Opening Keynote Speaker
We are thrilled to have Michael Wesch as our keynote speaker this year. Wesch is an Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University, and best known for his short video, “The Machine is Us/ing Us.”
A cultural anthropologist and media ecologist, Wesch explores the impacts of new media on human interaction. His videos are part of a broader effort to explore the use of digital media for extending and transforming the way ethnographies are presented.
Dubbed “the explainer” by Wired magazine, Michael Wesch is a cultural anthropologist exploring the impact of new media on society and culture. After two years studying the impact of writing on a remote indigenous culture in the rain forest of Papua New Guinea, he has turned his attention to the effects of social media and digital technology on global society. His videos on technology, education, and information have been viewed by millions, translated in over ten languages, and are frequently featured at international film festivals and major academic conferences worldwide. Wesch has won several major awards for his work, including a Wired Magazine Rave Award and the John Culkin Award for Outstanding Praxis in Media Ecology. He has also won several teaching awards, including the 2008 CASE/Carnegie U.S. Professor of the Year for Doctoral and Research Universities.
Wesch leads the Digital Ethnography group at Kansas State University. It is a working group dedicated to exploring and extending the possibilities of digital ethnography. You can keep up with the activities of the group on their blog.
Wesch’s keynote speech will open the conference on Friday, March 20.
Closing Keynote Speaker
This year’s closing plenary speaker is Jesse James Garrett, co-founder and president of Adaptive Path. Jesse is one of the world’s most widely recognized technology product designers. At Adaptive Path, Jesse supports the company’s designers and strategists with creative guidance, and helps them advance the company’s thought leadership position. His book, The Elements of User Experience, has been called “brilliant” and “essential,” and is considered one of the seminal works on user-centered design.
Jesse’s talk, followed by “5 minute madness” where any attendee can take the microphone and speak to attendees, will conclude the conference on Sunday, March 22.