Announcing featured speakers for the 2009 Merit Member Conference

[Merit Network Professional Learning]

Merit Network is pleased to announce the following distinguished 
featured speakers for the 2009 Merit Member Conference, to be held June 
11-12 in Ann Arbor:

* Richard N. Katz, Vice President, EDUCAUSE and Founding Director
    of the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR)
  "The Tower and the Cloud: Education in the Age of Cloud Computing"

* Dale Dougherty, Editor and Publisher of MAKE Magazine and General
    Manager of the Maker Media Division of O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  "The Joy of Making"

* Brian D. Voss, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and
    Chief Information Officer, Louisiana State University
  "Strategic IT Planning: LSU's Flagship IT Strategy - IT FITS!"

These speakers will set the tone for the meeting, addressing current 
issues in networking, computing, and the application of technology in 
organizations. Registration details appear later in this message. Full 
information is available at:

  http://www.merit.edu/mmc


ABOUT THE FEATURED SPEAKERS
---------------------------

RICHARD N. KATZ's work at EDUCAUSE and ECAR centers around providing 
research and analysis to help higher education leaders make better 
decisions about information technology. In his address at the 2009 MMC, 
Richard will discuss some key themes of his recent book, "The Tower and 
the Cloud: Higher Education in the Age of Cloud Computing." The book, a 
collection of essays by IT leaders, considers the current state of IT, 
with burgeoning computing power and features, widespread 
consumerization, and high user expectations. Given this scenario, what 
is the role of enterprise IT in the future, and what will become of all 
of our intermediating institutions? "The Tower and the Cloud," an 
EDUCAUSE e-Book, can be read in its entirety at:

  http://www.educause.edu/thetowerandthecloud/


DALE DOUGHERTY has been instrumental in many of O'Reilly's most 
important efforts, including founding O'Reilly Media, Inc. with Tim 
O'Reilly. He was the developer and publisher of Global Network Navigator 
(GNN), the first commercial Web site, launched in 1993 and sold to AOL 
in 1995. He was developer and publisher of Web Review, the online 
magazine for Web designers; publisher of the O'Reilly Network; and 
developer of the O'Reilly "Hacks" series of books. Dale's talk will 
explore the resurgence of interest in the knowledge and skills 
associated with making things. MAKE Magazine is where hacking meets 
tinkering, re-connecting the abstract world of computers to the physical 
world, where media is not just digital but also tangible. The Joy of 
Making, like the Joy of Cooking, represents a set of practices that can 
be learned and shared to the benefit of those who increasingly want to 
create and shape the world they live in. Visit MAKE at:

  http://www.makezine.com


BRIAN D. VOSS will examine IT strategic planning, a subject that is 
valued yet continuously grappled with by organizations of all types. 
Louisiana State University has developed the Flagship Information 
Technology Strategy--or "FITS" as it is known on campus. This broadly 
encompassing document is a thought-provoking list of outcomes created by 
the LSU community to serve as the blueprint for IT advancement and 
operations. Importantly, the FITS is the *community's* vision for an IT 
future--and not IT's vision of that future for the community. Brian's 
presentation will discuss the FITS process and progress to date, as well 
as challenges presented by the current economic crisis. The FITS plan is 
available at:

  http://www.lsu.edu/fits


CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS
----------------------
These featured speakers will be complemented by a significant number of 
breakout presentations from experts from within the Merit community and 
from other leading organizations. You are invited to join the agenda by 
submitting a presentation proposal. The deadline for proposals is 
February 15. Please submit your proposal today at:

   http://www.merit.edu/events/mmc/callforpresentations.php


DETAILS AND REGISTRATION
------------------------
The 2009 Merit Member Conference will be held at the Four Points by 
Sheraton Ann Arbor on Thursday, June 11 and Friday, June 12, with 
preconference workshops (topics to be announced) on June 10. 
Registration for attendees from Merit Member organizations is $189. 
Persons not connected with a Merit Member organization are welcome to 
attend for a two-day registration of $229. 0Registration for Thursday 
only is $139; Friday-only registration is $90.

Complete information and registration information are available at:

  http://www.merit.edu/mmc

The registration deadline is Wednesday, June 3.


FOR MORE INFORMATION
--------------------
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact your Merit 
Support Team, http://www.merit.edu/mn/support/ or send email to 
learning@merit.edu.

We look forward to seeing you at the Merit Member Conference!


--Merit Network Professional Learning
  http://www.merit.edu/learning
  learning@merit.edu


+================================================================

Upcoming Merit Professional Learning events:

Juniper JNCIA-M Certification Bootcamp
  March 9-13, Ann Arbor
  http://www.merit.edu/learning/juniper2

Spring MJTS meeting
  April 7, East Lansing
  http://www.merit.edu/learning/mjts

"Hands-on Network Security: Practical Tools and Methods"
  May 7-8, Ann Arbor
  http://www.merit.edu/learning/securitytools


-----------------------------------------------------------------
TO UNSUBSCRIBE:
This list is used for occasional announcements of Merit
Network's Professional Learning events. You have been included
because we believe you may have interest in these events. If
you don't want to receive future announcements, please send
email to majordomo@merit.edu with the text:

  unsubscribe event-announcements
-----------------------------------------------------------------