15
November
2024

Events From the Community

My Week at TechEX24: Kari Robertson From the University of California Office of the President

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By Iain Oldman - Copywriter - Content Marketing, Internet2

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

From Can’t-Miss Sessions to Opportunities for Networking and Fun in Boston, Discover How Kari Robertson Is Making the Most of the 2024 Internet2 Technology Exchange

The annual Internet2 Technology Exchange conference gathers IT leaders and decision-makers from the research and higher education (R&E) community. The conference, held this year Dec. 9-13 in Boston, MA, delivers an opportunity for IT professionals across the board to share and learn about emerging technological issues unique to the R&E community.

Kari Robertson, the chief technologist at the University of California Office of the President, is returning to TechEX for her third year. Even with decades of IT and cloud technology experience under her cap, Robertson said she uses TechEX to learn about new solutions and trends from her peers in higher education.

“The community is what keeps me coming back,” Robertson said. “Technology Exchange brings together folks from all over R&E who face similar challenges. Every year, I meet new people and return to my institution with innovative ideas and valuable connections.”

Ahead of TechEX 2024, Robertson shared which parts of the program she most looks forward to attending. From sessions covering emerging artificial intelligence (AI) topics to presentations about cloud workload transformations, Robertson gave us a glimpse of what the week of a Chief Technologist looks like at TechEX 2024.

Kari Robertson profile picture

Kari Robertson

  • Chief Technology Officer, University of California Office of the President
  • Returning TechEX Attendee
  • Technology Exchange 2024 Program Committee Member – Co-Chair of Cloud Technology Track
  • Years of Experience in the R&E Community: “~20 years across four institutions”
  • Track of Interest: “Cloud Technology”


What session or speaker within your primary track of interest are you most excited about at the 2024 Internet2 Technology Exchange?


Robertson: First, I encourage anyone (especially those who are cloud-curious) to participate in the Cloud Technology track sessions. You’ll find the cloud community is a welcoming group of engineers and leaders thriving, innovating, and even laughing together, all while working towards our purpose to advance teaching, learning, and research.

AI has become a staple at IT conferences. For my AI fix, the Cloud Technology track offers a block of five sessions back-to-back on Wednesday, Dec. 11: Artificial Intelligence as a Service; Generative AI for All: An Open Source GenAI Platform for Your Campus Community; Bridging the Gap: Open-Source AI vs. SaaS Solutions – Architecting for Interoperability; Creating AI-Powered Chatbots and Research Concierge Services; and Building an AI Chatbot: Leveraging RAG for Enhanced Conversational Experiences.

Beyond AI, I’m always interested in sessions where institutions share real-world insights from their cloud journeys. 

I’m especially looking forward to sessions on data center-to-cloud migration challenges, cloud security, and my favorite topic — FinOps (cloud cost optimization). I’ve seen FinOps identify (and solve) countless engineering problems. It’s a new-ish way to look at IT value rarely done with on-premises data centers.

My must-attend list includes Rocking the Cloud Migration to AWS and Migrating Cloud-resistant Workloads on Tuesday, Dec. 10; Scaling the Cloud for Savings on Wednesday, Dec. 11; and Security in the Cloud, Everything from Default IoT Configs to Tooling, Monitoring, and Compliance on Thursday, Dec. 12.


Is there a session from one of the other tracks you plan to attend?


Robertson: The Identity and Access Management (IAM) track has many sessions that are relatable to my day-to-day work. Some sessions that have caught my attention are Edge Innovations in Identity Security on Tuesday, Dec. 10, and Executive View on Identity Governance and Administration on Wednesday, Dec. 11.


What’s one innovative topic or trend in advanced networking, cloud, IAM, or security that you’re eager to explore more deeply at the event?


Robertson: The Cloud Technology track is my primary focus for TechEX each year, and this year, I’m definitely interested in the sessions that connect cloud infrastructure and AI. 

AI’s power is undeniable, yet it brings substantial challenges to balancing data protection with innovation. I’m eager to learn how others in R&E are navigating these issues.


Technology Exchange offers plenty of opportunities for fun and networking. Which social activities are you most looking forward to, and do you have any plans to explore Boston while you’re there?


Robertson: I’m always ready for a good Game Night (7-10 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11) with colleagues. Although conversations often drift toward work, playing games together creates a chance to connect outside formal conference sessions. 

Having lived in Boston for five years in the early 2000s, the city holds a special place in my heart. I’m looking forward to re-exploring Boston and catching up with old colleagues.


What advice do you have for first-time attendees?


Robertson: Make the most of breaks between sessions and strike up conversations with other attendees. Whether it’s about the session you just attended or the one you’re heading to, you’ll have common interests. 

People come to Technology Exchange eager to learn about IT trends, network with each other, and find ways to enhance IT at their institutions. Attendees are passionate about sharing knowledge with one another, but someone has to start the conversation. Why not you?


What is your favorite resource for planning your week at Technology Exchange?


Robertson: I use the Technology Exchange mobile app to manage my conference schedule. It allows me to filter sessions by track, clearly identify cross-track sessions, and see evening social activities all in one place. It makes planning straightforward and efficient.

Start Planning Your Own Technology Exchange Calendar

There are sessions and interactive events at TechEX for everyone in the R&E community. Whether you are just starting your career as an IAM architect or — like Kari Robertson — an executive looking for solutions to bring back to your institution, TechEX offers an entire week of informative programming to take advantage of.

Will we see you at TechEX? Review the program and start building your calendar ahead of the conference. Find inspiration in Robertson’s recommendations above, and don’t forget to add Where in the Cloud Are We? A Facilitated Discussion About the State of Cloud in R&E on Wednesday, Dec. 11, to your calendar. Robertson is a featured speaker at that panel session, which features several cloud leaders from the R&E community.

TechEX24

If you have not yet registered for TechEX, you still have time to review the full program and join your peers at one of the most important events for IT professionals in R&E all year.


Register Today

About the Author(s)

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Iain Oldman ioldman@internet2.edu

Copywriter - Content Marketing, Internet2

Iain writes for the Internet2 Community Engagement team with a focus on digital content and strategic communications. He has a background in digital marketing and journalism, with his byline appearing in newswires, regional publications, and nonprofit news organizations.