IT Professionals Conference

Quit holding it in: How to have productive conflict in your conversations
2024-05-31 13:55 - 14:55 (America/Chicago)
Virtual
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In this session, you will learn how to have productive conflict in your conversations by analyzing your interactions and adapting your approach to achieve your goals. By examining real-life examples and your own conversations, you will gain valuable insights into improving your communication skills.
Attendees will:

Analyze an example conversation and identify areas for improvement
Learn techniques to adapt future interactions for better outcomes
Examine one of their own conversations to apply the lessons learned
Understand the importance of productive conflict in conversations
Gain insights from the book Agile Conversations to enhance their communication skills

Presenter

Phil Jochimsen

Empowering women at UW: Celebrating 10 years of Women in IT
2024-05-31 13:55 - 14:25
Virtual

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Join us as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of UW–Madison’s Women in IT (WIT), a group dedicated to improving the recruitment, retention and advancement of women in information technology on campus. Now with more than 450 members, WIT hosts free educational and networking events in collaboration with partners such as ACM’s Women in Computing at UW-Madison (WACM) and the Women in Science & Engineering Leadership Institute (WISELI).
Attendees will:

Learn about WIT’s origin and impact over the past decade
Gain insights on overcoming challenges faced by women in IT
Discover best practices for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in IT workplaces
Understand the importance of mentorship and networking in advancing women’s IT careers
Leave inspired to drive positive change in their work units and communities

Presenters

Amanda Thornton
Mehrnaz Ahmadi Joobaneh

Agile beyond software development: Understanding Agile's versatility
2024-05-31 12:45 - 13:45
Virtual
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Join us for a panel discussion featuring experts who are applying Agile principles in software development and other IT specialties. Expand your perspective on agile methodology and its power to boost productivity and collaboration across diverse disciplines.
Attendees will:

Discover the versatility of Agile methodology and its potential to improve workflow and teamwork in various fields
Hear about real-world examples of Agile principles applied outside of software development
Learn how to separate Agile concepts from their most common context and adapt them to different industries
Engage with panelists to gain insights and deepen their understanding of Agile applications

Presenters

Julie Johnson
Lucas Gallagher
Beth Richardson

Enhancing cloud security: From basics to advanced strategies
2024-05-31 12:45 - 13:30
Virtual
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As more data, applications and business components move from on-premises environments to the cloud, it’s crucial to understand and address the unique security challenges that arise. This session provides a concise overview of cloud security, starting from the basics and progressing to advanced topics. Attendees will gain a foundational understanding of cloud security principles and learn how to implement robust security measures in their cloud environments.
Attendees will:

Learn the foundational concepts of cloud security, including common threats and best practices for mitigation
Discover how to use automation for secure configuration in the cloud

A Bright and Sunny Outlook: Overcoming email overwhelm with The Stack Method
2024-05-31 12:30 - 12:45
Virtual
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In 2021, Sara Hagen presented about the challenges of “Inbox Overwhelm.” Now, she’s back with the most effective solutions to manage the constant influx of emails based on The Stack Method. In this session, you’ll learn how to apply this method to streamline your email management process and boost your productivity.
Attendees will learn:
The fundamentals of The Stack Method and how it can revolutionize your email management
Practical tips for implementing The Stack Method in your daily workflow
Strategies for prioritizing and categorizing emails into action-oriented folders to ensure nothing falls through the cracks
Techniques for maintaining a clutter-free inbox and reducing email-related stress”

Presenter

Sara Hagen

DNS and you: A primer on website names
2024-05-31 12:30 - 12:45
Virtual
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In this session, we’ll dive into the world of Domain Name System (DNS), the crucial component that translates human-friendly website names into machine-readable IP addresses. We’ll explore the fundamentals of DNS, what it is, and how it works, and discuss UW’s policies and practices surrounding DNS. Participants will gain a better grasp of the inner workings of the internet and be equipped with knowledge to troubleshoot and manage DNS-related issues more effectively.
Attendees will:

Gain a foundational understanding of what DNS is and how it functions as the Internet’s address book
Learn about the hierarchical structure of domain names and how they are resolved into IP addresses
Discover the DNS policies and procedures specific to UW–Madison
Acquire practical skills to determine where a website is hosted using DNS tools and techniques
Develop an appreciation for the importance of DNS in the smooth functioning of the internet and its relevance to their daily online activities

Presenter

Phil Jochimsen

Break
2024-05-31 11:30 - 12:30
Take a break! Go outside, grab some lunch, whatever you need or want to do! 🙂

I asked ChatGPT to write this presentation
2024-05-31 11:00 - 11:30
Virtual
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This session will be a presentation where the use of AI in educational settings is demonstrated in order to spark discussion on the ethical use, limits, and guidelines for AI in educational settings. The session will involve using Free AI text an image generators to build a presentation on the ethical use of AI in education, followed by giving the presentation, and then a discussion.

