Unfortunately, this workshop was cancelled due to a scheduling conflict.
Join the Cybersecurity Training and Awareness team to explore a straightforward approach to assessing and improving your personal cybersecurity. This interactive workshop will equip you tools to evaluate and enhance the safety of your digital life, from home networks and IoT devices to personal accounts and everyday digital habits. Together, we’ll discuss real-world scenarios, share insights, and discover new strategies for maintaining strong cybersecurity practices.
By the end of this collaborative session, you’ll have created a personalized assessment of your digital landscape …

Description: Fall update on macOS, iOS and AppleTV at Illinois. Mike Kimmel, our campus Apple System Engineer, will be on hand to answer questions. Presenters:

• Paul Roberts, Senior Endpoint Services Specialist, Technology Services
• Mike Kimmel, Systems Engineer, Apple

Track: Updates Experience Needed: All Levels Learning Outcome: Maximum Capacity: No maximum capacity Additional Keywords: Apple, Mac, iPhone, iPad Time: 1 pm November 12 Add to Calendar (ICS) …

Join us for breakfast outside of the Illinois Ballroom at the I Hotel before the in-person day of IT Pro Forum! …

In May of 2024 the Information Trust Institute worked with an industry partner in the insurance sector to study the effectiveness of self-propagating malware in various network topologies. To facilitate this investigation ITI constructed a malware testbed that allowed the malware to propagate through windows 10 networks of various configurations without allowing the worm to break out and disrupt unintended targets. In this talk we will discuss our goals and the approach we used to achieve them. About this event: Presenters:

• Logan Marlow, Senior Research Programmer, Information Trust Institute
…

This session will be a live recording of the Candid Conversations on Leadership podcast hosted by Chris Tidrick and Candice Solomon-Strutz (https://candidconversations.link). The hosts will have some introductory comments and then open the discussions to the audience in an Ask Me Anything format. About this event: Presenters:

• Chris Tidrick, Chief Information Officer, Gies College of Business
• Candice Solomon-Strutz, Director of IT Partners, College of Applied Health Sciences

Track: Let the committee select a track Experience Needed: Beginner Learning Outcome: Participants will learn leadership concepts, be able to engage …

I Hotel:

• Chancellor Ballroom
• Houlihan’s immediately after!

Add to Calendar (.ics) Online:

• Zoom Room A

Join Zoom A …

Learn to effectively use the Hosted Brand Assets to maintain brand consistency and ensure accessibility. We’ll review examples of how we are using the assets across various use cases and provide strategies for implementation in your own projects. Discover how we are working with WIGG and other campus groups to refine and improve our brand assets, including recent changes and ongoing enhancements. About this event: Presenters:

• Sydney Flowers, Front-end Web Developer and UX Liaison, Strategic Communications and Marketing
• Matt Sharkey, Front-end Web Developer, Strategic Communications and Marketing
• Todd Mette, …

On 9/13, we released Version 3 of the Illinois Toolkit. In one sense, not much has changed: there still are components called “accordion” and “back to top”, you call them using HTML, and you still reference a JavaScript and CSS file to trigger the components. However, a gaggle of back-end changes now allows web developers to mix and match components and install them into their own systems easier, and it opens up our ability to make individual changes to the components without having to rebuild the entire codebase. You will …

Nine years ago, the Year of Cyberinfrastructure Final Report presented a researcher-driven vision about what they needed to support their work. Various efforts since then have worked towards implementing that vision, including Research IT, the Research Support Community, the Research Data Service, college IT groups, and others. Campus recently made a major investment towards this with the Illinois Computes project. Having one-time funding is great step but effective use of those funds, and gaining agreement for a permanent investment, requires broad engagement of everyone involved with supporting researchers’ technology use …

The IMMERSE center for immersive computing is a center on campus that is dedicated to supporting research, education, and infrastructure with immersive technologies – such as extended reality (XR) which includes virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). Join us for this session to become familiar with how immersive technologies are being introduced into the campus IT ecosystem via IMMERSE and other campus units. About this event: Presenters:

• James Planey, Assistant Director for Research, Siebel Center for Computer Science
• Sebastian Kelle, Senior Instructional Designer, Siebel Center …

Our keynote presentation this fall is by Candice Solomon-Strutz, a pillar of the campus IT community. Candice has worked in many units across campus and was foundational in supporting and maintaining the IT Pro Forum for many years. Time:

