CNN Financial News senior correspondent Allan Chernoff will discuss the future of investing in Internet companies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County's (UMBC) "Visionaries in Information Technology (IT)" breakfast forum on April 3.

Sponsored by UMBC and Comcast, the Visionaries in IT Forum series offers a twist on traditional networking by directly connecting representatives from regional financial and IT companies with UMBC students and faculty in their fields. The breakfast forum will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on April 3 at the BWI Airport Marriott.

"UMBC is excited to bring Mr. Chernoff's global perspective on the future of the stock market to the Baltimore-Washington area," said Sharon Rhodes, Ph.D., director of corporate relations at UMBC. "Regional business leaders not only get a chance to hear experts like Mr. Chernoff, but also can connect directly with potential future employees and research collaborators from UMBC."

Chernoff reports and provides analysis on business and financial news for CNNfn programs such as Moneyline from the network's New York headquarters. His distinguished career includes a Best Business Reporting Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Chernoff came to CNNfn from CNBC, where he worked since 1991. He previously reported for NBC Nightly News, Weekend Today, NBC News at Sunrise, Early Today, MSNBC and WNBC. Chernoff has authored articles on business, foreign affairs, travel and sports for several print publications, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Newsday.

Chernoff has broken several major business stories in his career, including the impending spin off of NASDAQ from the National Association of Securities Dealers, the extension of NASDAQ trading hours and the tobacco industry's legal settlement with the states. He also covered the top business news stories of the past two decades, including insider traders Michael Milken and Ivan Boesky, the 1987 market downturn, various corporate mega-mergers and the terrorist bombing of the World Trade Center building.

Recognized as a "powerhouse in Baltimore" by the Newsweek/Kaplan college guide, UMBC plays a vital role in supporting the Baltimore/Washington's workforce needs. With 3,000 students in IT-related majors and a new financial economics undergraduate degree, UMBC graduates are well prepared for careers in business, government service or a wide range of graduate studies.

For more information and to RSVP to the Visionaries in IT Forum, please contact UMBC's Tracie Lefevre at 410-455-1577 or lefevre@umbc.edu. The Visionaries in Information Technology Forum is sponsored by Comcast, AT&T, Aether Systems, Allfirst Financial, Capita Technologies, Lockheed Martin, Lucent Technologies, Marriott International, Piper Marbury Rudnick & Wolfe LLP, T. Rowe Price, TEKsystems, Verizon, the Greater Baltimore Technology Council and the Technology Council of Maryland.