2024 Internet2 Community Exchange | March 4-7 | Chicago, Ill.

Abstracts

View detailed abstracts and slides (as they become available) for featured 2024 Internet2 Community Exchange sessions. You can sort by day to find the abstracts.

Monday, March 4, 2024

Speaker:
- Dr. Sarah Blithe, NCWIT
Abstract:

Computing is one of the most powerful and influential fields shaping society today, yet it suffers from severe underrepresentation of women and people from marginalized groups. This significantly impedes success in shaping technologies of the future, as diverse teams are significantly more innovative than homogeneous teams. Research clearly shows why decades of traditional diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts have failed to improve this situation. These reasons include an overreliance on “diversity training,” treatment of DEI as a “compliance” issue, implementation of isolated, “one-off” interventions, and use of approaches that imply members from under-represented groups need “fixing.”

NCWIT has developed the Tech Inclusion Journey (TIJ)™, a decision-support software platform designed to enable organizations to implement systemic, sustainable approaches to creating inclusive computing cultures. By instantiating research-based methods in an easy-to-use software platform that conveys not only what to do but how to do it, any organization can independently implement effective change efforts that positively impact outcomes for all employees, not just technical women and other marginalized groups. TIJ empowers stakeholders with practical strategies that help them dismantle organizational barriers, attend to the needs of a wide range of intersecting identities, and build inclusive cultures in which people feel they belong and can make outstanding technical contributions. TIJ upends the longstanding tendency for technical leaders to abdicate responsibility to HR/D&I divisions and instead requires them to take personal ownership and accountability for change.

This workshop will introduce the TIJ and some important background information about DEI efforts. Participants will move through the three basic elements of the TIJ, including:
- The Map – the research-backed change model that describes the key areas of culture that need to be addressed to achieve inclusion;
- The GPS – the assessment tool that helps leaders understand how their organizations are performing in each area;
- The Route – and the action planning step that helps leaders prioritize and make specific plans for how they will enact change
Participants will create a strategic action plan that identifies and equips change leaders at every level.

Dr. Sarah Blithe is a Research Scientist with the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her research is in in organizational communication, with specific attention to intersectional inclusivity, work-life balance, policy inequities, and management learning. Her research is applied and practical; oriented toward implementing positive changes for workers and organizations.

Register for the NCWIT Workshop
Speakers:
- Richa Patwa
- Arindam Hazra
Abstract:

Join the Microsoft team for an immersive workshop on Azure OpenAI Service, a cutting-edge AI technology that is revolutionizing the way we interact with language models. This workshop is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of Azure OpenAI’s capabilities and how it can be leveraged to solve complex problems.

During this workshop, you will learn about the various language models offered by Azure OpenAI. You will gain hands-on experience in three hands-on labs where you will be adapting these models to specific tasks such as content generation, summarization, semantic search, and natural language to code translation.

Prerequisites for to fully participate in the hands-on lab experience*: 1. bring your own laptop, 2. you must be an owner or contributor access in an Azure subscription, 3. access to Azure OpenAI in a subscription.**

* You can still find value in attending this workshop without participating in the hands-on labs. There will be overviews, resources shared, demos of steps for the labs, etc. shared by the workshop leaders.

** If you do not have access to Azure OpenAI in a subscription, we will work with you to get that set up for this workshop if you register by February 19, 2024.

Please register here for the workshop.
Speaker:
- To be determined
Abstract:

This is a meeting for Connector/Network Member Principals, attendance by invitation only. Agenda topics will be announced.

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Speaker:
- To be determined
Abstract:

The Internet2 NET+ GCP Service Advisory Board will host an in-person meeting to get community input on issues important to their successful use of the GCP cloud environment. Bring your challenges, ideas, questions, and feedback for the advisory group and for Google.

Please grab your lunch from the buffet just outside of your meeting room.

The Internet2 NET+ GCP Service Advisory Board will host an in-person meeting to get community input on issues important to their successful use of the GCP cloud environment. Bring your challenges, ideas, questions, and feedback for the advisory group and for Google.
Speaker:
- To be determined
Abstract:

This will be a working meeting with InCommon Steering and NET+ PAG.

Please grab your lunch from the buffet just outside of your meeting room.
Abstract

Join us for a community-led meeting where we will discuss recent activities, topics of interest, and ways to get involved with the Community Anchor Program (CAP). These sessions are informal and collaborative, with opportunities for community discussion and brainstorming.

We invite regional network partners, applications providers, community anchor representatives, university representatives, and any other participants interested in helping community anchor institutions expand their use of advanced networking, applications, and content to attend this meeting.

Please grab your lunch from the buffet just outside of your meeting room.
Speakers:
- Heidi Thompson, Grinnell College
- Kaitlin Wilcox, Grinnell College
Slides:
- From Authentication to Analytics
Session Video:
- From Authentication to Analytics
Abstract:

The evolution of the digital landscape in higher education increasingly demands robust collaboration within Information Technology Services (ITS). This session presents a narrative case study illustrating the dynamic partnership between Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Business Intelligence (BI) at a liberal arts college. Beyond breaking barriers in challenging areas such as role-based access control and data governance, the narrative uncovers the deep-seated (and growing) interdependencies between IAM and BI. As higher ed institutions progressively lean towards centralized analytics, understanding the symbiotic relationship between IAM and BI becomes critical.

Learning Outcomes
– Recognize the advantages of inter-departmental collaboration, specifically highlighting how IAM protocols shape BI outcomes and vice versa.
– Appreciate how a well-synchronized partnership can give rise to harmonized data governance policies, efficient access mechanisms, and the alignment of business intelligence services with overarching institutional goals.
– Understand the strategic role of ITS in a centralized analytics era, where the confluence of IAM and BI is imperative for data validation, uniformity, and clear interpretation.

Session Details
– Presenters: An experienced identity and access analyst and director of data Insights, both with rich, multifaceted expertise in their domains.
– Audience: IT aficionados and leadership teams armed with an essential understanding of IAM and analytics needs in higher education.
– Format: A 30-minute discussion shedding light on the case study, enriched by a subsequent discussion among participants.

Key Reflection Points:
– Embracing partnership is key to progress in difficult areas, especially when focusing on the juncture where IAM informs BI processes and analytics.
– Collaborative endeavors over siloed perfection can establish a paradigm that underscores the need for ongoing collaboration and process improvement.
– Understanding the interplay between IAM and BI ensures a well-oiled, synchronized machine for data management and secure access.
Speakers:
- James Deaton, Internet2
- Chris Wilkinson, Internet2
Slides:
- What is happening in Network Services?
Abstract:

Please join James Deaton as he kicks off the 2024 Community Exchange “Impact of Advanced Networking” track. James will provide an overview of what is happening in Internet2’s Network Services division and a preview of the additional Network Services sessions later in the program.
Speaker:
- Mike Simpson, Internet2
Slides:
- Insight Console: Update on current status and work in progress
Abstract:

Internet2’s Insight Console launched its Virtual Networks function late last year, adding L2/L3 overlay network provisioning (similar to functionality previously offered via the OESS/CloudConnect service) to the Insight Console environment. This presentation will talk about that new functionality, the migration of existing OESS connections into Insight Console, and the operational status of Insight Console since then; then we’ll talk about current efforts around the additional Insight Console functionality planned for 2024 delivery.
Speakers:
- Chris Misra, University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Marc Wallman, North Dakota State University
Abstract:

This meeting is hosted by Chris Misra, Vice Chancellor of IT and CIO at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Marc Wallman, Vice President of IT at North Dakota State University.
Speakers:
- Damian Doyle, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
- Matthew Mazer, Harvard University
- Tom Lewis, University of Washington
- Boyd Wilson, Omnibond
Slides:
- Storage: Have we run out of dominos?
Abstract:

Cloud storage can help to improve collaboration, productivity, and disaster recovery. It can also help to reduce the cost of IT infrastructure. Over a decade ago higher education began leveraging commercial cloud storage providers such as Box, Google, Dropbox, and Microsoft, at first cautiously and then with gusto. The storage providers were not only able to give cost-effective solutions, but they innovated at a rapid pace, giving ever more useful tools and ever greater quotas, making them indispensable parts of our daily workflows.

As the number of documents, videos, images, and datasets was starting to increase at a faster and faster pace, most cloud vendors dropped their quotas altogether one after another like dominos. This removed most all data discipline and led to a rapid rise in storage, much of it inappropriate for these storage platforms. Simply put, they became an easy dumping ground for everything from documents we might need to look at someday to server backups to research data sets.

Clearly, this could not last. The dominos started to fall the other way. One after another the storage providers reimposed quotas and increased costs, leading schools to shift their storage from one platform to another, chasing the remaining cheap storage…until there were none.
So fine, that’s the reality. Where do we go next? We invite you to join your fellow higher ed leaders for a discussion of the challenges and opportunities that higher education institutions face in the changing landscape of cloud storage.
Speakers:
- Kevin Thompson, NSF
- Cort Buffington – U.S. Department of Commerce
Abstract:

Federal Agency members’ progress on broad initiatives and goals continues to be highly relevant to Internet2’s Higher Education, Community Anchor Program Participants, Affiliates, Federal Affiliates and Industry members. This session will highlight updates from two key federal agencies including the National Science Foundation and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Speaker:
- Steven Wallace, Internet2
Slides:
- A Discussion of Routing Integrity for the Internet2 Community
Session Video:
- A Discussion of Routing Integrity for the Internet2 Community
Abstract:

A discussion of routing integrity for the Internet2 community.
Speakers:
- Tobin Magle, Northwestern University
- Deb McCaffrey, Arizona State University
Slides:
- Rethinking Research Data Storage
Abstract:

Academic researchers use a patchwork of research data storage platforms that vary largely based on what their institution provides and how much it costs the researcher. These costs do not always reflect the cost to the institution or to the vendor. For example, cloud file storage platforms like Box, Google Drive, and Dropbox once offered unlimited storage to academic institutions, and these institutions gave researchers accounts at no cost. Thus, many researchers used these platforms to store all of their research data at all points of the data lifecycle. Some groups took advantage of the unlimited storage by archiving terabytes of data.

