Professional Bio
Dr. Gant joined NTIA in early July 2023. Dr.Gant leads the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives and has joined an excellent team that is administering the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program (CMC). Working closely with the team, Dr. Gant is taking charge of NTIA’s and the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth’s work to engage Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges & Universities (TCUs), and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), as well as collaborating with all OICG’s grant programs. Dr. Gant has extensive experience leading projects connecting communities through citizen engagement approaches. The CMC Pilot Program has funded 93 universities with over $268M to improve internet access and adoption nationwide.
In joining the team, Dr. Gant is sharing his experience through his digital inclusion work at North Carolina Central University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Gant is a professor of information systems and public policy where he is considered a thought leader on models for university-led partnerships to bridge the digital divide and advance digital equity to advance economic growth, workforce development, and innovation. Dr. Gant served as the dean of the School of Library and Information Sciences at North Carolina Central University, the only accredited graduate program in the information field offered by a historically Black college and university in the US. Jon served as the founding director of the Center for Digital Inclusion (CDI) while a professor at the School of Information at the University of Illinois. Dr. Gant’s research helped to advance the digital transformation of public sector organizations, examine the future of work and information technology in manufacturing, and develop approaches to address bias in artificial intelligence and precision health. Dr. Gant served on the Federal Communication Commission Communications Equity and Diversity Council.
In joining the team, Dr. Gant is sharing his experience through his digital inclusion work at North Carolina Central University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Gant is a professor of information systems and public policy where he is considered a thought leader on models for university-led partnerships to bridge the digital divide and advance digital equity to advance economic growth, workforce development, and innovation. Dr. Gant served as the dean of the School of Library and Information Sciences at North Carolina Central University, the only accredited graduate program in the information field offered by a historically Black college and university in the US. Jon served as the founding director of the Center for Digital Inclusion (CDI) while a professor at the School of Information at the University of Illinois. Dr. Gant’s research helped to advance the digital transformation of public sector organizations, examine the future of work and information technology in manufacturing, and develop approaches to address bias in artificial intelligence and precision health. Dr. Gant served on the Federal Communication Commission Communications Equity and Diversity Council.