• 9 AM November 12

Add to Calendar (ICS) Candice Solomon-Strutz Director of IT Partners, College of Applied Health Sciences Keynote: How to Shine Bright and Avoid Burnout Join us for an insightful keynote about the essential strategies for juggling multiple responsibilities. As technology professionals in higher education, we often …

Mix and mingle either in person or online! Oh yeah, food, there’s that too… iHotel (Day 1 only):

• Food is available in the halls between the rooms
• Eating spaces are available in the Illinois Ballroom and small side rooms

Add to Calendar (.ics) Lunch Zoom Room …

At IT Partners in the Gies College of Business, we’ve been tackling the challenge of standardizing company names for some time now. As we process data from various sources, we encounter a wide range of discrepancies, inconsistencies, and duplications in company name formatting and hierarchies. Currently, our efforts to clean and standardize these names are largely manual, requiring extensive time and resources. With the ever-growing amount of data, we are seeking a more automated, scalable solution. The primary goal of this session is to gather data professionals from across campus …

Take a break, stretch, try not to get pulled back into the siren song of the unread email …

(Note: This session will not be recorded, for participants’ privacy.) Do you ever feel that your improvement suggestions are just the “squeaky wheel” ? You belong in this discussion. Participants will engage with other “progress focused” individuals for a community of practice discussion on process improvement. Sometimes when suggestions are made to improve how things are done, they are ignored or disregarded. Or perhaps the idea is finally implemented after years of “squeaking”. Often there is a reason “why” things are done the way they are, even if that way …

The Website Management Center of Expertise (WCoE) and The Web Implementation Guidelines Group (WIGG) have been working collaboratively for the last few months to facilitate and promote consistent website design templates for the Illinois Campus. Hear how this collaboration came about, how it has been successful, what lessons you can learn from our experience, what’s on the horizon and how you can become a part of our work. About this event: Presenters:

• Cordelia Geiken, Program Director, Website Management Center of Expertise, Office of the CIO
• Laura Hayden, Web Services …

Our continuing panel returns with four undergraduate students sharing from their experience on the Urbana Campus. Come hear how technology on campus works for them and the challenges they face. This year’s forum will include discussions about the impact of emerging technologies on the current student experience. About this event: Presenters:

• James Quisenberry, Executive Director Student Affairs Technology & CIO for Student Affairs, Student Affairs Technology
• Dan Steward, Assistant Teaching Professor, Sociology

Track: Let the committee select a track Experience Needed: All Levels Learning Outcome: Insights into the …

There are a lot of new features that are available to use with the Splunk service, and in this presentation we will go over many of them. From Splunk Observability Cloud, to Splunk SOAR (previously Phantom), Ingest Processor and the Splunk AI Assistant, we will provide the highlights of each of these new offerings and how you can access them. About this event: Presenters:

• Jim King, Splunk Administrator, Sr. Application Service Specialist, Technology Services
• Steven Aldridge, Senior Cybersecurity Engineer, Technology Services

Track: Service/Unit Overviews and Updates Experience Needed: …

Description: Starting with a brief overview of the IT Infrastructure unit of the Office of the CIO, Brad will talk about accomplishments and projects in progress in networking, data centers, virtualization, storage, and data backups. About this event: Presenters:

• Brad Mahaffey, Director, Enterprise Infrastructure, Tech Services

Track: Accessibility, Communication, Collaboration, and Training Experience Needed: All Levels Maximum Capacity: No maximum capacity Time: 2 pm November 12 Add to Calendar (ICS) Watch Recording …

Description: This presentation explores the U of I Web Con’s journey transitioning from in-person conferences to hybrid and online formats, sparked by a sudden cancellation of an in-person event (2020). Learn about the decision-making process that guided our transition from Cvent to Zoom Events. We’ll delve into the steps taken to investigate platform options, consult with campus colleagues, and weigh critical factors such as accessibility and pricing. In addition, we will discuss the evaluation of platforms, including annual regression reports, the exception review process, and the development of alternative access plans (AAPs). Gain insights into …

Description: For the past several years, we have developed and implemented a robust data pipeline for tracking Zoom attendance in synchronous online courses through a fully operational dashboard where instructors and learning designers can monitor weekly attendance for live class sessions. A key element of our approach is the integration of session details from a project management tool (Asana in our case) into our SQL environment. This integration allows for seamless coordination between session planning and attendance tracking, a process that could be adapted to other systems for project management or metadata. In this presentation, …