Recently, all of these platforms have changed or are changing their service to eliminate unlimited storage and increase cost to academic institutions. These changes have caused a major disruption in the research data storage ecosystems at many academic institutions. During this session we will discuss what alternatives are available today, how to compensate for these changes in the short term, and gather ideas about how to design research data storage systems of the future. We welcome perspectives from those who care about data storage outside the research space, especially from those who work on the systems facing side.
Speaker:
- Joel Mambretti, Metropolitan Research and Education Network (MREN)
Slides:
- SC23 NREs Focused on Global Science (Part 1)
- SC23 NREs Focused on Global Science (Part 2
Abstract:

Each year, for the IEEE/ACM International Conference on High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analytics, its SCinet group designs and implements a major national testbed with international extensions to enabling the showcasing of large-scale demonstrations and experiments, such as those within the Network Research Exhibition (NRE) program. This presentation will provide an overview of several NREs staged at SC23 focused on innovations for large-scale, data intensive, global science research.
Speakers:
- Ed Balas, ESnet
- James Deaton, Internet2
- David Ripley, Indiana University
Slides:
- Introducing MetrANOVA: A neutral, trusted, and open consortium for Advancing Network Observation and Analysis
Abstract:

MetrANOVA is a neutral, trusted, open consortium for advancing network observation, visualization, and analysis within R&E networks by developing and socializing technical capabilities. Five founding member organizations launched the consortium in September of 2023: ESnet, GÉANT, Indiana University, Internet2, and Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC). The objective is to develop and socialize network measurement and analysis tools, tactics, and techniques.

This talk will introduce the consortium’s mission, governance, goals, and relationship with other efforts such as perfSONAR. Beyond an introduction, we are reaching out to the attendees who have a hand in running or designing networks to identify those who may be interested in contributing to this effort or using the work products of this consortium to their benefit.

The founding member organizations agreed to launch the consortium after considering four factors. First, the strong history of collaboration within the Research and Education Networking community, especially with efforts like perfSONAR, proves what we can do when collaborating. Second, several recent development efforts in network measurement demonstrate that the community has the skills to develop compelling capabilities. Example efforts consortium participants have participated in include the NSF NetSage Project, Indiana University TSDS, ESnet Stardust, and ESnet High Touch. Third, compelling open-source components that enable state-of-the-art network measurement and analysis have proliferated within the broader industry. Examples of this include Grafana, Kafka, OpenSearch, PMacct, etc. Lastly, while there is strong potential, ongoing concerns with software sustainability, training, and policy formation have impeded greater use of these techniques within the community and would benefit from collaboration.

The consortium has a reasonably broad scope by design. To support this scope, we are using an inclusive participation model that provides options for organizations that can commit dedicated resources and opportunities for those who wish to contribute individually or on a best-effort basis. While this is a development effort, it’s also an educational outreach effort, so we need diverse participants with various skills.

As the consortium has just recently launched, the work on the roadmap is in progress, and it might include but not be limited to surveys to assess the state of measurements within consortium members and the broader community, a review of existing coding efforts, creation of specific initiatives to address identified opportunities, etc.

Additional details about the consortium are available here:

https://github.com/MetrANOVA
Speaker:
- John Sweeting, American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN)
Slides:
- A Community Update on RPKI-ROA Adoption
Session Video:
- A Community Update on RPKI-ROA Adoption
Abstract:

Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) is a voluntary service offered by the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) to prevent inadvertent misconfigurations and intentional IP address hijacking. It introduces a cryptographic mechanism that allows an Internet number resource holder to assertively declare the origin of a prefix(s) disseminated to the Internet, a practice known as Route Origin Authorization (ROA).

The adoption of RPKI empowers operators with an additional dataset to make more informed routing decisions. This not only limits the consequences arising from human error or malevolent activities but also curbs the broader scope for attempted hijacks on the Internet at large. Additionally, discussions are taking place in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to develop enhancements to RPKI such as Autonomous System Provider Authorization (ASPA), that will continue to offer better protection from bad actors. Join us as ARIN’s Chief Customer Officer provides an update on RPKI-ROA adoption and the latest developments at ARIN aimed at enhancing the user experience for RPKI adopters.
Speakers:
- Dana Brunson, Internet2
- Timothy Middelkoop, Internet2
- Scotty Strachan, Nevada System of Higher Education – System Office
- Forough Ghahramani, NJEdge
- John Hicks, Internet2
Abstract:

Regional and national Research and Education Networks (RENs) have enabled education and associated research since the dawn of digital connectivity. Evolution of research/education has accelerated along with technology complexity in computing automation, IoT, instrumentation, security and IAM, cloud, and big data. Research and education have “gone global” with team science, virtual laboratories, and remote work disrupting decades of traditional campus IT workflows. RENs are in a unique place to engage, explore, and facilitate this transformation. But how? As part of an ongoing series, this BOF will bring together REN representatives and campus stakeholders to discuss strategies for communication, partnerships, and support for research/education technology needs at local-to-regional levels. Topics of discussion include the role of RENs in campus outreach and engagement, supporting specialized training (such as cybersecurity), research computing and data infrastructure, and best practices for fostering collaboration/coordination between regional stakeholders. Participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences, exchange ideas, and build connections with others in the field.

Please grab your lunch from the buffet just outside of your meeting room.
Speaker:
- To be determined
Abstract:

Are you interested in encryption, RPKI, zero trust, and AI? Join us for the Network Security Special Interest Group! Open to all, feel free to join us.
Speaker:
- To be determined
Abstract:

Global Network Advancement Group Meeting The Global Network Advancement Group (GNA-G) gathers worldwide network professionals from the Research & Education Networking organizations to support and enhance continent-to-continent interconnectivity and global science collaboration. GNA-G organizes its work in working groups around topics of multi-national and multi-domain interest and importance. Some of the working groups include: Data Intensive Science, Routing, AutoGOLE/SENSE, GREN map and Network Automation. Network engineers from operational teams and research groups from several continents are contributing to these groups, and we encourage new participants to join. This side-meeting is intended to follow up on actions from the GNA-G side-meeting at TechEx2023. It will give an opportunity to the community to discuss and decide on future activities around: international connectivity, network renewal, network engineering, orchestration and automation, security and other topics.
Speakers:
- Charles Connor-Rondot, REN-ISAC
Abstract:

To better serve the needs of higher education, REN-ISAC’s Anthony Newman (Executive Director) is visiting the Internet2 Community Exchange as part of their listening tour to hear direct feedback from our community. Come meet Anthony and discuss REN-ISAC’s products, services, and strategic goals. University representatives are encouraged to share the goals of their individual organizations encouraging sector-wide collaboration.

Please grab your lunch from the foyer outside of the Michigan room.
Speaker:
- John W McGuthry, California State Polytechnic University – Pomona
Abstract:

Working lunch with the NET+ Service Providers and the NET+ Program Management team to discuss program updates, community trends, top cloud concerns, and ways to further collaborate. This provides an opportunity for relationship building and sharing with peers who provide services to the research and education community.

Please grab your lunch from the buffet just outside of your meeting room.

For further information, please contact Tara Gyenis at tgyenis@internet2.edu.
Speakers:
- Cyd Burrows-Schilling, UCSD
- Bobby Edamala, Cornell University
- Jeffrey Weekley, UC Santa Cruz
- Will Drake, Indiana University
Abstract:

Securing research data is a persistent and pervasive challenge for academic institutions of all sizes, and policy and compliance issues impact I2 members regardless of their size or maturity. Hence, we propose a BoF to discuss the current challenges, share best practices and knowledge around research cybersecurity to advance our shared mission of research support and services tailored specifically for research and education.

Carrying forward from the Cybersecurity Operations Engagement in a Research Environment workshop (a sub-award of NSF award 1840034, Indiana University), community members agreed in 2023 to form an Interest Group (IG) under the CaRCC organizational umbrella, called Research Cybersecurity Interest Group (RCsIG). Its emphasis is on research computing and data activities in higher education focused on knowledge sharing and the promoting of best practices in support of foundational and trending topics that affect research cybersecurity at I2 member institutions.

Since there is often a need to design, create, and implement bespoke security plans for sponsored programs, the RCsIG will address the cybersecurity needs of both highly collaborative but also of more autonomous research communities, while promoting appropriate and effective cybersecurity best practices. Since RCsIG is still in its adolescence, we invite a wider audience at the I2 Community Exchange. The BoF will consist of a structured discussion informed by the CaRCC Capabilities Model, the presentation of a RCsIG roadmap to maturity, as well as provide time for group discussions on relevant topics.

Please grab your lunch from the buffet just outside of your meeting room.
Speakers:
- Sarah Blithe, NCWIT
- Ana Hunsinger, Internet2
- Michael Erickson, Internet2
Abstract:

This is the regular Internet2 Inclusivity Initiative lunch session for our annual events. The topic for this session is still being determined. Will update once we have determined the topic and speaker(s).

Please grab your lunch from the foyer outside of the Michigan room.
Speakers:
- Ivana Golub, PSNC
- David Wilde , AARNet
Slides:
- Global Network Advancement with GNA-G
Abstract:

The Global Network Advancement Group (GNA-G) gathers worldwide network professionals from the Research & Education Networking organizations to support and enhance continent-to-continent interconnectivity and global science collaboration. GNA-G organizes its work in working groups around topics of multi-national and multi-domain interest and importance. Some of the working groups include: Data Intensive Science, Routing, AutoGOLE/SENSE, GREN map and Network Automation. Network engineers from operational teams and research groups from several continents are contributing to these groups, and we encourage new participants to join.

This side-meeting is intended to follow up on actions from the GNA-G side-meeting at TechEx2023. It will give an opportunity to the community to discuss and decide on future activities around: international connectivity, network renewal, network engineering, orchestration and automation, security and other topics.

Please grab your lunch from the buffet just outside of your meeting room.
Speakers:
- Jack Suess, UMBC
- Cheryl Washington, University of California, Davis
- Emily Perry, University of Arizona
- Jason Paluck, UMBC
Abstract:

Institutions today have hundreds of software contracts in place. Innovative Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) or Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offerings leverage the availability of cloud technology and are increasingly chosen to provide critical services. While this trend has enabled new functionality and greater options for individual units and researchers, it has created a need for enhanced vendor management practices. How should institutions manage risk, compliance, security, business continuity, and derive long-term value from these investments? The Internet2 NET+ PAG has spent considerable time discussing this issue and in 2022 asked the Internet2 Business, Procurement and Legal Advisory Council (BPLAC) to form a working group to focus on IT vendor management.

