9:00 am – Princeton Campus Tour
10:00 am – Welcome to EdgeCon
10:30 am – Member Awards
11:30 am – The Realities of Building Flexible Digital Learning Experiences
Online, Hybrid, Blended—and now Hyflex. As surveys continue to show that students have a preference for flexibility, preferring courses that offer both in-person and online components, delivering high quality digitally-infused learning experiences will be essential for success in attracting and retaining students.
What infrastructure, support, and strategy should your institution have in place to make digital learning a success for students, staff, and instructors? Does HyFlex make sense for you? Do you have processes in place to leverage new and existing digital programs? In this session, Edge Chief Digital Learning Officer Josh Gaul will help EdgeCon attendees consider how online, hybrid, and HyFlex learning can impact their institution’s educational delivery strategy.
Speaker: Joshua Gaul, Chief Digital Learning Officer, Edge
12:00 pm – Lunch & Networking
1:15 pm – Cybersecurity Impacts on Operations, Insurance, and Finances—Panel Discussion
In the last several years, cybersecurity concerns have evolved from an area of focus driven by IT specialists to a broad strategic priority for executive leaders across the institution. As ransomware and other threats have accelerated—with one recent survey finding that as many as two-thirds of higher education institutions faced ransomware attacks in 2021—a cohesive security strategic plan with institution-wide buy-in is vital.
In this panel discussion, leaders from the Edge network and beyond will address cybersecurity challenges including the affordability of cybersecurity insurance, risk management & operational continuity, ransomware readiness, and more.
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
2:05 pm – Evolving Network Connectivity to Support the Modern Higher Education Institution
The modern higher education institution relies extensively on high-speed internet connectivity, for day-to-day operations and long-term strategic planning and execution. As institutions of higher learning plan for the future, with extensive hybrid learning options, business transformation through the cloud, and technology-powered research and discovery, reliable high speed connectivity provides a backbone for success. In this session, you’ll learn how Edge is supporting the higher ed community by pushing the envelope on innovative networking strategies and collaborative networking efforts with our members, including the launch of the region’s most-affordable GigaPOP for Internet2 research connectivity.
Speakers:
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
2:55 pm – Exploring the Mega-Trends Powering Institutional Modernization
Changing student preferences; uncertainty in enrollment, retention, and student engagement; new education modalities; a rapidly evolving technology landscape—the challenges facing higher education leaders seem to multiply and accelerate at every turn.
How can institutional leaders plan for success amidst so much change? What role do trending technologies and strategies powered by data, the cloud, and more have to play? In this panel discussion, you’ll hear from thought leaders from the Edge community and industry partners as they highlight the challenges and opportunities represented by the mega-trends facing higher education today.
Moderator:
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
Sharon Blanton, Vice President for Operations, The College of New Jersey
3:45 pm – Leveraging the Benefits of the Edge Consortium Model
Working Collaboratively to Accelerate Member Success
As institutions are asked to do more with less, continuing to meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff is an ongoing challenge. As a member-owned-and-informed consortium, Edge exists to enhance and extend our members’ capabilities to deliver positive outcomes for the administrative, operational, and student success needs of their communities.
In this session, you’ll learn about how Edge works collaboratively with our members to fill in the gaps with vital guidance, services, and solutions that help our members effectively and affordably meet day-to-day challenges on the ground. From accessibility to cybersecurity to procurement, you’ll learn how a model of nonprofit partnership and digital transformation powers the success of Edge and our members.
Speakers:
Christopher Markham, Vice President for Information Technology & Economic Advancement, Edge
Dan Miller, Associate Vice President for EdgeMarket, Edge
