Gentry Locke Announces Lecture Series Hosted at Ferrum College

ROANOKE, Va. (March 7, 2024) – Gentry Locke Attorneys and Ferrum College are pleased to announce the 2024 Gentry Locke Lecture Series will be hosted at the College on Wednesday, April 10. The spring presentation titled “Demystifying AI: The Truth…a Terrible and Terrific Future” will focus on artificial intelligence, and its impact on industry, the future of jobs, and what higher education needs to consider as it prepares the students of today and tomorrow.

Guest speakers will have opportunities to engage with Ferrum College students throughout the day and the evening presentation. The evening presentation is open to the public and will feature several speakers. Kevin Holt and Jessiah Hulle will host the event on behalf of Gentry Locke Attorneys.

Guest Speakers:

• Joshua Fairfield, JD is the William Donald Bain Family Professor of Law and Director of Artificial Intelligence Legal Innovation Strategy at Washington and Lee School of Law. He is an internationally recognized law and technology scholar who specializes in digital property, electronic contract, big data privacy, and virtual communities. He has written on the law and regulation of e-commerce and online contracts and on the application of standard economic models to virtual environments. Professor Fairfield’s current research focuses on big data privacy models and the next generation of legal applications for cryptocurrencies. His articles on protecting consumer interests in an age of mass-market consumer contracting regularly appear in top law and law- and-technology journals, and policy pieces on consumer protection and technology have appeared in the New York Times, Forbes, and the Financial Times, among other outlets. Before entering the law, Professor Fairfield was a technology entrepreneur, serving as the Director of Research and Development for language-learning software company, Rosetta Stone. Professor Fairfield consults with U.S. government agencies, including the White House Office of Technology and the Homeland Security Privacy Office, on national security, privacy, and law enforcement within online communities and as well as on strategies for protecting children online.
• Katherine Martin, Ph.D is a Chief Engineer and AI Solutions Architect at with over 12 years of experience in applying advanced statistical and computer vision techniques to complex problems. She serves as the strategic and technical authority on the deployment of cutting-edge AI/ML capabilities to the dismounted military forces. Martin is a Chief Engineer and AI Solutions Architect at with over 12 years of experience in applying advanced statistical and computer vision techniques to complex problems. She serves as the strategic and technical authority on the deployment of cutting-edge AI/ML capabilities to the dismounted military forces. Martin works alongside warfighters, government civilians, and the broader industrial base to operationalize AI and provide U.S. warfighters with decision advantage and overmatch capabilities. The Department of Defense tackles some of the most difficult and exciting problems in the world as warfighters operate in extremely constrained environments that require specialized design considerations and tailoring. Martin develops these innovative solutions that bring AI to the battlefield to enhance warfighter effectiveness and survivability.
• Laura Hodges Sprouse, CPA is a partner and Chief Operations Officer of Brown Edwards CPAs with over twenty years of accounting experience. In her role as COO, she provides leadership to the firm’s administrative teams including information technology, Human Resources, finance, business development, and spearheads many of the firm’s special projects. In January 2024, she was announced as the incoming CEO and Partner at Brown Edwards. Sprouse received her B.S. in Accounting, Finance and Decision Support Systems from Ferrum College in 1997. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA).
• Kevin Holt is a partner at Gentry Locke whose diverse practice includes commercial, real estate, intellectual property and ERISA (employee benefits) litigation. Kevin represents companies and individuals in business and contract disputes, including complex financial and real estate matters. He also represents clients with cases involving intellectual property rights. He represents employers, insurance carriers and plan fiduciaries defending ERISA claims involving life, accident, and disability benefits. Kevin is a past President of the Roanoke Bar Association and currently serves on Bar Council, the governing body of the Virginia State Bar. Kevin grew up in Ferrum and his parents and stepfather were long-time members of the Ferrum College community.
• Jessiah Hulle is an associate at Gentry Locke. He practices with the firm’s Criminal and Government Investigations practice group where his primary focus is working with clients on federal grand jury investigations and white-collar criminal defense matters. He also assists the Employment, Civil Defense Litigation, and Commercial Litigation practice groups with critical and dispositive motions and appeals. Prior to joining the firm, Jessiah clerked for the Honorable Mary Grace O’Brien of the Court of Appeals of Virginia. Hulle will act as a moderator for the evening panel discussion.

For speaker information, event details and directions to Ferrum College, please visit: https://www.ferrum.edu/event-page/gentry-locke-speaker-series/

About Gentry Locke

With over 80 lawyers practicing across a range of disciplines, Gentry Locke brings uncommon thinking and deep experience to the legal and business challenges of companies, institutions, organizations, and individuals — a commitment the firm has met since 1923. Operating from offices in Roanoke, Lynchburg, Richmond, and Norfolk, Gentry Locke serves clients in Virginia and across the United States. Meet the firm’s dynamic attorneys and learn more about its fierce drive to achieve success for its clients by exploring our website.