The I2 vendor management group discovered that management of the IT vendor relationship lifecycle cannot be siloed into one area. The group defined three key areas that contribute to successful management of a vendor – operational vendor management, procurement management, and strategic vendor management. Within each of the key areas, there are varied foundational, executable, and relationship lifecycle activities that take place in our sampling of higher education institutions. The variety of institutions in higher education – public, private, large, medium, small, for profit, non-profit, state school, community college – have different rules, systems, and processes based on their needs, which makes it difficult to maintain consistent IT vendor management rules and practices for higher education. However, consistency across institutions is not a requirement for success. Regardless of the institution, as IT is increasingly reliant upon third party services IT vendor management practices are critical to successful vendor relationships.

The vendor management working group cataloged activities as a first step to aid institutions seeking to implement IT vendor management functions so programs can be customized to suit unique cultures and organizational structures. Having cataloged the activities, the Internet2 vendor management working group then documented these activities and compiled them into a framework for the community so that higher ed institutions can use the experience of others to build their own rules and processes for effective IT vendor management.

Along with documentation of activities, the group is gathering artifacts, templates, and other shareable documentation that the community can access and use as a resource to spur inspiration as they introduce and/or enhance their IT vendor management processes.

In addition, this session will focus on how campuses are approaching risk management and cybersecurity issues related to vendor management. What does effective business continuity mean if an outside service is ransomware? In addition, we will discuss the importance of having a strong negotiating team with well-defined roles and responsibilities that can think about maximizing the overall institutional benefit of the IT vendor portfolio.

This session will feature speakers with distinct roles and perspectives on Vendor Management who will talk about the topic from their perspective and discuss what their institution is doing here. We will have a CIO, Enterprise Architect, CISO, and a Software Supply Chain Manager.

By sharing some of the rich conversations on this topic in both the NET+ PAG and IT Vendor Management group, we hope to give campuses tangible ideas they can take back and implement on campus to begin to address this growing issue.
Speakers:
- Nicole Roy, Internet2
- Dmitri Zagidulin, MIT
- Leif Johansson, SUNET
Slides:
- Whither Wallets?
Abstract:

Moderated community panel discussion on the state of digital credential and electronic wallet technology, likely and needed future developments, and what our community can, could, and should do to enable use of these technologies in support of privacy-preserving research and education use cases.
Speakers:
- Al Anderson, Salish Kootenai College
- Tom Jackson, North Carolina A&T State University
- Deborah Dent, Ph.D, Jackson State University
Slides:
- MS-CC: Bridging Access Gaps, Enabling Collaborations with CI
Session Video:
- MS-CC: Bridging Access Gaps, Enabling Collaborations with CI
Abstract:

How can we begin to support systemically underserved and under-resourced institutions to ensure that their expertise, ideas, and perspectives are included in national and global collaborations?

There are numerous approaches to addressing this question; for the Minority Serving – Cyberinfrastructure Consortium (MS-CC), the focus is on enabling advanced cyberinfrastructure (CI) capabilities on the campuses of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), and the broader community of minority serving institutions (MSIs).

The designations for HBCUs, TCUs, and across other categories of minority serving institutions have unique historical and cultural definitions, beyond the makeup of their student bodies. Their institutional contexts vary enough to require individual considerations for CI strategic action across and within each category; there is no one-size-fits-all.

With funding from the NSF’s Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (#2234326) in 2022, the MS-CC and Internet2 developed a Proof-of-Concept Grant (PoCG) program for HBCUs and TCUs to drive sustainable CI advancement that is designed by and for the campuses. The PoCG program recipients include two public HBCUs, one private, liberal arts HBCU, a multi-campus collaboration with four HBCUs led by Tennessee State, and a tribal college.

As a continuation to the MS-CC PoCG discussion on Nashville Collaborative at TechEX23, join us for this panel presentation and hear directly from campus recipients of PoCG pilot grants as they embark on their second year of funding and expert consulting to support sustainable CI development. They will share their motivations for CI advancements on their campuses, early successes, lessons learned, and answer audience questions.
Speaker:
- Tom Fryer, GÉANT Association
Slides:
- Collaboration: The Heart of Global Research and Education Networking
Abstract:

It is a truism that research and education transcend international borders. Yet for these collaborations to be successful, academics require services and tools that make it possibly to transfer data, access resources and communicate efficiently, securely and cost-effectively between countries and different world regions.

National Research and Education Networks (RENs) in over 130 countries around the world aim to support their national users in meeting their research and educational objectives.

NRENs come together in a format repeated across the globe designed to bring efficiencies across a given world region: the Regional Research and Education Network, such as GÉANT (Europe), ASREN (North Africa and Western Asia), WACREN (West and Central Africa), UbuntuNet Alliance (East and Southern Africa), RedCLARA (Latin America), CAREN Collaboration Center (Central Asia), and TEIN*CC and APAN (Asia-Pacific). In the USA, Internet2 performs an equivalent role, as does CANARIE in Canada, as organisations that support the state or province networks across their respective countries.

However, to be properly successful in this mission, NRENs and RRENs need to and do collaborate to ensure the delivery of end-to-end services. Collaborations, which may be bilateral or multilateral, cover a range of topics, including, but not exclusively:

• The planning and delivery of inter-regional connectivity ensuring redundancy and back-up arrangements.
• The development and provision of Trust and Identity to ensure secure and easy mobility and access to data and resources.
• Exchanges on developments in security provisioning.
• Collaboration groups, working groups, conferences and other forums to enable exchanges of ideas, as well as to facility new developments and collaborations.
• Advocacy to relevant stakeholders, such as funding bodies, standards bodies and industry organisations, to maintain and strengthen awareness of R&E networking and gain support.
• The development of new and emerging NRENs.

The presentation will describe a variety of collaborative efforts in which GÉANT is involved in in these areas to show the audience how such work brings wider benefits to the global R&E networking community and its user communities. In particular it will highlight collaborative efforts between Europe, the USA and Canada in the context of the Advanced North Atlantic (ANA) collaboration towards deploying next generation transatlantic connectivity, emphasising how, without the coordinated approach and mutual support, such developments would be far less efficient.

The presentation will also focus on the range of collaboration groups across the globe, including the Special Interest Groups and Task Forces coordinated by GÉANT, that are open to and may be of relevance for members of the Internet2 Community.

This presentation is targeted at members of the Internet2 Community. By the end of the session, the audience will understand how collaboration among RENs across the globe plays a vital role in ensuring that academics and researchers are able to collaborate across international borders. Equally the audience will understand better which working groups and collaboration groups exist that are of relevance to them and in which they may play a role in to further strengthen the global R&E networking community.
Speaker:
- Nick Lewis, Internet2
Slides:
- Community Scale Vendor Risk Management
Abstract:

Every institution spends resources managing vendors and strives to reduce risk, control costs and minimize redundancy. The NET+ team is launching a service evaluation to identify a cloud service to support schools in their efforts to improve cloud vendor risk management effectiveness.

The service evaluation team will identify service features that will help optimize visibility and coordination of vendor risk information across functional areas such as procurement, security, accessibility, identity, and others. This session will be an update on the service evaluation and community engagement.
Speakers:
- Albert Wu, Internet2
- Ann West, Internet2
Slides:
- Improving Teamwork with the InCommon Federation
Abstract:

The InCommon Federation enables scaled and trusted federated access to national and international scholarly collaborations, research data, and teaching/learning services. Deploying a Single Sign-On Identity Provider (IdP) that meets InCommon’s interoperability and trust requirements can be challenging. Join us to explore how InCommon’s IdP-as-a-Service helps an institution connect its enterprise IdP solutions such as Azure AD or Okta to work seamlessly in the InCommon Federation.
Speakers:
- Delma Rodriguez Morales, Cultural Ring Uruguay / UNIR – Spain
- Justin Trieger, New World Symphony
Slides:
- Co-creation Without Borders
Session Video:
- Co-creation Without Borders
Abstract:

How far can we go in co-creating and collaborating?Anilla Cultural UY and its global networks, as a network of co-creation and collaboration in e-culture, has more than 10 years of continuous work. And since seven years ago, Justin Trieger and Delma Rodriguez Morales have started a fruitful collaboration promoting performing arts and co-creation as a fundamental tool for cultural development in Internet networks within research and education.In particular, there is a project that has taken on unprecedented dimensions due to the interest generated by the proposal, known as the Co-creation Lab. It consists of a research and intervention project composed of a laboratory distributed through the internet, with a transdisciplinary, multilingual, local and global approach. In the first edition (2019), a global call was made, with the motto “Co-creation is for everyone”, several projects were obtained among co-creators from Oceania, America and Europe, among others. From this experience, many lessons have been learned about how co-creation works in these contexts, which have been incorporated into other online initiatives as well as scientific articles.

On this occasion of the 2024 Internet 2 Community Exchange in the Internet 2, the research of Delma Rodriguez Morales’ doctoral thesis entitled “Co-creation without borders in local and global contexts of e-Culture in arts, sciences, technology and society” will be presented, focusing in particular on the experience of the Co-creation Lab “Super Leagues”, the “Teachers Co-creation Lab”, “Museums Co-creation Lab”, among others. In this sense, also the doctoral supervisor is invited to share their visions and experiences, in a long-standing proposal that deserves her in-depth study, in order to contribute to the academic communities of research, education and collaboration.
Speakers:
- Lance DuPre, University of South Carolina
- James Duran, Vanderbilt University
Slides:
- Enable Research and Discovery at Scale with AI, Machine Learning, and Cloud Services
Abstract:

The number of digital assets and scale of digital collections stored by libraries is increasing, however budgets and the staff in libraries are not keeping pace. These challenges are driving libraries to be more creative in terms of how they think of everything from long-term digital preservation, to how they manage workflows, opportunities to increase automation, and how to develop sustainable, extensible solutions. How can libraries continue with their mission to protect, preserve, curate and make accessible meaningful content? Increasingly for libraries — cloud services, AI and ML provide answers.

In this session the University of South Carolina and Vanderbilt University will share their approaches to these challenges illustrated with two very different collections – one of 19th century hand-written probate documents, the other a 55-year young and growing 200Tb Vanderbilt Television News Archive.

