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Dr. Nicole Pride, President of WV State University, to Keynote Virtual Women & Technology Conference October 19

September 23, 2020

Charleston, W.Va. – Dr. Nicole Pride, the President of West Virginia State University, will offer keynote remarks at the 2020 Women & Technology Conference.  The event, which aims to address the under-representation of women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, will be held virtually on October 19, 2020.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Pride to present at the Women & Technology Conference,” said Anne Barth, executive director of conference host TechConnect West Virginia. “Her personal and professional resume make her a perfect choice and we’re excited for women across the state and region to meet Dr. Pride and to learn from her.”

In July 2020, Dr. Pride was named the 12th President of West Virginia State University, which is a public, land grant, historically Black university that has evolved into a fully accessible, racially integrated, and multi-generational university located in Institute, WV.

Following years of service in the corporate and nonprofit sector, including working for IBM and the Child Care Services Association, Pride began her career in higher education at North Carolina A&T University.  She served as principal liaison and senior adviser to the chancellor, a member of the chancellor’s executive cabinet, and provided strategic and operational support for internal and external constituencies.

Pride also served as the university’s chief of staff and chief communications officer, responsible for communications, marketing, branding, media and public relations and crisis communications. Her work defined the university’s brand in the state, nation and global marketplace, and her successes track with the institution’s arrival as the largest historically Black university in the nation.

Her awards and honors include the Triad Business Journal’s 2018 Outstanding Women in Business award and the PR News’ 2017 cohort of Top Women in Public Relations in the nation.

She earned bachelor’s degrees in business management and economics from North Carolina State University, a master’s in corporate and public communications from Seton Hall University, and a doctorate in leadership studies from North Carolina A&T State University.

TechConnect’s Women & Technology Conference series traditionally features inspiring women speakers on the cutting edge of technology, value-added panel discussions, quality networking and more. Technology touches all aspects of life, and the information shared at the conference will be relevant to all industry sectors and educational institutions.

Conference attendees include women working in technology fields as well as those interested in pursuing, or migrating to, a technology-focused career.  In addition, anyone interested in exploring ways to bridge the tech gender gap and inspiring future generations of girls to pursue STEM fields is encouraged to attend.

The 2020 Women & Technology Conference is hosted by TechConnect West Virginia and sponsored by Marshall University, the High Technology Foundation, the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium, Suddenlink, West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust and West Virginia University. For sponsorship information, contact Anne Barth at anne@techconnectwv.org or 304-444-2918.

To register, visit https://techconnectwv.org/events/ or https://bit.ly/33Lf8bu.

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