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EdgeCon Returns to Rave Reviews

NEWARK, NJ, October 21, 2022 – Edge’s premier event, EdgeCon, made its triumphant return on October 13, 2022. Hosted on Edge member campus, Princeton University, EdgeCon Autumn 2022  provided an opportunity to re-engage with the Edge member community, higher education leaders from throughout the region, and a variety of industry leading vendors who are helping institutions solve today’s biggest challenges. While the spirit of EdgeCon remained, the event format was reimagined as a single-day event that’s more accessible, streamlined to accommodate the busy schedules of Edge members, and budget conscious to attend for the Edge community.

Over 250 professionals from academic, healthcare, IT and government sectors gathered to discuss cutting-edge technology and surrounding issues, as well as gain insight on how to apply real-life solutions to their own institutions. With over 25 sponsors from across the technology spectrum supporting the event, EdgeCon Autumn 2022 received impressive reviews, with one Vice President of Academic Affairs in attendance noting, “I thought the conference was brilliantly executed from start to finish!” 

While there were many highlights from the event, the newly added Member Awards garnered particularly favorable reactions. Recipients included:

  • Network Leadership Award, Michele Norin, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
  • Network Leadership Award, The College of New Jersey, accepted on behalf of the institution by Dr. Sharon Blanton, Vice President for Operations
  • Network Leadership Award: New Jersey Institute of Technology, accepted on behalf of the institution by Peter Teklinski, Associate CIO Infrastructure, and Security 
  • Network Leadership Award: Bergen Community College, accepted on behalf of the institution by Ron Spaide, Chief Information Officer
  • Network Leadership Award: Brookdale Community College, accepted on behalf of the institution by George Sotirion, Chief Information Officer
  • OER Leadership Award: 
    • Marilyn Ochoa, Director for Library and Learning Center Services, Middlesex College
    • Steve Chudnick, Project Program Coordinator, Middlesex College
    • Robert Hilliker, Associate Provost, Library Administration Rowan University
  • Fostering Research Community Engagement Award: Dr. Tabbetha A. Dobbins, Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School, Rowan University
  • Leading into the Future: Creating a Sustainable Research Enterprise: Lamont O. Repollet, President, Kean University

Notable EdgeCon Autumn 2022 sessions and panels included:

  • The Realities of Building Flexible Digital Learning Experiences
    • Speaker: Joshua Gaul, Chief Digital Learning Officer, Edge
  • Panel Discussion: Cybersecurity Impacts on Operations, Insurance, and Finances 
    • Moderator: David Sherry, Chief Information Security Officer, Princeton University
    • Panelists:
      • Dr. Dawn Dunkerley, Virtual Chief Information Security Officer, Edge
      • Jeremy Livingston, Chief Information Security Officer, Stevens Institute of Technology
      • Alexandra Bretschneider, CCIC, Vice President and Cyber Practice Leader, Johnson Kendall Johnson
  • Evolving Network Connectivity to Support the Modern Higher Education Institution 
    • Speakers:
      • Dr. Forough Ghahramani, Associate Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Sponsored Programs, Edge
      • Bruce Tyrrell, Associate Vice President, Programs and Services, Edge
      • Jim Stankiewicz, Principal Network Architect, Edge
  • Panel Discussion: Exploring the Mega-Trends Powering Institutional Modernization
    • Moderator: Dr. Mark Meara, Vice President of Technical Operations and Chief Information Officer, Edge
    • Panelists:
      • JD White, Chief Product Officer, Anthology
      • Virgilio Larralde, Director, Engineering, EAB
      • Matt McGrath, Global AWS Synergy Leader, VMware
      • Dr. Sharon Blanton, Vice President for Operations, The College of New Jersey

“We’re thrilled the return of EdgeCon was so warmly received by our members, partners, sponsors and peers from across the region,” said Adam Scarzafava, Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications, Edge. “We thank all those who attended this year, and look forward to hosting an even better conference this spring with EdgeCon Spring 2023.

Details for EdgeCon Spring 2023 will be announced in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to the Edge Events section of the website for the latest announcements.