Description: This presentation showcases how to leverage Azure to automate data pipelines, including SQL and Excel, to provide data reports and Power BI dashboards. In the presentation, we detail two projects built by the Data Strategy, Analytics, and Reporting team at Gies College of Business to improve data management and information access. First, we will share the process from initial setup through a detailed walkthrough of Azure components (such as Data Factory, Logic Apps, Storage Accounts, and Function Apps), used in conjunction with Microsoft Forms, Box, SQL, and Power BI to create on-demand data reports …

Description: Join us for an update on our Cybersecurity Training and Awareness initiatives. Discover the new topics we’re incorporating to keep our training relevant and comprehensive, and hear about upcoming changes to our training platform, designed to enhance user experience and engagement. We’ll also spotlight our collaborative efforts across the university and higher education. Presenters: Isaac Galvan, Manager, Cybersecurity Training and Program Administration, Technology Services Sandy Delaney Bone, Cybersecurity Training Specialist, Technology Services Cindy McKendall, Senior Cybersecurity Training Specialist, Technology Services Track: Service/Unit Overviews and Updates Experience Needed: Beginner Learning Outcome: Maximum Capacity: No maximum …

At the University of Illinois, we’re embarking on a quest to unify our websites under the Illinois Theme look and feel. But if your website is in a different theme now, how do you approach converting stylized content and structural elements within your pages from another look and feel into the Illinois Theme? Join Sydney Flowers and Dena Strong of the Web Implementation Guidelines Group and WebCOE teams as we host a workshop on how to use WordPress blocks and Illinois Theme components to rebuild your own content in a brand compliant and accessible way …

Description: Bruce Nesmith has had a long career in game design, including the Elder Scrolls series. This a chance to hear from one of the most successful game designers in the industry. About this event: Presenters: Ken Taylor, Cloud Architect, Office of the CIO Bruce Nesmith, Game Designer, Developer, Author, Formerly of Bethesda Game Studios Track: Let the committee select a track Experience Needed: All Levels Learning Outcome: An insight into game development. Maximum Capacity: No maximum capacity Additional Keywords: Gaming, game design, story telling Time: 3:15-4pm November 13 Add to Calendar (ICS) Watch Recording …

Description: Have you ever heard of Canvas Catalog and wondered what it was and how it relates to Canvas@Illinois, Canvas Commons, and Canvas Free for Teacher? Do you have an idea for an awesome professional education program you’d like to offer to the public for a fee? Are you an eLearning staff member who would like to master every corner of the University of Illinois online education landscape? Come learn more about Canvas Catalog with us! This presentation will cover: Canvas Catalog and its best use cases Details about the Catalog learning environment and storefront …

Time: 4:15 PM November 13 Add to Calendar (.ics) Location: Zoom Room A Join Zoom A …

Description: Support for Controlled Unclassified Information will be in the cloud. This presentation will present the options that are available. About this event: Presenters: Ken Taylor, Cloud Architect, Office of the CIO Josh Erenberg, Regulated Research Program Manager, Office of the CIO Track: Software, Security, Data, and DevOps Experience Needed: Beginner Learning Outcome: Understand the CUI solutions available. Maximum Capacity: No maximum capacity Additional Keywords: CUI, Controlled Unclassified Information, Cloud, Amazon, AWS GovCloud, Microsoft, Azure GCC Time: 10-10:45am November 13 Add to Calendar (ICS) …

Description: Join Keith Hays, the University of Illinois ADA IT Coordinator, for an update on digital accessibility tools, targets, and the 2026 Title II deadline. About this event: Presenters: Keith Hays, ADA IT Coordinator, Office of Access and Equity Track: Accessibility, Communication, Collaboration, and Training Experience Needed: All Levels Learning Outcome: Maximum Capacity: No maximum capacity Additional Keywords: Title II Time: 11-11:45am November 13 Add to Calendar (ICS) Watch Recording …

Description: As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more integral to data-driven decision-making, integrating AI capabilities within databases like Microsoft SQL Server is crucial for seamless workflow optimization. In this talk, we will explore how AI prompts can be used to generate SQL queries and optimize existing queries. Copilot, ChatGPT, and Claude will also be compared. The presentation will provide a comprehensive guide on how to write prompts that help develop queries. About this event: Presenters: Karla Andrew, Database Administrator and IT Specialist, IECAM Track: Let the committee select a track Experience Needed: Beginner Learning Outcome: Maximum …

Description: Most of us are using basic reports in TeamDynamix (TDX) for tracking tickets and activity, but are we really taking advantage of the versatility and power of the available reporting capabilities? Join a group of reporting enthusiasts to learn how you can get the most out of your TDX reports, both within the platform and in external reporting tools like Power BI. We’ll cover the basic report builder, advanced filter logic, less-known features and tricks, examples of TDX Desktops based on user role (i.e. technician, manager), and more! We’ll also look at how to …