Presenter

Henry Levesque

Navigating Cybersecurity via LabArchives: Defining Roles to Strengthen Data Integrity and Risk Management
2024-05-31 11:00 - 11:30
Virtual
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“Navigate the intricacies of Software as a Service (SaaS) cybersecurity at UW Madison and discover Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) risk remediation strategies to achieve a low-risk score while maintaining compliance. Explore the crucial role of principal investigators (PIs) and other essential stakeholders in data stewardship and discuss the challenges they encounter. Gain insights from the Research Data Governance common solution group discussion and identify ways to support PIs in safeguarding research data, improving risk management, and ensuring compliance.
Attendees will:

Learn the fundamentals of the SaaS cybersecurity review process for the LabArchives ELN
Understand the importance of defining and documenting roles and responsibilities at various levels and categories of security
Hear key takeaways from the common solutions group held two weeks ago (May 15-17)
Identify methods to better support PIs in expanding human knowledge while responsibly managing data

Presenter

Mary Murphy

AI: The cause of—and solution to—all of life's problems
2024-05-31 10:20 - 10:50
Virtual
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This session provides a high-level overview of artificial intelligence (AI), covering its history, concepts and various applications. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the different types of AI, using illustrated examples to demonstrate how these technologies work and explore the potential solutions and challenges associated with the effective implementation of AI. By the end of the session, you will have a clearer understanding of AI, its various types and uses and the successes and challenges you may encounter when implementing AI solutions.
Attendees will:

Learn the definitions and types of AI
Understand the history, concepts, and paradigms of machine learning (ML)
Explore deep learning, artificial neural networks, and generative AI
Discover the potential solutions and applications of AI technologies
Identify and discuss the challenges and consequences of using AI effectively

Presenter

Jay Scholz

Understanding the New Federal Requirements for Research Security
2024-05-31 10:20 - 10:50
Virtual
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Join us for an informative session that will provide an overview of the upcoming federal requirements for UW–Madison’s research security program. As federal agencies implement new regulations, our institution must understand and adapt to these changes. This presentation will cover key areas such as cybersecurity, export control and other IT-related aspects of the research security landscape.
Attendees will:

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the new federal requirements and their implications for UW–Madison
Learn about the university’s response plan and how it will be implemented across campus
Discover how these changes will specifically impact the IT sector and its role in maintaining research security
Have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussions about the upcoming changes

Participants will leave the session with a clear understanding of the new federal requirements, the university’s response, and how these developments will affect the campus community, particularly within the IT domain. This knowledge will help attendees navigate the evolving research security landscape and contribute to successfully implementing the new program.

Presenters

Mark Rickenbach
Lois Brooks

The DataVault: A Comprehensive, Project-Focused Approach to Research Data Management
2024-05-31 09:40 - 10:10
Virtual
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In this session, DiscoverIT and WID staff will share their expertise and insights on effectively managing research data throughout its life cycle. Attendees will learn about the DataVault, a robust environment designed to streamline data management practices and ensure data integrity, accessibility. Gain knowledge about workflows and tools to optimize your data management practices, foster collaboration, and ensure your research data’s long-term value and integrity.
Attendees will:

Understand the importance of effective data management in research
Discover best practices and tools for organizing, storing, and documenting research data
Learn about the DataVault environment and its advantages
Hear from DiscoverIT and WID staff about how they address the challenges of the data life cycle
Acquire practical knowledge and skills to implement this method in your research projects

Presenters

Derek Cooper
Em Craft

Choppy waters ahead! Insights on navigating IT mergers
2024-05-31 09:40 - 10:10
Virtual
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IT mergers are a reality on our campus, bringing both opportunities and challenges. In this session, seasoned IT professionals who have survived not 1 but 2 recent IT mergers will share their experiences and insights. They will discuss strategies, benefits and challenges of local IT during these IT mergers
Attendees will:

Learn about the experiences of 2 IT leaders who have navigated multiple IT mergers
Discover techniques and strategies for leading teams through mandated change
Understand the benefits and challenges of local IT in a time of IT mergers

