The University of Arkansas at Little Rock George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology will host the 22nd annual Massachusetts Institute of Technology International Conference on Information Quality Friday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 7.

The two-day event will feature four tracks of research and practices with presentations from professionals who come from all parts of the world. Experts are expected to venture from countries as far as Austria, China, Germany, and Australia.

Dr. Lawrence Whitman, dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology, will kick off day one of the conference with a welcome in the college’s auditorium, followed by remarks from the executive director of the university’s Institute for Chief Data Officers and chief data officer for the state of Arkansas, Dr. Richard Wang.

The opening keynote speaker, Dr. Pieter De Leenheer, co-founder of Collibra Corporation, will set the tone of the conference with his presentation, “Data Governance and Data Capitalization in the Big Data Era.”

Following De Leenheer’s lecture, breakout sessions will ensue in the auditorium or on the second floor of the Engineering and Information Technology building. Guests will have the option to choose from four presentations every hour and a half.

Day one of the conference will conclude with a networking session for guests and the viewing of the college’s exhibits, followed by the closing reception at 5:30 p.m.

On Oct. 7, Doug Laney, vice president and distinguished analyst for Gartner, a research and advisory firm, will give the closing keynote speech with highlights from his recent publication, “Infonomics.” Laney will discuss the topic’s theory, study, and discipline and emphasize its ability to monetize, manage, and measure information as an asset.

UA Little Rock faculty and students are invited to attend the conference. The registration fee is $45 for full-time students and $495 for non-students and professionals. Members of the International Society for Chief Data Officers and IQ International are eligible for a 10-percent discount.

For more information, contact Eureka Ice, assistant to the dean, at elice@ualr.edu or view conference details online.