International Stage for the Vision of
Ben Towne ’09

William (Ben) Towne ’09 was one of five winners worldwide in the International Telecommunication Union’s 2009 video contest that sought students’ visions and recommendations for the future of information and communication technologies.

Towne was honored at ITU’s World Telecommunication Policy Forum in Lisbon April 21-24, where he represented students from the developed world in discussions on policy issues in information and communication technologies with ITU members from government, industry, and the global regulatory community. The other student winners were from Benin, Colombia, Jamaica, and Kazakhstan.

In his video, Towne advocates building sustainable communities through the development of technology that enhances value in life experience. He graduated with a B.S. in electrical and computer engineering and an A.B. with a self-designed major in community development. He will pursue a Ph.D. in the Computation, Organizations, and Society program at Carnegie Mellon University.