Creating Futures Through Technology Conference: Full Schedule

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8:30am CST

Leveraging CISA Cyber Services to Build Cybersecurity Resilience in Higher Education

Thursday March 6, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am CST

A detailed discussion about current cyber threats and the risk landscape. Learn about the no-cost cyber tools and services available for hardening your network to defend against cyber-attacks.

Speakers

Greg Mallette

Cybersecurity State Coordinator for Mississippi, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

Greg Mallette is the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Cybersecurity State Coordinator for Mississippi. In this role, he serves as a federal cybersecurity risk advisor for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial government (SLTT) and private sector partners by... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am CST
Magnolia B

Breakout, Subtype

10:00am CST

State of AI in Cybersecurity

Thursday March 6, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am CST

Magnolia B

I will present a "State of AI in Cybersecurity" presentation. First addressing how the industry has evolved in the past 20 years and how AI is impacting the threat landscape. Then going into how Darktrace is purpose built to address the challenges associated with AI and machine speed threats. Goal is to highlight how the industry has changed, trends, common challenges teams face, priorities for security leaders, and creating a robust and comprehensive security posture while consolidating solutions to be more easily managed by a lean team.

Speakers

Mike Styve

Account Executive, Darktrace

Mike Styve is a Darktrace Sales Rep and has been with the company for about a year and a half. He is dedicated to the state of Mississippi and works with several organizations across the state to address their security challenges. I will present a "State of AI in Cybersecurity" presentation... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am CST
Magnolia B

Breakout, Subtype

1:00pm CST

Microsoft Copilot Essentials: From Web to PC

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST

Magnolia B

Join us for an enlightening session on the transformative potential of Microsoft's Copilot and Copilot+PC for higher education staff. Discover how Copilot, an AI-powered assistant, integrates seamlessly with your Windows interface to enhance productivity by responding to natural language prompts, configuring settings, and generating content. Experience how M365 Copilot can help you organize your schedule, draft emails, and manage tasks throughout your day, making you more efficient and effective. Additionally, explore the advanced capabilities of Copilot+PC, which leverages high-performance AI processors for unparalleled speed, security, and efficiency. Whether you're working on research projects, administrative tasks, or collaborations, Copilot+PC ensures a seamless and secure digital experience. Join us to see how these innovations can revolutionize your workflow and elevate your digital experience.

Purpose/Goals:

Participants will have an introduction to Microsoft Copilot Chat vs M365 Copilot

Participants will learn how to prompt in the web vs Outlook, Word and Excel

Participants will learn the use cases and steps to build a Microsoft Copilot Agent

Participants will discover the capabilities of Copilot+PC

Participants will explore self-skilling resources

Speakers

Melissa Hortman

Higher Education Account Executive, Microsoft

Melissa Hortman, EdD is a higher education leader in the areas of academic innovation and digital transformation. She is currently an Account Executive at Microsoft serving higher education institutions and technical schools in the southeast. She joined Microsoft in January of 2022... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST
Magnolia B

Breakout, Subtype

2:30pm CST

From Zero to Hero with GenAI: A Hands-on Prompt-a-thon Experience

Thursday March 6, 2025 2:30pm - 3:45pm CST

Magnolia B

Join us for an engaging and interactive prompt-a-thon designed specifically for Mississippi Community Colleges. During this session we will explore innovative prompting techniques to save time and enhance efficiency. Participants will have ample time to practice and refine their prompting skills through hands-on activities and collaborative discussions.

Purpose/Goals:

Participants will understand how to use effective prompting techniques

Participants will discover education use cases and scenarios for using Copilot to enhance efficiency and to improve daily workflows

Participants will engage in prompt challenges to develop a collection of prompts

Speakers

Melissa Hortman

Higher Education Account Executive, Microsoft

Thursday March 6, 2025 2:30pm - 3:45pm CST
Magnolia B

Breakout, Subtype