Attendees will learn about considerations to balance long-term storage with researcher access needs; how each institution used AI/ML tools to automate and improve data management, extract and make accessible meaningful content.
Speakers:
- Jennifer Schopf, TACC/ UT Austin
- Doug Southworth, TACC/ UT Austin
- George Robb, ESnet / LBNL
Slides:
- What Breaks a Network? An EPOC Analysis
Abstract:

The Engagement and Performance Operations Center (EPOC) helps address barriers to fast and reliable end-to-end data transfers across all levels of the cyberinfrastructure ecosystem. It offers support to the R&E community through the NetSage measurement and monitoring tool kit, through intensive one-on-one work with sites using the Deep Dive approach, through offering baseline testing, and through extensive training workshops. However, the component of EPOC that most members of the R&E community take advantage of is our Roadside Assistance and Consulting.

Roadside Assistance (RA) gives end users a way to ask questions to an experienced team on almost any topic in the R&E networking and the cyberinfrastructure ecosystem. EPOC staff work with all staff and faculty to ensure a positive outcome, including engineers, researchers, operators, and managers. Questions have covered everything from basics (what’s a Science DMZ?) to complex (We need to move 2.5 PB of data to an as-of-yet unknown storage facility as quickly as possible, how do we do this?), to the most common (Can you look at my network design and tell me if it will work for these science workflows?).

This panel will give the first in-depth analysis of the over 350 Roadside Assistance Cases that EPOC has worked on during the last five years. We will walk through some of the most common questions we get, and give the audience pointers to our best practice documents to support common approaches to solve these issues. We’ll also analyze some of our most complex cases, talk in depth about how to balance technical problems with political realities, and give advice regarding how to move forward in situations where you have little or no control of the core components, but still need to make sure you’re supporting scientific outcomes.
Speaker:
- Sara Jeanes, Internet2
Slides:
- Deploying eduroam at a Statewide Level
Abstract:

The true value of eduroam increases with its ubiquity. Having eduroam in educational institutions and public spaces across entire states boosts the value proposition of the service immensely and regional networks, community anchor institutions, and internet service providers like Cox Communications presents a unique and powerful opportunity to address this scaling challenge.

We’ll discuss the community’s work on multiple statewide deployments of eduroam as part of the eduroam Support Organization program, as well as new collaborations between Internet2 and commercial ISPs to provide eduroam in public hotspots. Come hear about lessons learned, what’s next for the work of the eduroam Support Organization program and our ISP pilots, and how that work enhances the value for the national eduroam community!
Speaker:
- Ed Wozencroft, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Slides:
- A Student-centered GenAI Strategy
Session Video:
- A Student-centered GenAI Strategy
Abstract:

Advances in Generative AI are moving at a breakneck pace. The technology holds much promise for a wide range of applications. With students at the center of our higher education mission, we at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) are harnessing the power of GenAI for them. We are looking to GenAI to simplify the higher education journey for students and provide them with a clearer path to achieve their education goals. Through our GenAI-powered projects we are streamlining and automating processes. AI is enhancing support for students – especially for first generation and international students for whom the US higher education system can be overwhelming. And the technology is giving us insights upon which our leadership and staff can take action.

In this session attendees will learn about NJIT’s Generative AI journey from the point of ideation with experts, to socializing our vision with campus stakeholders, to engaging the students who will be using our solutions and the lessons we have learned along the way. Attendees will take home tools, resources, and approaches they can incorporate into their own Generative AI journey.
Speakers:
- Maureen J Donlin, Saint Louis University
- Shruthi Sreenivasa Murthy, Saint Louis University
- Ibrahim Taufique, Kion
Slides:
- Re-architecting the Cloud with Guardrails
Abstract:

The cloud journey at Saint Louis University started in 2020 with one team member, an immediate need to build out two cloud workloads, and the promise of a simplified front end to the cloud provided by an external cloud support contract. Over the next two years, our staffing remained the same as we added more production workloads and many proof of concepts. However, there was mounting frustration with the pace of new workflow development, the limitations of our SaaS front-end for management, and the need to re-architect existing workflows due to inefficient or poor design. Add on feedback from central IT regarding perceived security issues and we knew we had to reassess our cloud growth trajectory. To solve these challenges – and support the growth of the University’s production workflows – we pivoted our approach to introduce more automation and move to a guardrail concept for security and financial management. In this presentation, you will learn how we: implemented Kion for automation and guardrails, how we’ve crafted regulatory-compliant workspaces to support research needs, and details on our integration with the University’s SSO.
Speakers:
- David Marble, OSHEAN
- Luke Fowler, Indiana University
Slides:
- OSHEAN’s Instrumentation and Automation
Abstract:

The R&E community has always been at the forefront of care and feeding of research payloads. That practice drove innovation impacting all types of traffic in the R&E world. Most notably, the payloads to cloud services now sit at the forefront of R&E value propositions to our members as we build an efficient, high performance cloud exchange into the fabrics of our networks. These cloud payloads are uniquely managed, have low latency, predictable paths, and resilience. Feeding on that success, our members have raised the bar, demanding toolsets and reports showing the efficacy of their critical routes to individual cloud services.

This session will delve into the implementation OSHEAN and IU’s GlobalNoC have been developing to instrument the network, provide visibility through a Member Portal and Automate aspects of the configuration and diagnostics of network infrastructure.
The technical aspects of the session will explore OSHEAN’s Portal Architecture with Grafana, Telemetry techniques, Protocol choices such as IP SLA for measurement reporting. Encryption choices for cloud routes (i.e. MACSEC), and Ansible frameworks for configuration automation and Network Diagnostics.

We will utilize specific member implementations as example use cases and discuss the ties to important concepts such as service level agreements and mean time to repair. If time allows, we will discuss the next steps of this important journey.
This will be a joint presentation from David Marble, OSHEAN’s CEO, and Luke Fowler, GlobalNoC’s Director of Software and Systems.
Speaker:
- To be determined
Abstract:

The Connector/Network Member BoF brings together regional network representatives to discuss topics of interest such as network automation, networking for cloud, networking infrastructure and other topics of interest. Anyone associated with a regional network is invited to attend.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Fun 5K Walk/Run | 6:30 a.m.

Tired of the hotel treadmills? Want to make some new friends? Pack your walking or running shoes, and start your day off at 6:30 a.m. CT Wednesday with a bit of exercise alongside new and old friends! Everyone is welcome – we’ll have a ~2 mile route (recommended for walkers) and a ~5K (3.1M) route for runners. Specific routes will be shared at a later time.
Speakers:
- Nick Lewis, Internet2
- Jeff Reel, Internet2
Abstract:

This is a closed meeting for the NET+ Palo Alto Networks service advisory group to meet in-person.
Speaker:
- Robert L. Grossman, University of Chicago
Abstract:

We first give a quick introduction to data commons and data meshes (aka data ecosystems) for managing, analyzing and sharing your biomedical and scientific data. We then introduce the Gen3 data platform (Gen3.org), an open source data platform for building data commons and data meshes. We cover how your organization can set up and operate multiple Gen3 data commons to support the research projects for your faculty. Gen3 has been used to build over 25 data commons and data meshes around the world that in aggregate make over 20 PB of data available to the research community.

Bio:

Robert L. Grossman is the Frederick H. Rawson Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Computer Science and the Jim and Karen Frank Director of the Center for Translational Data Science at the University of Chicago. He is the Chief of the Section of Biomedical Data Science in the Department of Medicine. He is also the chair of the Open Commons Consortium, a not-for-profit that develops and operates data commons to support research in science, medicine, healthcare, and the environment.

To introduce Bob:

Bob Grossman is a Professor of Medicine and Computer Science at the University of Chicago and the lead for the Gen3 data platform.
Speaker:
- Sean O’Brien, Internet2
- Quyen Valliant, Internet2
Abstract:

The Internet2 Cloud Scorecard and the Institutional Profiles are two initiatives that aim to help research and education institutions discover, evaluate, and adopt cloud services that meet their security, compliance, and technology standards. In this presentation, we will share how we are bringing these efforts from pilot projects into full production services. We will explain the benefits of leveraging the Cloud Scorecard and the Institutional Profiles. We will also demonstrate how to access and use these tools to find cloud solutions that suit your institution’s needs and goals. Finally, we will also discuss how these tools can facilitate collaboration and communication among institutions and vendors in the research and education community.
Speaker:
- Chris Wilkinson, Internet2
Abstract:

Camille Alfs

Building an engineering team to support community service

Internet2’s engineering teams use a transparent and dynamic approach in leading engineering teams. The talk will provide a few points regarding the team’s approach and strategy.

Matt Mullins

Challenges building comprehensive packet services (core update bundled in)

Learn about the state of the Internet2 packet network and some of the challenges involved in building a comprehensive packet infrastructure.

JoAnne Bender

Innovative optical services built on the Internet2 platform

Internet2 has two years of experience operating its flex-grid optical system spanning 26,000 kilometers across the continental United States. Based on the Ciena 6500 platform, Ultra SMF28 fiber, and simple EDFA amplification, the system allows for the deployment of emerging technologies and adapts well to accommodate unique applications – domestic and international; research and common transport. This talk will showcase real applications of emerging optical technology, including: (1) the transition of metropolitan area architectures to scalable high-density mesh architectures with discrete optics; (2) leveraging large spectrum channels to achieve a 5000 kilometer 400 Gbps circuit to support research applications; (3) operating foreign waves on behalf of regional networks to facilitate their network build-outs.

Jeff Bartig

Improving Service Adoption Through Better Implementations

This presentation will touch on BGP route policy and our work to consolidate all of Internet2’s cloud services peering into I2PX this year.
Speakers:
- Martin VanWinkle, Institute for Advanced Study
- Jay Gallman, Duke University
Slides:
- The NIST SSDF Distilled
Session Video:
- The NIST SSDF Distilled
Abstract:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released the Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF) which is a set of fundamental, sound, and secure software development practices based on established secure software development practice – https://csrc.nist.gov/Projects/ssdf

More and more people are interacting with “code”; and anybody who develops, deploys, or administers computing systems will strongly benefit from knowing the SSDF from a high-level.