Presenters

Mike Crawford
Kevin Breese

Static Web Hosting in AWS with OpenID Connect
2024-05-31 09:00 - 09:30
Virtual
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Learn how to migrate your Apache-based web hosting to a modern, cloud-based solution using Amazon Web Services (AWS)-native services and OpenID Connect. By leveraging CloudFront, Lambda and S3, along with NetID Login service for user authentication, you can create more maintainable, predictable, and reliable deployments. By the end of this session, participants will have the knowledge and concepts necessary to modernize their web hosting approach, resulting in more maintainable, predictable, and reliable deployments in Amazon Web Services.
Attendees will learn:

The basics of OpenID Connect and OAuth 2.0
How to utilize AWS-native services such as CloudFront, Lambda@Edge, and S3 for static web hosting
Strategies for migrating existing sites from Apache + Shibboleth to the AWS-native approach
How to incorporate user authentication using NetID Login Service in the new AWS-native environment

Presenter

Ben Nylund

Creating workflows in ResearchDrive with Research Object Storage
2024-05-31 09:00 - 09:30
Virtual
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This session will teach you how to create workflows using campus research data storage solutions, including ResearchDrive and the forthcoming Research Object Storage (S3) service coming this summer.

In-Person Networking @ The Terrace
2024-05-30 16:20 - 18:00 | Memorial Union Terrace, 800 Langdon St, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Memorial Union Terrace
Rain Location: Der Rathskeller @ Memorial Union
We’re sitting in the shade near the Der Stiftskeller/Rathskeller!

Join the conference planning committee and friends at the Terrace after the first day of the conference for a relaxed in-person social gathering!
No need to RSVP. Just look for the group of IT nerds sitting together. Open to all attendees, not just those registered for in- person!

Photo by Jeff Miller / UW-Madison Photo Library.

Time for IT … interesting trivia!
2024-05-30 15:15 - 16:15 | Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Room 325/326
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Join us for a fun trivia game and network with your fellow IT professionals. Take some time to decompress, find new connections, and engage in some friendly competition. This interactive trivia game offers a relaxed atmosphere to meet your peers from across campus. Showcase your knowledge, learn from others, and enjoy a well-deserved break.

Presenter

David Berg

Job Rotation Program Information Session
2024-05-30 15:15 - 16:15 | Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Room 313
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Join us to learn about UW–Madison’s Job Rotation Program and discover how you can get involved. This program provides early career professionals with focused career development in finance, human resources and information technology (new in 2023) through meaningful work experiences and exposure to various professional settings and job responsibilities.
Attendees will:

Learn about the Job Rotation Program, its structure and the benefits it offers to participants
Discover how to get involved with the program by hosting a rotator on your team, partnering with the program on a group project, and hiring program alums for permanent roles
Understand the recruitment, hiring and support process for program participant
Meet current rotators and hear about their experiences, interests, and career goals
Find out how the program positions participants for success in promising new roles at the university after completing the two-year experience

Presenters

Sara Hanson
Carolyn Kuzuhara
David Baik
Spencer Bailey
Eddie Gnewuch
J. Williams

Museums and libraries: A roadmap for collaboration
2024-05-30 14:35 - 15:05 | Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Room 325/326
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In this session, UW–Madison Libraries staff will share their experience and lessons learned from a recent partnership that extended the Libraries’ digital collections infrastructure to meet the needs of the Chazen Museum of Art. Join us to learn valuable lessons from a successful cross-campus collaboration, and take away strategies to effectively engage in large, complex IT projects with external partners you can apply to your own work.
Attendees will:

Learn how the Libraries’ existing architecture, built from loosely coupled components, ensures that new features automatically become available for future collaborations
Discover how project partners can take advantage of selected components that best suit their needs
Understand how sustainability features of the core infrastructure are automatically applied to new partnerships
Gain insights into standardized, flexible project management techniques that contribute to successful collaboration
Explore ways to engage with stakeholders with varying levels of expertise and resources to gather requirements, meet usability goals, and participate in the design process

Presenters

Jill Kambs
Scott Prater

Cybersecurity Appscanner: New features and best practices for secure web apps
2024-05-30 14:35 - 15:05 | Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Room 313
Note: Presenters will be virtual for this session.
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Discover the latest enhancements to Cybersecurity Appscanner, the user-friendly web application vulnerability scanner developed by DoIT’s Web and Mobile Solutions (WaMS) team and the Office of Cybersecurity. Check out new features they developed based on community feedback, including API setup, GitLab integration, and Manifest groups access control. Learn best practices for secure web application development and see a real-time application portfolio management dashboard in action.
Attendees will:

Explore new features of Cybersecurity Appscanner
Learn best practices for secure web application development
Discover application portfolio management strategies
Gain insights to strengthen web application security posture

