Sept. 24, 2021
Media Advisory: Civic Engagement in the Digital Age: A Conversation With Former Sen. Jeff Flake
- What: Former U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona will join Elizabeth "Betsy" Cantwell, University of Arizona senior vice president for research and innovation, to discuss how advances in digital technologies over the past two decades have influenced our behaviors and what and how we communicate.
- When: Monday, Sept. 27, 6 p.m.
- Where: The event will take place on Zoom. Register in advance.
TUCSON, Ariz. — Advances in digital technologies over the past two decades have significantly influenced our behaviors and what and how we communicate, from our social lives to our politics.
Kicking off a series of conversations around the impact of these new technologies on civic engagement, former U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona will join UArizona Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation Elizabeth "Betsy" Cantwell to discuss the evolution and impact of political dialogue in an era spanning C-SPAN to Twitter. Registered attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and engage with Flake and Cantwell through an online Q-and-A.
Author of the New York Times bestseller "Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle," Flake served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served for six years.
Cantwell leads the University of Arizona Office for Research, Innovation and Impact, which includes the Corporate Engagement Program, Tech Launch Arizona, Arizona FORGE and Tech Parks Arizona.
Future Civic Engagement in the Digital Age events include:
- October: "The Impact of Media on Civil Engagement"
- November: "The Spread of Mis/disinformation via Social Media Around Elections"
- December: "Citizen Engagement and Participation"
More information on dates, times and panelists will be available at research.arizona.edu.
Media contact:
Stephanie Doster
Research, Innovation and Impact
520-260-3334
scdoster@arizona.edu
The University of Arizona, a land-grant university with two independently accredited medical schools, is one of the nation's top 50 public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report. Established in 1885, the university is widely recognized as a student-centric university and has been designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. The university ranked in the top 20 in 2019 in research expenditures among all public universities, according to the National Science Foundation, and is a leading Research 1 institution with $734 million in annual research expenditures. The university advances the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships as a member of the Association of American Universities, the 66 leading public and private research universities in the U.S. It benefits the state with an estimated economic impact of $4.1 billion annually. For the latest on the University of Arizona response to the novel coronavirus, visit the university's COVID-19 webpage.