After this session, you will have a high-level vocabulary for the SSDF, and you will be better able to communicate with others about software security.
Speakers:
- Scott Friedman, Amazon Web Service
- Claire Mizumoto, UCSD
- Himanshu Sharma, University of Illinois Chicago
- Jim Kenyon, University of Michigan
Abstract:

Today’s researchers are increasingly reliant on access to computing, storage and analysis solutions tailored to the specific needs of their research problem. These individuals are burdened by having to gain fluency in this ever-changing technology while also expanding expertise in their discipline. Research enablement is an approach to unburden these researchers so they can focus on their science.

In this panel session we’ll cover some of the key challenges institutions face and discuss strategies to address them including: structural challenges (funding; organizational structure), technical challenges (cloud or on-prem; compliance; automation; working at scale), and cultural challenges (fear of cloud; fear of layoffs; career growth options).

Attendees will take home a greater understanding of the benefits of having a research enablement strategy and resources available to help them build/enhance their research enablement strategy.
Speakers:
- Kevin Morooney, Internet2
- Marc Wallman, North Dakota State University
Slides:
- InCommon Futures 2
Abstract:

During this session, we present the final report, review the implementation timeline, and answer questions around the InCommon plan to standardize tools and services used by our community. Information will be shared with the community in advance of this session so a full discussion can occur and community engagement will be maximized.
Speakers:
- Mark Wolff, CANARIE
- María José Lopez, RedCLARA
- Lanika Starks, Internet2/MS-CC
- Oswaldo de Freitas Alves, RNP
Slides:
- Connecting the Unconnected
Session Video:
- Connecting the Unconnected
Abstract:

The Americas team from CANARIE, Internet2 and RedCLARA has realized each organization is working toward a strategic goal to connect institutions which are traditionally underserved and under-connected. From the research institutions in Patagonia and the rain forests of Latin America, to minority serving and tribal institutions in the U.S., to the Nunavut territory of Canada, we all have institutions and expertise that are untapped and need to be solved by connecting the unconnected.

This presentation will include colleagues from Canada, the U.S. and Latin America. Each presentation will present individual projects and then we will host a panel discussion about how we can learn from each other and work together to achieve our goals.
Speakers:
- Addie Cooke, Public Policy Lead for Enterprise AI, Google
- Jim Van Over, Innovation Strategist, ServiceNow
- Zach Pendleton, Chief Architect, Instructure
- Jon Dinneen, Vice President, Vocareum
- Moderator: Sean O’Brien, Internet2
Abstract:

“The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has profound implications for research and higher education. AI can enhance the quality and efficiency of research processes, enable new forms of collaboration and communication, and create new opportunities for learning and teaching. However, AI also poses significant challenges and risks, such as ethical, legal, social, and economic issues.

In this session, we will explore the impacts of AI on research and higher education from various industry perspectives, such as service development, policy, privacy, and practice. We will also discuss the best practices and strategies to harness the benefits of AI while mitigating the risks and values in research and higher education.

We will update speakers to this panel and add additional details here.
Speakers:
- Scott Friedman, Amazon Web Services
- Shruthi Sreenivasa Murthy, Saint Louis University
- Ezequiel Gioia, University of Central Florida
- Alan Walsh, Indiana University
Slides:
- Lightning Strikes the Cloud
Abstract:

Join us for (4) engaging, short talks:

a. “Unlocking Research Potential on Google Cloud” with Ezequiel Gioia, University of Central Florida

Join us as we delve into UCF’s exploration of Google Cloud for research endeavors. This presentation will shed light on the challenges faced during implementation, future plans, and current research projects. Discover how UCF has utilized Google Cloud to advance research in diverse fields, including breast cancer discovery, scientific computing with TPUs, and participation in the Multi-party Computation for Fairness project. Gain valuable insights into UCF’s journey in harnessing the potential of Google Cloud for groundbreaking research initiatives.

b. “Building a Multilingual Automated Transcription Service” with Alan Walsh, Indiana University

Social science researchers frequently need audio recordings transcribed for analysis. However, third-party services often present both technical and security challenges. In this session we will discuss the motivation and the technical implementation of the Automated Transcription Service (ATS), a fully managed service that leverages cloud machine learning (ML) APIs to provide convenient and secure transcription capabilities for social science researchers.

c. “Accelerate Research with AWS Lightsail” with Scott Friedman

Researchers and academics want easy access to powerful computing capabilities, including GPUs — ideally in a way that is simple to manage and providing real-time visibility and control of cost. AWS Lightsail for Research offers all this and more. Learn how researchers can create — in just a few clicks — powerful virtual computers in the AWS Cloud under their full control or pre-installed with the analytical applications such as RStudio, Jupyter and Scilab.

d. “How we improved research productivity!!” with Shruthi Murthy

At Saint Louis University (SLU), researchers leverage geospatial information to generate valuable research datasets applicable to a diverse array of investigations encompassing economics, public health, and finance, specifically focusing on social mobility trends. These datasets comprise extensive microdata files, with an average size of approximately 500 terabytes spanning five years of data. In this presentation, I will discuss how we built a substantial geospatial data repository utilizing AWS EMR serverless and how we successfully streamlined both cost and data processing durations with this workflow.
Speaker:
- Klaas Wierenga, GEANT
Session Video:
- Trust, Identity, and Access for Learning and Research Across Borders
Abstract:

Identity and Access Mangement within the European Union presents unique opportunities and challenges for teachers, learners, and researchers. This session will share some of the unique recent developments within the EU space which enables the flow of knowledge across international boundaries, both within and outside the EU.
Speakers:
- Anita Nikolich, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Andrew Gallo, The George Washington University
- Mark Johnson, MCNC
Slides:
- Influencing Technology Policy
Abstract:

The R&E community has always been at the forefront of technological innovation. But the role of university IT leaders and engineers extends far beyond our campus boundaries. As stewards of technological advancement, we have the opportunity to shape policies that not only impact our institutions but also contribute to larger societal and technological developments. By fostering productive conversations between the R&E community, regulators and policy makers, we can ensure that technology is used to improve teaching and learning, advance research, and promote social good.

While each of our institutions face unique challenges, we share common concerns such as data privacy, digital accessibility, cybersecurity, and equitable access to technology. By pooling our expertise and perspectives, we can address these challenges collectively and create a more cohesive and impactful voice in the policy-making arena.

We’re working to build policy expertise within the community to share knowledge about policy proposals, advocacy, and successes in our work. This session will be a continuation of the monthly NTAC Policy Reading Group – an informal gathering of engineers and IT managers to discuss local, national, and international IT policy.

The objective of this panel is to learn how to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among university IT leaders, engineers and policy makers and explore strategies for influencing technology policy at broader levels beyond our individual institutions. Panelists will represent the four areas of: public policy, R&E leadership, community activist organizations and Internet2. We will hold a facilitated panel discussion among these 4 types of leaders.
Speakers:
- Netta Caligari, West Arete (Catalyst Member)
- Natalie Simonson, West Arete (Catalyst Member)
Abstract:

Higher Ed CIOs face a myriad of challenges and opportunities. While each challenge can be unique to the institution, the need for effective problem-solving strategies is universal. In a world accustomed to instantaneous services, students increasingly need seamless access to a plethora of campus resources, ranging from academic aid to personal services. A comprehensive student experience not only aligns with embracing a modern, digital transition, but it is also pivotal for ensuring students, faculty, and administrators have innovative tech tools to do their best work. In order to successfully meet these needs, it’s vital for the end user’s experience to be part of the equation when strategically thinking about how to embrace emerging technologies.

Human-centered design frameworks help drive innovative solutions, while still putting people at the forefront. Utilizing some of the methodologies, this interactive workshop will delve into a set of exercises aimed at aligning the student journey with today’s technological expectations and ever-evolving academic landscape.

During this session, attendees will work individually and together to gain insights and practical strategies for facilitating collaborative meetings with their respective IT teams. Please join us if you are a CIO and/or IT leader who is eager to enhance your problem-solving toolkit through brainstorming techniques designed to engage both extroverts and introverts alike.

This session will cover:
- The Power of Human-Centered Design: An exploration of how focusing on people can revolutionize the way we approach and tackle challenges, big and small.
- Bolstering the Student Experience: Facilitated breakout sessions where attendees can work through how they can approach new technologies with the end user in mind.
- Integration with Existing Processes: A discussion on how human-centered design can optimize the integration of emerging technologies, reimagine the student journey, and enhance data-driven, decision-making processes.
- Q&A and Community: An opportunity for attendees to seek further clarity, share their experiences, and build connections with peers navigating similar challenges.
Speaker:
- Larry Gallery, NYSERNet
- Stephanie Stenberg, Internet2
Abstract:
- Prior to the pandemic, the Teaching & Learning SIG was the one place RONs and their members could find out about content that was available over Internet2. This content was mostly for K-20 schools but also healthcare and other silos. Today, there is virtually no venue or resource for leaning about content or how to make your content available over the network.
- The purpose of this group will be to revive the SIG and try to be a resource for RONs and their members looking for and wanting to provide content. We will also have a brief overview of one excellent resource for education and training: Cyber.org, which has vetted curriculum and free cybersecurity summer camps.
Speaker:
- Nick Lewis, Internet2
Abstract:

This session is for campuses to come, share their experiences with vendor management/third-party risk management in higher education, and continue the conversation from the sessions yesterday.

This working meeting is to get together to explore what campuses are already using, campus requirements, and potential service providers.
The NET+ team is preparing to do a service evaluation for a third-party risk management that campuses can use for vendor management, service inventory, and many other uses! More details on this can be found in this blog. We’ll use your input in the development of the NET+ service.
Speaker:
- James McGril, Radware
Abstract:

Join us for our regular meeting for updates from Radware on their DDoS Mitigation offerings. This Special Interest Group is open to all.
Speakers:
- Ann Doyle, Internet2
- Gail Krovitz, Internet2
Abstract:

New to Internet2? Need a refresher? Join this meeting which is open to any attendee new to Internet2 or the Community Exchange, or those interested in learning more about Internet2’s services and community. The session will provide an orientation to Internet2 including an organizational overview of its many programs and services.

