These are the alphabetical listings of the sessions for the Spring 2026 IT Pro Forum. For a chronological view, see the Schedule page.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself!” A look into the Systems Infrastructure group within Technology Services
Description: In early 2025 Technology Services hired an Assistant Director of Systems Infrastructure, a position which had not previously existed, to oversee data center operations, …
“Surveys are simple, right?” — Using Qualtrics for Research and Assessment
Description: We’re in the 3rd year of having a campus-wide Qualtrics license, and folks across campus use it for many different things. Join us to …
A Conversation with Provost Coleman (Keynote)
Please join us for a discussion with U of I Provost John Coleman. Have questions for the provost? Submit your questions by May 18th! The …
A Survey of Prebuilt Microsoft Copilot Agents
Description: Microsoft has created several prebuilt agents for use with Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot. We’ll survey these useful tools and show …
Agentic AI as Workflow Copilots: Planning, Pipelines, and Tool Adoption
Description: Agentic AI is moving beyond “chat” toward context-aware copilots that can work across real projects: interpreting files/repos/docs, proposing plans, and helping execute and track …
AI for Analytics – Chatting with Institutional Data
Description: University research offices are under constant pressure to deliver fast, accurate insights—whether answering ad hoc questions about proposals, awards, and expenditures or producing topic …
AITS Decision Support – Data and Reporting Services
Description: We at Decision Support (DS) help University of Illinois transform data into clear, actionable insights. We do this by providing access to a wide …
Boldly IT Rapid Response- Delivering Results at Warp-speed
Description: The concept of Rapid Response Teams was developed to expedite outcomes for Boldly IT efforts. These teams are designed to tackle complex, cross‑campus challenges …
Break
Get some fresh air …
Break
Get some fresh air or enjoy some treats at the I Hotel if you’re onsite that day! …
Changing How We Work: Technology Governance, Collaborating on IT Services, and Empowering IT Professionals at Illinois
Description: The Boldly IT Strategic Plan presents a campuswide vision for information technology that aligns with Illinois’ mission, is more responsive to the campus’s needs, …
Closing
Close out Day 1 with us and chat! …
Closing & Social
Close out the conference with us and chat! …
Configuration vetting and reporting with Martinet
Description: Martinet is a configuration monitoring & reporting program intended to be used by IT professionals. Martinet can help quickly identify configuration problems which may …
Conversation to Capability: Using Copilot AI to Produce IT Decision Artifacts
Description: In this session, Ginger Hundgen shares how she used Copilot AI during a recent rapid response effort to dramatically accelerate IT documentation. By treating …
Designing Scalable and Reusable ETL Frameworks in Azure Data Factory
Description: As institutions integrate an increasing number of data sources, ETL pipelines in Azure Data Factory (ADF) often become complex, repetitive, and difficult to maintain …
Displaying Complex Bibliographies on your Website with Zotero and WordPress
Description: When Carle Illinois College of Medicine (CI MED) wanted to display research published by affiliated faculty, they contacted the library. Their choices looked like …
Engage Accessibility: How AMS and AI Keep Course Content Shipshape in the 24th Century
Description: Accessible Media Services (AMS) invites you to join the crew as we navigate the final frontier of course content accessibility—now with Artificial Intelligence in …
Envision What’s Possible on the AI PC
Description: AI is no longer just a cloud service — it’s becoming a first‑class capability of the device itself. In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore …
From Idea to Agent: Building Your First Chatbot with Copilot Studio
Description: AI chatbots are everywhere, but most IT teams haven’t had the chance to actually build one. This hands-on workshop changes that.Led by the Joint …
Greg Gulick Service Excellence Award
The Greg Gulick Service Excellence Award is awarded annually to two IT professionals at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The award honors campus IT professionals …
How to Prioritize Accessibility Projects and Issues
Description: Do you find yourself with too many accessibility issues to fix and too little time? Do you wonder what you should prioritize working on …
Illuminating the Research Technology Support Ecosystem
