Former Google VP To Discuss Artificial Intelligence As Focus Of Inaugural Jennings Family Distinguished Lecture, Hosted By Middle Georgia State University

Author: Sheron Smith
Posted: Friday, August 16, 2024 12:00 AM
Categories: Students | School of Education and Behavioral Sciences | Events- Public | Faculty/Staff | School of Aviation | School of Health and Natural Sciences | School of Computing | School of Business | School of Arts and Letters | Pressroom

Macon, GA

Middle Georgia State University (MGA), with the generous support of Genelle B. Jennings and her family, announces the creation of the Jennings Family Distinguished Lecture Series. The inaugural event, scheduled for September 11, will feature Matthew Stepka, a former Google vice president and founder and managing partner of Machina Ventures, an early-stage investment fund focused on enlightened AI (Artificial Intelligence) that amplifies our humanity.  

The Jennings Family Distinguished Lecture Series is an annual event that will bring high-profile experts to MGA to discuss critical issues in science, technology, politics, industry, and culture prevalent in the nation and region.  

Stepka will give the inaugural lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 11, at the Robert C. Hatcher Conference Center on MGA’s Macon Campus. His talk is titled, “How AI is Transforming Education & the Human Experience.” The lecture and a preceding reception at 6 p.m. are open to the public. Advance registration by September 2 is required, and space is limited. *  

“We are thrilled and honored to establish this distinguished lecture series to encourage dialogue on vital topics of our time,” said MGA President Christopher Blake, Ph.D. “Not only does this series honor the legacy of the Jennings family, but it fits perfectly with Middle Georgia State’s vision to transform individuals and our communities through extraordinary higher learning.”    

Stepka is a graduate of UCLA School of Law and an inactive member of the California State Bar. He has bachelor’s degrees in Computer Engineering and Management from Case Western Reserve University. He is also a lecturer at UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business, and a director on the board of Qoria, a leading cyber safety company protecting children.  

Previously, Stepka was vice president of business operations and strategy at Google, where he  led and incubated strategic initiatives, especially mission-driven projects with high social  impact. Over his nine years with the company, he led efforts ranging from expanding internet access, developing clean energy, and strengthening freedom of expression and democracy, to extending Google’s footprint in emerging markets, especially in Africa.  

Before joining Google, Stepka was vice president of pharmacy for drugstore.com and, prior  to that, chief operating officer for WorldRes, a leading online hotel reservation network. Stepka was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, working in the healthcare and technology sectors. In addition, he co-founded CyberJava, one of the first internet cafes in the United States.  

Stepka serves on the trustees board of the Knight Foundation. He has previously served on the board of the World Affairs Council of America and is an inaugural Disruptor Foundation Fellow.  

An attorney who has long supported higher education in Georgia, Genelle B. Jennings has been instrumental in shaping the concept of and providing funding for the Jennings Family Distinguished Lecture Series, established to contribute to a deeper and more focused understanding of important science, business, civic, and cultural issues of the day. The lecture series is funded through a charitable trust named for her late husband, W. Mansfield Jennings Jr., a businessman who served on the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents. 

Originally from Terrell County, Ga., Genelle B. Jennings attended Agnes Scott College and Emory Law School. After her marriage, she and her husband settled in Hawkinsville, where she established her law practice and helped raise their two children. She has served on the board of Central Georgia Technical College and currently serves on the boards of Mercer University and the McDuffie Center for Strings. 

*Register for this event at https://www.mga.edu/jennings-lecture-series/index.php.