About the Authors
About the Authors
Jon P. Gant, Ph.D.
Jon P. Gant is a fellow of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Media and Technology, and is an associate professor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a leading scholar in the field of information systems and public administration and policy and examines their social and economic impact on people, communities, organizations and society. His research examines IT strategy and how people, communities, organizations and governments build resources and capabilities to use and accept information systems for human development and service delivery. This includes expertise in e-government, economic evaluation of e-government security systems, e-government strategies in local government, IT and organizational performance, and the acceptance and use of IT for online services.
Dr. Gant is also an expert in geographic information systems with over 20 years of experience. Jon’s recent publications include approaches for building geographic information systems to enhance citizen participation in the U.S. and developing countries, and advising local governments and school districts to develop GIS systems.
Dr. Gant graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1998 with a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Information Systems. He was previously a professor at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. He has been recognized for his teaching excellence. Through his courses, Dr. Gant has supervised over 50 information system related service-learning projects where his undergraduate and graduate students have assisted community-based organization, non-profits, and local governments and federal government agencies. His research is supported through the National Science Foundation, the United Nation’s International Telecommunication Union, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, IBM, Syracuse City School District, Central Bank of Haiti and the University of Illinois’ Community Informatics Initiative.
Nicol Turner-Lee, Ph.D.
Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee is vice president and the first director of the Media and Technology Institute for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a 40-year-old public policy institute focused on issues of concerns to African Americans and other people of color. The Media and Technology Institute was established in 2008 to study how broadband, the media industry and emerging communications technologies can become avenues of advancement for vulnerable groups. In this role, Dr. Turner-Lee created the first National Minority Broadband Adoption Study, a longitudinal research project exploring the Internet profiles and behaviors of people of color. She also engages hundreds of city, state and federal legislators on issues related to telecommunications, the Internet, open government and emerging technology innovation sectors.
Prior to joining the Joint Center, Dr. Turner-Lee was a senior executive at One Economy, a global non-profit that uses the power of technology and information to expand opportunities for low-income people. Most recently, she served as senior vice president for External Affairs in charge of public relations, national strategic partnerships and business development. While at One Economy over the course of eight years, Dr. Turner-Lee played key roles in all aspects of its core business, including residential and community broadband access, online public purpose media and youth technology training.
Dr. Turner-Lee serves on the board of the Center for Economic Progress, most recently as its chairperson. She is a member of the board for the Community Renewal Society, TPRC and a former member of the Chicago Wireless Task Force. In 2007, Broadband Properties magazine named her to its list of the “Top 10 National Broadband Promoters.” She is a former research fellow with Northwestern University’s Asset-Based Community Development Institute, a Ford Foundation Rockwood Leadership Fellow and has served as adjunct faculty at Northwestern and North Park Universities. She has published countless articles on broadband adoption in minority communities and regularly keynotes national conferences focused on these issues. Dr. Turner-Lee graduated with honors from Colgate University, has a doctorate in sociology from Northwestern University and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Illinois-Chicago.
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