Internet2 colleagues will share perspectives on how members and partners can optimize their engagement with the community. Intended audience includes higher education, affiliate and industry members, and colleagues from our Community Anchor Program, Minority Serving-Cyberinfrastructure Consortium and international partner organizations. All are welcome!
Speaker:
- To be determined
Abstract:

The NTAC Network Automation SIG seeks to connect members of the research and education community for discussions and collaboration around network automation. In addition to SIG members, this meetup is available to all who are interested in implementing automation within their institution and want a launching point for interacting with peers facing the same challenges.
Speakers:
- Members of the NET+ AWS Service Advisory Board and representatives from AWS
Abstract:

The Internet2 NET+ AWS Service Advisory Board will host an in-person meeting to get community input on issues important to their successful use of the AWS cloud environment. Bring your challenges, ideas, questions, and feedback for the advisory group and for Amazon.
Speaker:
- To be determined
Abstract:

The JET provides a forum for federal & academic members of the Research & Engineering and the Research and Education Network communities to exchange their latest network plans, issues and problems; and discuss consequences and possible solutions. It is open to all who are interested and held in a round table format (networks, IXPs & operational network security).
Speakers:
- To be determined
Abstract:

The Community Architecture Committee for Trust and Identity Services will hold an open working meeting on a topic or topics to-be-determined, likely with a focus on outcomes of our work in 2023, and plans for 2024.
Speakers:
- Lucas Bondan, Rede Nacional de Ensino e Pesquisa (RNP)
- Marcelo Antonio Marotta, Universidade de Brasília (UnB)
Session Video:
- Secure and Programmable Future Internet
Abstract:

With recent advances in technologies aimed at secure private networks, the fifth generation of telecommunication (5G) and the Internet of Things (IoT), computer networks have witnessed changes in usage profiles unexpectedly with adverse requirements, such as low latency, secure flow or high resilience at any time. When applied over programmable networks, such changes may involve modifications to the network software developed (e.g. P4). Software engineering techniques can be applied to improve, enhance and optimize the development of network software, especially when changes in the network profile occur.

The Programmable Future Internet for Secure Software Architecture (PROFISSA) project was proposed to investigate, map and advance the use of software engineering techniques when applied to programmable networks in order to improve the structural and functional quality and the process of developing network programs. The project provides a modular and reusable code framework for network programs developed with good development practices. In addition, the network programs developed in the project can be executed in real environments of programmable networks implemented on testbeds for the development and analysis of network software.

To this end, the integration between Rede Nacional de Ensino e Pesquisa (RNP) and the FABRIC project is sought, to create real programmable network environments of the latest generation, taking into account, for example, the use of programmability in the data plan with the use of devices that support P4. In this presentation, the audience will be introduced to PROFISSA’s architecture, the main use cases under development in the project, the results obtained so far, and also take the opportunity to exchange with the community attending the event potential ways to integrate PROFISSA’s testbed with FABRIC. Please find attached to this abstract a presentation that summarizes some of the use cases under development for PROFISSA’s applications and integration with FABRIC.
Speakers:
- Bob Flynn, Internet2
- Alan Walsh, Indiana University
Slides:
- GreenEx: Put the Planet into your TCO
Abstract:

The decision about where to run compute workloads typically involves factors like cost, security, and available skills. Yet rarely do you hear sustainability cited as a factor or a motivation to use resources like the public cloud.

Meanwhile, although the public cloud is mostly transparent on service charges, is cheap actually the same as least expensive? What about the cost to the planet? Much is made by the hyper-scalers about the power efficiency of their data centers, the clean energy used, and the low emissions. Is this all greenwashing or is there substance to their claims? Which metrics do they tout and which do they gloss over? Are adequate metrics released to allow us to make a quantifiable comparison between providers and even individual regions or availability zones?

Finally, if we had solid metrics, what would it take to get individual researchers, departments, and institutions to factor sustainability into their TCO calculation and decision-making when it comes to computing? Most institutions obscure the cost of power and cooling at an institutional level, rather than factoring it into the total cost of computing. What kinds of carrots could be developed to incent a shift in thinking to always choose the more efficient and sustainable option?

In this presentation, we will outline the status of efforts to fully scope and quantify the sustainability of the public cloud providers, walk attendees through efforts (and challenges) to do the same with an on-premises computing environment, and propose ideas for how to develop the right incentives to move higher ed institutions to put their computing money where their sustainability mouth is.
Speakers:
- Corey Lee, Microsoft
- Dedra Chamberlin, CEO, Cirrus Identity
- Steve Krogull, CIO, University of Arkansas
Abstract:

Multilateral federation is a key requirement for research universities that need to collaborate with other institutions and organizations around the world. However, implementing multilateral federation can be challenging, especially when different identity management systems and protocols are involved. Microsoft Entra ID is a cloud-based identity and access management service that provides single sign-on, modern security controls, and enhanced reporting and monitoring for Microsoft 365 and other applications. However, Microsoft Entra ID does not natively support multilateral federation, which limits its interoperability with other federation providers.

In this presentation, we will explore three reference architectures that enable multilateral federation leveraging Entra ID, using different solutions such as 1) Cirrus Identity SAML Bridge or Proxy, 2) Shibboleth and 3) ADFS. We will compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of each solution, and share the lessons learned from implementing the Cirrus SAML Bridge at the University of Arkansas. We will also review considerations to help you choose the best solution for your environment, based on your specific needs and constraints. Finally, we will discuss the future directions and opportunities for improving multilateral federation with Microsoft Entra ID.
Speakers:
- Michael Hites, SMU
- Andrea Ballinger, Oregon State University
Slides:
- So You Want to Do AI Today?
Abstract:

Every month, there is a new flurry of uses for artificial intelligence. In some cases, universities create cutting edge AI algorithms and in others, researchers teach those algorithms to perform novel functions. Most of us become spectators to the innovation and experiment with the tools, like ChatGPT. We talk amongst ourselves about the advantages, pitfalls, and ethics associated with AI innovation. Most universities have a cadre of researchers who are at the leading edge of AI. But if your institution is ready to embrace AI at scale, how do you make that transition?

Oregon State University and Southern Methodist University have made commitments to artificial intelligence at scale. Between the two universities, they will have created two new AI centers of excellence starting in 2018 and continuing to evolve until 2027. Their university strategic plans called for growth in data science and high-performance computing. SMU implemented new AI compute and services over the course of a few years, and OSU is on the same short trajectory to finish theirs by 2027.

This presentation and discussion will look at the AI goals of the attendees and describe how SMU and OSU were able to turn AI from a spectator sport to a participatory event in matter of a few years.

Learning Outcomes:
Develop goals and objectives for an AI strategy at scale
Learn the components, both hardware and personnel, needed to implement AI at scale
Create a personalized roadmap based on the successes and pitfalls experienced by SMU and OSU

Engagement Strategies:
Ask: What are your key AI issues?
Ask: How are you addressing them today?
Ask: What would you like to change?
Speakers:
- Ivana Golub, PSNC
- Maria Isabel Gandia Carrriedo, CSUC
Slides:
- Network Development in the GÉANT Project
Session Video:
- Network Development in the GÉANT Project
Abstract:

To support European research and education communities in taking the network and its services one step beyond, the Network Development team in GÉANT GN5-1 project (WP6) is working on constantly improving production services – perfSONAR, Performance Measurement Platform, NMaaS, WiFiMon, Argus, TimeMap, Network eAcademy – doing research and development work – on Quantum technologies, Optical Time and Frequency Networks, RARE, GP4L – as well as participating in the global activities including the Global Network Advancement Group (GNA-G). This talk will provide more information about each of the mentioned topics and the latest updates about the work in the areas of network technologies, services, monitoring, eAcademy and its collaboration and communication channels and efforts.

GÉANT NETDEV Home
Speakers:
- Charise Arrowood, Unicon, Inc.
- Natalie Alarcon, California State University, Dominguez Hills
Slides:
- Identity: Open Source Hosted & Managed
Abstract:

Do you ever find yourself with time on your hands and nothing to do? In Higher Education the trend seems to be the opposite. If you are interested in hearing from your peers about the time they have back in their day, week, month… due to the move to the cloud, come and join our interactive session.

Your peers will be discussing everything from why the initial decision was made to migrate to a hosted and managed solution, here about the discovery and planning, recommendations, discussions on current state and plans for the future.
Speakers:
- Tyler Svitak, Colorado Smart Cities Alliance
- Dan Griner, University of Colorado, Denver
- Patrick Rhatigan, RF Connect
Session Video:
- Private 5G Propels Smart Cities Lab
Abstract:

Universities play a vital role in contributing to social and economic growth by providing education, conducting research, fostering entrepreneurship, and engaging in community outreach. Among the most significant initiatives underway is the establishment of smart cities and closing the digital divide.

Smart cities are important because they offer a way to use technology and data to improve the quality of life for residents, boost economic growth, and promote sustainability. Similarly, overcoming the digital divide promotes equality, opportunity, and growth for citizens.

Federal grant money helps incubate technology by providing critical financial and other resources to support the development of new and innovative ideas. When harnessed with academic institutions, grants can catalyze and accelerate innovation and workforce development. However, navigating the process can be confusing and time consuming.

The University of Colorado Denver has been awarded a grant to launch a smart cities incubator and accelerator program. Chief among its mission is to develop smart city certificate programs for undergraduate students and mid-career professionals interested in a variety of tech-related careers. A key component is a “living lab” enabled by 5G wireless connectivity to support the development, testing, and deployment of smart cities prototype products and services.

5G is important for innovation because it offers faster speeds, lower latency, and greater capacity than previous generations of wireless networks. This means that it can enable new applications and use cases that were not possible before. But until recently, obtaining use of 5G to build a network for academic purposes has been challenging and costly, if not impossible.

Private Wireless Networks empower universities for the first time to build and operate broadband networks using cellular spectrum. These networks offer significant benefits and value to organizations that require secure, reliable, and customized connectivity solutions.

