Heritage Hall News

Distinguished Speaker Series Ventures Into the Dark Web

Alumnus Dr. Chris White '00 to present "Stories of Science and Data from Heritage Hall through Harvard to Helmand, Afghanistan and Back."
Heritage Hall welcomes Dr. Chris White, a principal researcher at Microsoft Corporation, as the first speaker of the 2015-16 installment of the School's Distinguished Speaker Series Monday, October 5, at 7pm in the Heritage Hall Class of 1977 Middle School Howard Theatre.
Previously a program manager with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), White has worked extensively on data science and technology to counter threat finance and human trafficking, support military operations, and prevent terrorism. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and on 60 Minutes, CNN, TEDx, and Google's Solve for X.
White also served DARPA as the agency's country lead in Afghanistan and in-theater member of the Senior Executive Service. Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta recognized DARPA and White's efforts in Afghanistan with a Joint Meritorious Unit Award for support in a combat environment.
Dr. White's presentation – Stories of Science and Data from Heritage Hall through Harvard to Helmand, Afghanistan and Back – will cover his recent work at DARPA, his experience in building real-world applications for defense and law enforcement to analyze data, and the future of computer science. His talk will include software demonstrations and highlight selected Microsoft special projects.
"As Chris White explained to Leslie Stahl during an interview on 60 Minutes, the internet is much bigger than people think – Google, Microsoft Bing, and Yahoo provide access to only a small portion of content. Most users know little about the very dark, very real side of the web that hosts a range of national and international criminal activity. MEMEX, a program created by Chris, has become a crucial component in the fight against those working in the shadows of the dark web," stated Nick Carter, Heritage Hall Director of Academic Affairs. "A 2000 graduate of Heritage Hall, we are pleased to welcome Chris back to campus to better educate our students and the community at large on this important and relevant topic."
Admission to the event is free and open to the public. It takes place Monday, October 5, at 7pm in the Howard Theatre, located inside the Heritage Hall Class of 1977 Middle School at 1800 NW 122nd Street in Oklahoma City.
 
About Dr. Chris White
Prior to Microsoft and DARPA, Dr. White was a fellow at Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Oklahoma State University. White is a 2000 graduate of Heritage Hall.
 
About the Distinguished Speaker Series
Heritage Hall's Distinguished Speaker Series features eminent speakers and performers sharing their fine arts and academic passions with our students, patrons, and the community at large. Open to the public, this program reflects Heritage Hall's commitment to a rich education that includes fine arts appreciation and discussions regarding current and historical events.
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