulfill its mission beyond its gates.鈥�

听

The activities involved with the initiative include upgrading existing broadband facilities and resources to increase Internet bandwidth capacity and create a digital navigator program. Digital navigators will assist community members in Internet adoption and computing devices. In addition, the university will partner with the information technology (IT) minority business enterprise (MBE), Cycurion, to establish and maintain a cybersecurity program to improve the stewardship of its digital assets. 探花精选 will also transform traditional classrooms into smart classroom environments.

听

鈥淥ur main focus is to expand 探花精选鈥檚 technology in the classrooms,鈥� said 探花精选 Chief Technology Officer Christopher Taylor. 鈥淚n addition, receiving this award also provides the university with the support needed to serve its surrounding community through our public health and digital equity initiatives.鈥�

The post Department of Commerce Awards 探花精选 $1.9M for Broadband Upgrade and Digital Equity Initiative appeared first on Saint Augustine's University.