This case study offers a blueprint for other universities to architect similar initiatives. To accomplish this, attendees will hear directly from the municipal, university, and technology stakeholders for this project. The panelists will share technology and smart city use cases such as artificial intelligence that improves traffic flow and sensors that monitor local environmental quality. Attendees will learn about current and emerging technology and infrastructure to bridge the digital divide. Additionally, they will discover how to leverage 5G and other spectrum to a build private wireless networks to enable similar learning and development labs. Most importantly, participants will acquire best practices and engage in conversation with our thought leaders.
Speakers:
- Dr. Dana Brunson, Internet2
- Jacqueline Pitter , Vantage TCG
- Jon Young, Vantage TCG
- Dan Majchrzak, University of Oregon
Slides:
- How to Connect with Researchers and Why
Abstract:

How can the unmet needs of higher education research programs be communicated adequately to the central IT/REN offices charged with leading a campus infrastructure modernization in a way that your research will benefit from the upgrades? Nobody knows what anyone else does, and substantively engaging with other humans is hard. We’ll share what we’ve learned from working on infrastructure upgrade projects, and how to assist the Central IT/REN offices to speak the language of Research as well as highlight tools and opportunities to get even better outcomes from collaborating.

Session Takeaways

* Why stakeholder interviews are crucial, even if the resultant technology architecture doesn’t change
* Level-setting Research Office jargon with Central IT/REN terms
* Explore the right interview agenda to ask to fully illuminate Researcher’s goals and translate them into functional technology goals
* Recognize the importance of the Research IT facilitator, bridging the gap between the Researcher and enterprise IT communities
* Discuss the next steps in the evolution of Research Computing and Data and what to expect

Session Description

Through the lens of our work with clients on network modernization, InfoSec & IT strategic planning projects, we have learned that stakeholder interviews are tricky, and especially so with PIs and Researchers. You need to approach these stakeholder interviews as more of a conversation about what and how they do their research and not about technical requirements. “What do you need?” is never the right interview question. It will only lead the conversation down the wrong fork in the road.

IT professionals and researchers often use the same words to mean very different things – or, it’s like they are speaking totally different languages. When trying to design technology systems to enable researchers, it’s crucial to speak the researchers language on their terms to understand what they do, how they do it and how technology can make them more successful without getting in the way. The technology project might be a network or storage initiative or even a construction project, but the conversation with the researcher is about how they conduct, share and analyze their research becomes an interactive process to learn each other’s language and get to the core of what technology or decisions will best enable success.

Many times research leads may not actually know the specifications they require in order to process, store, secure, and move the massive datasets they are working with. Ideas like democratized assets, and inter-regional research-supporting networks, as well as solving the problem of sharing petabytes of research data with another location half-the-globe away are not normally problems that central IT is thinking about when designing institutional infrastructure, but HOW a network or storage cluster is designed can absolutely affect the research functionality thereof. Being able to accurately speak to your project’s requirements involves the ability to translate the research into workflows, innovations, and pain points.

Through this interactive session, we’ll discuss successful experiences and lessons learned on translating between varied types of researchers and technology professionals. This yields a productive process where the researchers feel heard, stakeholder buy-in and support are forthcoming (with funding support!) and the delivered result achieves the underlying mission. We’ll show sample agendas for researcher interviews and share anecdotes that help to make this all real in the context of the RCD and I2 communities.
Speakers:
- Alaina Beaver, ServiceNow
- Adrian Casas, Miro
- Keith Wessel, University of Illinois
- Terrill Thompson, University of Washington
Slides:
- Navigating Accessibility and Compliance: Industry and Higher Education Perspectives
Abstract:

The digital landscape is an integral part of our lives, and ensuring accessibility for all users is paramount. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and more recently 2.2 have provided a comprehensive framework to ensure digital content and services are usable by people with accessibility requirements. This panel brings together representatives from both Industry and Higher Education to delve into the complexities, challenges, and best practices in addressing accessibility. It aims to foster a dynamic exchange of ideas and insights that can further promote accessibility awareness and implementation in the digital world.

Insights from Industry: NET+ Service Provider representatives will share their real-world experiences on the journey towards addressing accessibility. They will discuss the strategies, technologies, and organizational changes they’ve implemented to enhance user experiences and meet WCAG 2.1 guidelines. By exploring lessons learned and challenges faced, participants can gain practical insights into the process.

Higher Education’s Role in Accessibility: Higher Education representatives will highlight the critical role that accessibility plays on campus. They will discuss the different types of accessibility necessary when catering to different types of cloud service users.
Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, share their own experiences, and learn from the panelists.
Speakers:
- Mike Atkins, University of Notre Dame
- Patrick Rhatigan, RF Connect
Abstract:

Demands on campus networks are growing exponentially in response to student and faculty expectations for reliable, high-speed, and ubiquitous wireless connectivity. Traditionally, meeting the mobile-first demand has required a bifurcated strategy comprising separate infrastructures for cellular and Wi-Fi which burden IT departments with duplicated costs, specialized skillsets, upgrade cycles, and – often – a lack of control of the network.

The recent availability of CBRS for the first time eliminates the need for two separate infrastructures for cellular and Wi-Fi, and empowers colleges and universities to better control their wireless destiny by owning and operating private wireless networks using the carrier-grade LTE and 5G cellular infrastructure.

As an early adopter, the University of Notre Dame is leveraging its private network throughout its campus to enable mobile and fixed wireless broadband for a wide variety of use cases and applications including smart campus and classroom modernization, IoT, extended coverage for campus Wi-Fi, fixed wireless services, and support for research testbeds, as well as serve as a Neutral Host Network to better and more efficiently serve mobile subscribers to provide seamless multi-carrier roaming coverage for smartphone users by leveraging the MOCN (Multi-Operator Core Network) standard and radio access network (RAN)-sharing mobile operators.

What has been the holy grail is now possible for all colleges and universities.
Speakers:
- Barb Carra, Cybera
- Richard Lacombe, RISQ
- Mark Wolff, CANARIE
Abstract:

National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) around the globe are increasingly being asked by the communities they serve to help secure the research and Education (R&E) sector. In Canada, this means engaging with 200+ organizations across the country, from a small rural college in Québec with just over 700 students, to Canada’s largest university with almost 100,000 students.

Canada’s federated NREN offers a unique approach to securing the sector, based on three key foundational principles:

• We are always stronger together, but this collective strength is especially important when dealing with sophisticated bad actors who are increasingly supported by nation states;

• Regional NREN partners in the provinces and territories know their connected organizations best and, thus, are in the best position to engage with teams at organizations; and,

• There are unique strengths and capabilities at all levels of the ecosystem: at organizations, in the regions, and at the national level. By combining these capabilities, the entire sector can be protected in a cost-effective and process-efficient manner.

This presentation will focus on three key areas where CANARIE and Canada’s regional NREN partners are collaborating to build a cybersecurity system structure that can evolve to meet organizational needs based on the ever-changing threat landscape:

1. CANARIE’s Cybersecurity Initiatives Program, which provides eligible organizations with a range of funded cybersecurity services, and is supported by local adoption activities carried out by the regional NREN partners;

2. The National Cybersecurity Assessment, developed jointly with the Canadian NREN, which provides quantitative assessments of NREN-connected organizations to identify priority areas for action at the regional and national levels; and,

3. Steps towards the development of a federated Security Operations Centre (SOC), which combines existing and evolving SOCs in a federated model to leverage existing talent, infrastructures, and processes while delivering critical detection and response capabilities that organizations can’t offer on their own.

It’s a bold vision to secure Canada’s research and education sector, but the collaborative ethos of this community is strong, the track record is compelling, and our joint steps towards developing a federated SOC have been welcomed.
Join colleagues from Canada to learn about how the federal, provincial, and territorial NREN partners and experts across the research and education ecosystem are working together to create a united and formidable defense against the threats targeting Canada’s research and education sector.
Speakers:
- Simona Narubin Durbin
- David Chestek
- Melissa Martin
- Facilitator: Matt Riley
Slides:
- AI in the Cloud
Abstract:

Faculty members from universities in Illinois will discuss the opportunities and challenges that generative AI poses for higher education faculty, such as enhancing teaching and learning, fostering creativity and innovation, and addressing ethical and social issues. They will provide examples of how generative AI can be integrated into different disciplines and curricula, and how faculty can leverage generative AI tools and platforms to enrich their pedagogical practices. We will conclude with some recommendations on how information technology professionals and vendors can support faculty adopting generative AI in higher education settings.
Speakers:
- Lois Brooks, University of Wisconsin
- Kim Milford, University of Illinois Urbana – Champaign
- Christopher Sedore, Tufts University
- Moderator: Christopher Misra, University of Massachusetts
Session Video:
- Future-Proofing IAM Infrastructures
Abstract:

In an era of rapid technological advancements and evolving security threats, IT leaders at higher education institutions are facing a number of challenges in securing their IAM infrastructures, including outdated systems, identity management bloat, access control, and cloud integration all in the context of evolving considerations like lived names, gender recognition, and pronouns.

Join this panel of diverse leaders who will discuss the challenges they have encountered in future-proofing their IAM infrastructures, as well as the actionable steps they have taken to address these challenges. The panel will also discuss the changing landscape, trends, and needs in higher education, and how these factors are impacting IAM security.
Speakers:
- Jim Jokl, University of Virginia
- John Simpkins, University of Michigan
- Jim Stewart, Utah Education Network
- Jeff Reel, Internet2
Slides:
- R&E Deployments of CBRS-based NHN
Abstract:

Research and education (R&E) institutions have long been at the forefront of deploying next-generation communications technologies to both enable core-mission R&E needs and meet the requirements of users.

Indoor cellular, particularly voice coverage, has been a challenging issue for institutions that find it difficult to justify the high costs associated with implementing a Distributed Antenna System (DAS). CBRS-based neutral host networks (NHN) are emerging as a viable and cost-effective alternative as demonstrated by recent deployments, delivering the much-needed coverage that organizations require. CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) presents an opportunity for institutions to own and operate fully private LTE, and soon 5G, mobile fixed wireless broadband networks (much like they run private Wi-Fi networks) without needing to purchase expensive spectrum licenses.

Members of The Future Wireless Working Group (see: https://spaces.at.internet2.edu/x/YgHaCw), representing both higher education institutions and regional network providers will present efforts to utilize the recently commercialized CBRS spectrum and its use by R&E institutions.

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Speaker:
- To be determined
Abstract:

This is an opportunity for the 2024 Community Exchange Program Committee to debrief about the planning process, overall thoughts about this anchor event, and to generate ideas for future Community Exchange meetings.
Speaker:
- Scotty Strachan, Nevada System of Higher Education
Abstract:

Nevada attendees of I2 CommEx would like to schedule a working meeting to continue planning coordinated research cyberinfrastructure in our state and region. We would invite our local and regional collaborators from NevadaNet, the University of Nevada, Reno, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the Desert Research Institute, and neighboring states.
Speaker:
- To be determined
Abstract:

Come enjoy coffee and tea while you ask industry leaders your burning questions about cloud services. Share your concerns, needs and ideas with those who can help make a difference in the broader community of vendors and peers. Translate what you heard and learned at Community Exchange to actionable outcomes for your institution.