Learn to identify the fundamental steps of a user experience project, from initial research and concept ideation to user testing, wireframes, and prototypes. We’ll break down each step, highlighting best practices that lead to intuitive, user-friendly designs. A special focus will be given to accessibility, examining how inclusive design principles can be integrated at every step of the UX process to ensure that digital products are usable by everyone. Whether you’re a UX designer, developer, or product manager, this session will provide actionable insights to elevate both the usability and accessibility of your projects. About …

Description: Zoom has introduced generative AI features which are available within several aspects of the Zoom platform. These include: after-meeting and in-meeting summaries, AI Smart Recordings and content creation tools for Zoom Chat, Zoom Notes and Zoom Whiteboard. The presenters will demonstrate these capabilities and answer your questions about Zoom AI Companion. About this event: Presenters: Michael Cervone, Product Owner, Technology Services Martin Lamping, Senior Application Services Specialist, Technology Services Track: Service/Unit Overviews and Updates Experience Needed: Beginner Learning Outcome: A basic understanding of Zoom AI Companion and its features. Maximum Capacity: No maximum capacity …

The last campuswide IT strategic plan was developed in 2013; much has changed over 11 years. The Academic Program Review and Big Ten Academic Alliance Peer Review, completed in January 2024, identified five recommendations to help Illinois provide best-in-class IT to the university. The IT strategic plan is a comprehensive blueprint that outlines how technology will support and further our university’s goals. The IT strategic plan, endorsed and driven by the provost and chief information officer, will be developed by a diverse group of IT professionals from multiple campus units with the input of students, …

Description: How we handle data reveals more about us than we might realize. Are you a data hoarder, an over-sharer, or something in between? This presentation explores common data personas and their impact on privacy and security. We’ll dive into the habits and mindsets that shape our approach to data management, highlighting best practices for safeguarding information while keeping privacy in mind. Join us for an engaging session that will help you understand the different types of data personas you may encounter and understand the data steward’s role in creating a more secure, privacy-conscious environment …

Mix and mingle either in person or online! Oh yeah, food, there’s that too… iHotel (Day 1 only): Food is available in the halls between the rooms Eating spaces are available in the Illinois Ballroom and small side rooms Add to Calendar (.ics) Lunch Zoom Room …

Description: In this presentation, we will discuss the backend services that have been developed and enabled to allow the E911 service to operate across campus. There will be a high-level focus on the path an E911 call takes to be safely answered, along with a discussion of the underlying virtual hardware and software that have been written and configured to make sure members of the campus have access to this life safety service. About this event Presenters: Michael Cervone, Product Owner, Technology Services Robert Stanton, Senior Software Developer, Technology Services Don Appleman, Software Developer, Technology …

Description: Projects often come across obstacles that delay, halt, or completely shut down project work. In this presentation, we will highlight ways to work through or around blockers. We will give real examples and highlight some best practices to help identify and mitigate issues before they happen. About this event: Presenters: Katy Thompson, Senior Project Manager, SPMO Rebecca McNaught, Executive Director, SPMO Andy Weaver, Business Analyst, SPMO Track: Process Management and Business Operations Experience Needed: Beginner Learning Outcome: Participants will learn through case studies how to identify, prevent and/or overcome project obstacles so that their …

Take a break, stretch, try not to get pulled back into the siren song of the unread email …

Splunk is a incredibly powerful tool to help make sense of all the data your infrastructure and applications produce, and in this session we will get to know the campus service. We will cover getting data in, searching and reporting, and ways to access educational resources. About this event: Presenters: Jim King, Splunk Administrator, Sr. Application Service Specialist, Technology Services Track: Service/Unit Overviews and Updates Experience Needed: Beginner Learning Outcome: Gain a basic understanding of what Splunk is and give the audience ideas on how they could utilize it, and resources to get started. Maximum …

Description: Panel of Resume Reviewers from Women in Technology (WIT) at Illinois: an introduction to how to get help, what areas/specialties we each have, and a call for more volunteers to review resumes.We will explain how to reach us for resume help, why you might want help, some of the challenges/considerations we had while creating the sign-up process, and what we each bring to our review process. About this event: Presenters: Bobbi Hardy, Communications and Customer Relations Coordinator, Engineering IT Ginger Hundgen, Senior Project Manager, Technology Services Al Payne, Manager of Technology Support & Training, …