Cybersecurity Expert to Deliver Mills Lecture

UA Alumnus Gary Fowlie Discusses Global Internet Trends

Gary Fowlie, a UA alumnus and cybersecurity expert, is the next lecturer in the Helen Crow Mills and John Carroll Mills Endowed Lecture Series.

From the October 2013 Desktop News | Gary Fowlie, a UA alumnus and head of the liaison office of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to the United Nations, will lecture on “Cybersecurity or Cyberthreat? – Balancing Human Rights and Economic Growth in Our Virtual World” Oct 24 at 11 a.m. in room 120 of Farrah Hall on the UA campus. Fowlie’s talk is sponsored by the Helen Crow Mills and John Carroll Mills Endowed Lecture Series.

Fowlie is recognized as a leading expert on cybersecurity, Internet connectivity, and technology as a catalyst for socio-economic development. His lecture will address how the Internet is rewriting the relationship between individuals and their governments.

According to Fowlie, the Internet and its associated technologies are rapidly changing the face of diplomacy, security, and economic development. In his lecture, he will discuss the challenges of ensuring all people can have secure access to global cyber commons, while respecting the principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

Fowlie, a 1978 graduate of the Department of Communicative Disorders, is head of the liaison office of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to the United Nations. The ITU is the specialized agency for information and communication technology. His work at the United Nations focuses on cybersecurity, Internet connectivity, and technology as a catalyst for socio-economic development.

During his time with the UN, Fowlie has been responsible for communications for the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society. He was also the chief of media liaison at the UN from 2005 to 2009.

Prior to joining the United Nations system in 2001, Fowlie worked as an account director in the technology practice of the global consulting firm Hill and Knowlton. He has also worked as an economist and journalist. Fowlie was a network producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for 10 years and a freelance reporter for The Economist. He has written extensively on communication topics ranging from the importance of early childhood language development and intervention to cybersecurity and the Internet as a global economic utility.

The Mills lectureship was endowed by Mrs. Helen Crow Mills Pittman and the late Dr. John Mills of Birmingham to bring successful and distinguished alumni and citizens to campus to speak as a way to motivate and inspire students.