Open to all community members interested in further engagement with cloud service vendors on your technology and support needs. Come inquire and provide input about product features, partnering opportunities, support models, and your campus priorities. Explore opportunities to collaborate with peers as well.

Interested Industry Members with cloud services please reach out to Tara Gyenis about participating.
Speaker:
- Cornelia Bailey, Director, Information Assurance, University of Chicago
Slides:
- Cloud Enablement, 3-Legged Race Style
Abstract:

While no model of cloud enablement is perfect, the University of Chicago’s route has been a combination of lucky breaks, distributed efforts, and gradual improvement. Your campus cloud team may create the accounts, but are they responsible for what goes on inside them? Hear about the University of Chicago’s wholistic, partnership-focused approach to responsible use of the cloud. We have taken a customer-collaborative, iterative approach to learning from our account holders as we teach them, leveraging each of our strengths.
Speakers:
- Claire Mizumoto, UCSD
- Scotty Strachan, Nevada System of Higher Education
- Forough Ghahramani, NJEdge
- Timothy Middelkoop, Internet2
- John Hicks, Internet2
- Dana Brunson, Internet2
Slides:
- The Campus Research Computing Consortium & RCD Nexus
Abstract:

Research Computing and Data (RCD) professionals on your campus may be part of your area of responsibility or may be in a companion function. Either way, they represent a unique set of roles that go beyond service delivery and include partnership in the structure and delivery of research projects. Participation in CaRCC initiatives multiplies these areas of research computing expertise and the associated cyberinfrastructure investments, with a particular focus on the resources available to principal investigators and research teams across your campus. CaRCC is dedicated to helping their participants develop new research computing solutions, utilize the full range of computing resources, advance data and networking capabilities, document the impacts of research computing in grants and publications, increase the security compliance capabilities, increase compliance with data management plans, and ensure career paths for people supporting research, including research computing and research IT.

The Campus Research Computing Consortium is an organization of research computing and data (RCD) and related professionals serving to:

·         Advocate for and advance the RCD profession

·         Build and foster an inclusive RCD community

·         Establish and promote leading practices and encourage sharing of expertise and resources across the RCD community

·         Facilitate collaboration and partnerships within the RCD community and connect the broader RCD ecosystem

·         Offer expert feedback and strategic direction to support campus leadership and funding agencies

·         Support RCD workforce development, student activities, and instruction

·         Provide professional materials, education, and career resources via RCD Nexus (NSF award 2100003).
Speakers:
- David Bantz, University of Alaska – Statewide System
- Jon Miner, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Session Video:
- Building InCommon Futures Together
Abstract:

This session is an opportunity to help shape the future of InCommon to address your institution’s needs and priorities; it is a follow up to Wednesday’s “InCommon Futures 2” presentation. The InCommon Community Trust & Assurance Board invites everyone to join in a community discussion of the Futures 2 initiative: What issues or concerns does your institution have for enabling trusted and appropriate access to services, both on campus and beyond? How could InCommon better support collaboration and trusted access to resources?
Speakers:
- Shannon Byrnes, Internet2
- Mike Simpson, Internet2
- Dustin Mouton, University of Arizona
- AJ Ragusa, GlobalNOC
Slides:
- Building a NetDevOps Team
Abstract:

This talk will describe first-hand experiences from different perspectives on building a NetDevOps team from the ground up. Content will include lessons learned, philosophies, and acquired expertise in the world of (network automation-flavored) team development.
Speakers:
- Dr. Deona Carter, Technical College System of Georgia
- Steve Wheat, McKinsey & Company
Slides:
- TCSG eCampus: Turning Commercial Cloud into a Native Solution
Abstract:

The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) recently implemented an online campus to expand access to programs taught by specialized faculty across all 22 colleges in the system and drive increased enrollment. TCSG eCampus increases access to courses, giving student more options to complete their programs.

TCSG used cloud-native technology from Ellucian, AWS, Salesforce, Okta, and other key partners to implement information systems to cross-list courses, integrate 22 different student systems with the eCampus learning management system, and consolidate customer relationship management. For cases where these vendors could not provide required integrations, TCSG built cloud-native, serverless integrations without traditional middleware to integrate key systems, including a central data warehouse to meet system-wide reporting and analytics requirements.

In this session we will describe what eCampus is, how it serves students through expanded access to faculty and courses on a flexible schedule, and how eCampus is rolling out to students across the TCSG system. We will describe the collaborative process and concerted effort required to rethink academic practices, business processes, and technical infrastructure to deliver on the vision of eCampus.
Speaker:
- Chris Janson, NOKIA
Slides:
- Managing Threats In The Quantum Soup
Abstract:

Quantum computers are rapidly evolving from a scientific curiosity towards systems capable of solving difficult science problems. At the end of 2023, IBM Quantum was publicly talking about practical quantum computers scaling from 433 to 100,000 quantum bits, or qubits; the measure of computing power in the quantum age. At the SC23 supercomputing conference, papers presented clear progress to some of the tricky challenges in making quantum computing a practical reality.

The promise of quantum computing is that very difficult computations can be brought into the realm of practical solutions. Previously intractable problems in materials science, biology, genomics, statistics, and pharmaceuticals will be accelerated towards rapid solutions, with remarkable acceleration in related products and positive societal outcomes.

But there is a dark side. In the wrong hands, quantum computing could be used to break existing cryptography, a point in time called Q-Day. Especially vulnerable are asymmetric ciphers which are commonly used to protect transactional data and application sessions. When this will occur is unknown- common projections put Q-day at 5-15 years from now. But most governments are concerned enough to change recommendations for data networks and urge action now.

This talk will outline the current state of the rapidly developing quantum computing landscape and outline steps network operators should take today to protect their users from the quantum threat. We will offer insights on how institutions could be impacted- in terms of the value of their data, the value of their projects, research and reputation. Also, we’ll outline how steps taken today could provide immediate protection while evolving with the threat.
Speakers:
- Damian Doyle, University of Maryland-Baltimore County
- Ally Hepp, University of Maryland-Baltimore County
Session Video:
- Developing a Diverse, High-Performing Student Pipeline for Your IT Workforce
Abstract:

UMBC has always employed a lot of student workers, across every single group within IT. This has allowed us to matriculate students into a strong staff pipeline as well, with almost half of our current division having worked for us as students. In recent years, our commitment has expanded beyond sheer numbers, with a strategic focus on fostering a diverse and equitable workforce. To achieve this, we developed internal programs designed to deliver comprehensive, division-wide training and invaluable opportunities for students to delve into various facets of IT, regardless of what group or role they hold within the division.

This talk will go through how we leveraged different approaches throughout both academic and administrative mechanisms to change the makeup of our student population as well as the recent systems to ensure they are getting real-world experience and are well positioned for success, either with UMBC or wherever they apply. We will also talk about some of the benefits and mechanisms we see from this effort, along with some of the lessons learned, what worked, and what didn’t as we scaled these programs.
Speakers:
- Jefferson Burson, Harvard University
- Don Lambert, University of Michigan
- Erin Ford Sicuranza, University of Delaware
- Panel Moderator: Brandon Rich, the University of Notre Dame
Slides:
- Conductor and Crew: Orchestrating a Successful GenAI Initiative
Session Video:
- Conductor and Crew: Orchestrating a Successful GenAI Initiative
Abstract:

The Generative AI train is sweeping across the technology landscape and none of us can afford to have it pass us by. An institution can’t just hope the tracks will come to their campus. It requires planning, budgeting, governance, maintenance, and operations. And with the pace this railroad is evolving, you have to make sure your tracks, switches, and station keep up.

Just as you would expect an effort to bring that sort of physical infrastructure to your town to require architects, engineers, technicians, designers, lawyers, specialists, and leaders to be involved, so does an effort to lay the groundwork and build the infrastructure for a campus Generative AI effort.

Panelists from Harvard University, the University of Delaware, and the University of Michigan will discuss the people side of their GenAI initiatives. From leadership buy-in, to ad hoc advisory boards, to governance groups, to legal and policy experts, and, of course, the technical staff – a robust GenAI technical project requires a robust human effort if it is to not only construct the station and welcome the travelers, but keep the trains running on time.
Speakers:
- Vadim Omeltchenko, AWS
- Patrick Frontiera, AWS
Abstract:

The data burden on higher education institutions is immense and only getting more complex. To ensure colleges and universities can deliver on their mission, support students, engage in research, and comply with mandated reporting, staff and faculty must process, store, secure, analyze, report, and govern seemingly endless streams of data. These data-driven tasks may be processing incoming financial aid applications, identifying at-opportunity students in need of a nudge, responding to data requests as part of accreditation review preparation efforts, and annotating bibliographies for a grant proposal to name a few.

Generative AI can help faculty, staff and researchers tackle these projects. In this hands-on workshop participants will learn about how generative AI can aid people across a variety of higher education use cases. Participants will then break into small groups, roll up their sleeves and using real data and Amazon Bedrock, try it for themselves.

Workshop Agenda (3 hours):

* Icebreaker discussion about what their institution will look like 100 years from now (use GenAI tools to draft examples for participants institutions) (15 minutes)

* Overview of generative AI and AWS generative AI services (30 minutes)

* Part 1: Participants will work in small groups based on the use case theme (e.g., Teaching & Learning; Student Experience; Research; Administration) (60 minutes):

* Facilitated discussion of higher education data-driven challenges within the theme * Participants use their laptops to get hands-on experience working with GenAI to ingest, transform, and report out results using data relevant to a use case within each theme.

* Discussion about the experience

* Report-out to the group as a whole (15 minutes)

* Part 2: Participants choose a different theme and work in small groups (45 minutes):

* Facilitated discussion of higher education data-driven challenges within the theme

* Participants use their laptops to get hands-on experience working with GenAI to ingest, transform, and report out results using data relevant to a use case within each theme.

* Discussion about the experience * Wrap-up / Q&A (15 min)

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