Description: A Fall 2024 IT Pro Forum panel highlighted the need for a strong ecosystem, not just a community, to achieve the level of engagement …
IPv6 the Next Generation
Description: Campus recently got a new, very large, IPv6 allocation. In this session we’ll talk about how we are going to use that, and where …
Lunch & Social
Come take a break and chat or play cooperative games with fellow IT Pros …
Lunch & Social
Come take a break and chat or play cooperative games with fellow IT Pros …
Make It So: Turning AI Strategy into Enterprise Reality
Description: The University of Illinois is operationalizing a coordinated, enterprise approach to generative AI. Participants will learn about Illinois’ Enterprise GenAI operating model, enterprise access …
Measuring AI Adoption in Practice: Moving Beyond Traditional Learning Metrics
Description: The success of professional development sessions is often measured by participation rates and post-session satisfaction. But in the context of AI, these easier metrics …
MITRE ATT&CK in Practice: A Threat Hunting CTF
Description: Turn MITRE ATT&CK from a reference framework into a practical investigation tool. In this hands-on capture-the-flag workshop, participants step into the role of a …
MMMSlop! Learning About GenAI By Making Music No One Wants
Description: Four years into the Age of the Mainstream LLM, many of us still lack a sufficient foundational understanding of generative AI. One path to …
Netbox: Organizing the chaos, automating the mundane.
Description: This talk covers how NCSA has been using NetBox to document and manage our datacenter infrastructure. I’ll cover how we use it for rack, …
Professional headshot session hosted by Women in Technology (WIT)
Description: Refresh your profile in 2026! WIT is hosting a session for complimentary professional headshots during ITPF. Professional headshots are a great addition to your …
Resistance is Futile: The Federation’s Endless War Against the SMS MFA Collective
Description: A primitive yet persistent signal continues to broadcast across the universe: the SMS One-Time Passcode. Despite repeated directives from Starfleet Command (CISA and the …
Spring Cleaning Your Data Repositories
Description: Spring is the perfect time to take stock of your data. Are you still holding on to emails from 2013? Have you perhaps never …
Supporting Neurodiversity in Digital Products
Description: Neurodiversity brings unique perspectives and needs to digital experiences. This session explores how we can support these users through inclusive design strategies grounded in …
The Droids You’re Looking For? Using AI Chatbots for Qualitative Research (With Caveats)
Description: Generative AI is quickly being adapted to research activities, but we are still in the early phases of learning its limits. Exploring the “light …
The Search for the Right Voice: Evaluating Speech Engines in a Galaxy of Options
Description: In a higher ed galaxy not so far away, departments across campus are exploring AI speech engines—each hoping to find the one tool powerful …
Translating Hidden Norms: Using AI to Support Accessible, Neurodivergent‑Inclusive Learning Across Disciplines
Description: As interdisciplinary learning and graduate research expand, students are often required to navigate inconsistent expectations, communication styles, and hidden disciplinary norms. For neurodivergent students …
Trust the Process: Defining a Path to Applied Technology Solutions
Description: If an applied technology solution is the answer, what was the question? In this session, we’ll learn how to plan for a technology solution …
Universal Translators: Interplanetary Speed Networking
Description: Ever feel like you’re speaking Klingon while your colleagues are speaking Vulcan? Or do you feel adrift in outer space? Come to the session …
Universal Translators: Interplanetary Speed Networking
Description: Ever feel like you’re speaking Klingon while your colleagues are speaking Vulcan? Or do you feel adrift in outer space? Come to the session …
What, Why, WIGG. The five W’s of the Website Implementation Guidelines Group
Description: WIGG is about seven years old, and it has transformed the campus web landscape. As of the end of 2025, 45% of the third-level …
Wild and Wonderful Datasets Published in the Illinois Data Bank
Description: What research data have your IT expertise and systems been quietly supporting behind the scenes? As we celebrate the Illinois Data Bank’s 10th year, …
WIT Resume Review Service at IT Proforum
Description: Women in Technology will offer complimentary, onsite resume reviews for IT ProForum attendees. Participants will meet one-on-one with experienced volunteer reviewers for personalized feedback …