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CORVALLIS -The second annual Computers and Philosophy Conference will be held Jan. 24-26 at Oregon State University, and will include a keynote presentation by Douglas C. Engelbart, a technology pioneer who is being recognized by the governor of Oregon during this event.

Gov. John Kitzhaber has proclaimed Jan. 24 as "Douglas C. Engelbart Day" in honor of the OSU alumnus credited with inventing the computer mouse, email, the concept of windows, hypertext, the pointer cursor, and numerous other inventions that have revolutionized the way people interact with computers.

That day of the conference will be a celebration of the accomplishments of this extraordinary engineer. World-renowned scholars who will discuss Engelbart's work and visionary thinking at the conference include Tim Berners-Lee of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (via video), Luciano Floridi of Oxford University, and Robert Horn of Stanford University.

The conference will also address a wide range of other topics, including artificial intelligence, computing ethics, robotics, social responsibility, electronic publication, and information technology in education. Philosophers, engineers, historians, computer scientists, cognitive scientists and information technology professionals from around the world will participate.

For more information about the conference, fees, or to register to attend virtually or in person, contact Jaylene Olson at 541-737-6439 and visit the conference website. The event is being held at the LaSells Stewart Center at OSU.

"CAP conferences are the prime meeting places for thinkers concerned with the conceptual issues of information technology," said Jon Dorbolo, director of the Computing and Philosophy at OSU program. "This year, we're delighted to be celebrating an outstanding OSU engineering alumnus whose contributions span computing and philosophy."

Engelbart has been described as an internationally recognized thinker, visionary, and philosopher who possesses both the soul of an engineer and the spirit of a poet. "The OSU College of Engineering is very honored to count Dr. Engelbart as one of our most distinguished alumni," said Ron Adams, dean of the college. "His extraordinarily creative contributions to information technology touch everyone who uses a computer."

Engelbart graduated from OSU in 1948, has been recognized by the National Academy of Engineering and awarded the National Medal of Technology.