The 27th annual Statewide IT conference—held April 11 – 13 in the Indiana Memorial Union—boasted over 1140 registered attendees.
Rob Lowden, vice president for information technology and chief information officer, opened the conference addressing the attendees in Alumni Hall, who toted free conference T-shirts and feasted on complimentary scrambled eggs and home fries. He thanked the conference sponsors, including Pier Group who have been a long-time title sponsor of the conference.
Keynote speaker Chris McChensey, co-author of the book “The 4 Disciplines of Execution,” enthusiastically addressed the attendees—asking them to recount times they’ve come up with ideas that eventually fizzled out which caused a deafening roar in Alumni Hall— and discussed the importance of focus, leverage, engagement, and accountability as ways to execute strategy successfully and guard against unsuccessful initiatives.
Panelists (from left to right) Stefano Fiorini, Joanna Millunchick, Clayton Nicholas, Mark Werling, and moderator Jay Gladden discuss AI in higher education
Following the keynote, participants enjoyed Tech Expo exhibits and a panel discussion on incorporating AI to help students succeed. Then participants made their way to the Indiana Memorial Union for a variety of breakout sessions. In all, there were 55 in-person and hybrid breakout sessions in addition to the 26 preconference sessions offered on April 11. Examples of the sessions include “Mosaic Initiative: changing the conversation about learning spaces across higher ed,” “I wish my colleagues knew: the neurodiverse perspective at IU,” and “Course Setup Wizard: making course magic happen.”
As the conference drew to a close, winners of the IT Leadership Community Technologist Recognition (ITLC) Awards were announced:
Promise of the Future award: Leila Randle
Spirit of Leadership award: Jesse Oakes
Champion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion award: Melanie Ebdon
IT Leadership Team Collaboration award: Center of Excellence for Women & Technology team
Champion of Leadership award: Madeleine Gonin
In his closing remarks, Lowden addressed a variety of goals and priorities for UITS, including IT staff alignment and a focus on how software can support student success at IU. Additionally, he highlighted UITS’s excellent work bringing in external funding through grants and contracts. During the remarks, Lowden acknowledged the work UITS staff members such as Marlon Pierce, Shannon McDaniels, Madeline Grdina, and staff in the UITS Finance Office.
As he concluded his remarks, Lowden asked the attendees:
“What can you do today? And what, with all the creative people in this room, can we do in the future?”
