On Friday, Dec. 5, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va) will bring together a cross-section of Virginia’s leaders in science for the second annual Virginia Summit on Science, Engineering and Medicine. The event is co-hosted by Sen. Warner, the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and Virginia Tech. The summit will provide an opportunity for academy members and their protégés to join with representatives from government, industry, and institutions of higher education in Virginia to discuss Big Data and its implications for science, technology, healthcare and industry.

“In an era of diminished federal support for research and development, it is more important than ever for Virginia’s leading thinkers across institutions and disciplines to increase collaboration,” Sen. Warner said in a press release. “Virginia is home to some of the nation’s top technology companies and leading education and research institutions. That means the Commonwealth can play an important role in the rapidly growing sector of Big Data. This second annual summit provides an exciting venue for some of the best and brightest in Virginia to discuss the challenges and benefits of Big Data. I am eager to see what Friday’s program inspires.”