MS-CC Announces Nicol Turner Lee as Closing Keynote Speaker for 2026 Annual Meeting

Director of the Center for Technology Innovation to Address Workforce Readiness for the MS–CC Community 

WASHINGTON, May 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nicol Turner Lee will deliver the closing keynote at the 2026 MS-CC Annual Meeting. The event will take place May 26-29 in New Orleans.

This year's gathering, themed "The Rhythm of Collaboration," will bring researchers, educators, students, and innovators from across the United States to share knowledge, strengthen relationships, and advance cyberinfrastructure for research and academic excellence.

Turner Lee will close the event with a keynote presentation titled "Ensuring a Resilient Student Workforce in the Age of AI," addressing the urgent challenges facing the higher education community: equipping students with the tools to thrive in an AI-transformed workforce.

"Artificial intelligence is transforming all of society, and while there has been extensive debate over its utility in academic settings, few are considering how to ensure that students will be adaptable and resilient at a time when AI is projected to upend the existing and future workforce," said Turner Lee.

The keynote address is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Central time at the InterContinental New Orleans.

A Leading Voice in Technology for All
Turner Lee is a senior fellow in governance studies, director of the Center for Technology Innovation, and co-editor of the TechTank blog and podcast at the Brookings Institution. She is also the founder of the AI Equity Lab, which convenes experts from government, civil society, academia, and industry to develop purposeful, pragmatic, and inclusive AI solutions and policies.

Her research encompasses access to technology for all across the U.S. and abroad, with a focus on identifying and mitigating biases in artificial intelligence systems. Turner Lee is the author of "Digitally Invisible: How the Internet is Creating the New Underclass" and has testified before Congress and global governance bodies on tech and telecom issues.

Turner Lee has been recognized for her distinguished career contributions by the American Sociological Association, Washingtonian Magazine, Alliance for Women in Media, and Rainbow PUSH Coalition, among others. She holds a bachelor's degree from Colgate University and a doctorate from Northwestern University.

The Rhythm of Collaboration
The MS-CC Annual Meeting brings together leaders, researchers, educators, and innovators from across member institutions to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and advance the awareness and use of cyberinfrastructure for research and academic excellence. This year, under the theme "The Rhythm of Collaboration," attendees will join a vibrant gathering of minds committed to driving meaningful change in higher education and research.

Visit the event website to learn more. The MS-CC Annual Meeting is funded by NSF Award #2234326.

About the MS-CC | www.ms-cc.org
The MS-CC aims to strengthen cyberinfrastructure for research and education across a wide range of fields and communities, taking into account the education, research, and service missions of participating institutions. In partnership with Internet2, the MS-CC received funding from the National Science Foundation to support this vision (#2234326).

SOURCE Internet2