Presenters

Tomomi Imamura
Mike Tessmer
Vince Abrahamson

Taking the pain out of onboarding new users
2024-05-30 13:55 - 14:25 | Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Room 325/326
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This session will provide valuable insights and tips to make the onboarding process efficient and painless for new IT users, including admin staff, faculty and student workers. Discover best practices for communication, essential apps and critical documents to ensure a smooth transition. Learn how to create a better onboarding experience to set your new users up for success.
Attendees will learn:

Strategies to streamline the onboarding process for all involved parties
Effective communication techniques and essential tools to facilitate onboarding
Methods for creating a welcoming environment and gathering feedback for continuous improvement

Presenter

Mal Dziuk

Operations at the Center for High Throughput Computing (CHTC)
2024-05-30 13:55 - 14:25 | Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Room 313
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The Infrastructure Services Team in the Center for High Throughput Computing (CHTC) manages computing clusters for researchers, maintains services for the national cyberinfrastructure and distributes software for global research communities. This talk will explore what it takes to manage CHTC’s more than 1,300 servers, support global research communities, and advance state-of-the-art, High-Throughput Computing.
Attendees will:

Learn about CHTC’s mission and research areas
Discover how to collaborate with or learn more about the CHTC
Gain insights into CHTC’s technologies and operational models

Presenter

Brian Lin

Enhancing your serverless development process
2024-05-30 13:30 - 13:45 | Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Room 325/326
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Learn how to streamline your Amazon Web Services (AWS) Lambda development process using Visual Studio Code and dev containers. This session will guide you through setting up a local development environment that allows you to automate, debug and develop functions efficiently in Lambda, an event-based serverless computing service for the AWS platform. Discover how these tools can significantly improve your productivity and debugging capabilities.
Attendees will:

See a local Lambda development environment using VSCode and Dev Containers
Learn how to automate the Lambda development process
Utilize the integrated VSCode debugger for efficient debugging
Gain insights into best practices for local Lambda development and debugging
Acquire the skills necessary to transition to a local Lambda development workflow

Presenter

Thomas Blader

Building cloud community at UW–Madison
2024-05-30 13:15 - 13:30 | Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Room 325/326
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Explore the benefits of joining the DoIT Research Cyberinfrastructure community, where researchers, faculty and staff come together to advance their knowledge and application of cloud computing. Expand your knowledge of cloud computing and how it can advance your research and operations.
Attendees will:

Learn about the quarterly meetings organized by the cloud community group to exchange ideas and share user presentations
Find out how the AcloudGuru learning platform, provided to community members, can help advance cloud knowledge
Discover ways to experiment with cloud services without incurring unexpected charges
Participate in an exchange of ideas for leveraging cloud computing in research and operations

Presenter

Zekai Otles

Practical Advice for Supporting a Stuck Project
2024-05-30 13:10 - 13:40 | Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Room 313
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This session offers a pragmatic examination of common inefficiencies and obstacles that can derail IT projects. Whether you’re a project manager, team lead or individual contributor, this session will provide you with insights you can use to overcome common project challenges.
Attendees will learn:

Strategies for improving communication and collaboration within project teams

Presenter

Jonathan Dedering

Using large language models in meteorological fact-finding
2024-05-30 12:45 - 13:00 | Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Room 325/326
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Hear how DoIT’s Research Cyberinfrastructure unit is harnessing the power of AI to open new avenues in data analysis, including for meteorological fact-finding. Discover how cutting-edge large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT 3.5 and 4.0 hold are poised to revolutionize the field of meteorology.
Attendees will:

Explore a novel methodology that leverages LLMs to generate tailored analytical code for specific meteorological data sets
Witness a compelling case study comparing findings from internet sources and LLM-generated analysis
Learn how ChatGPT 4.0 can create reusable programs for data analysis, drastically reducing time and effort in coding and debugging
Gain insights into the challenges and opportunities of utilizing LLMs in meteorological fact-finding

Presenter

Zekai Otles

Low code, high empowerment
2024-05-30 12:45 - 13:00 | Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Room 313
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Low Code Solutions (LCS) is an important service available to campus IT professionals, which creates a user-centric experience while reducing the need for advanced technical knowledge and large time investments that come with traditional software development.
Attendees will:

Discover how the LCS service team can help streamline application development
Learn about Betty Blocks, our powerful low-code platform for building low-to-medium complexity applications
Explore real-world examples of applications suitable for low-code development, such as request and approval systems or data submission and tracking tools
Find out where to access additional information and resources to get started with Low Code Solutions

Presenters

Jeanne Hains
Joel Herron

Lunch
2024-05-30 11:55 - 12:45 | Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Wisconsin Idea Lounge (Lower Level)

Enjoy a catered lunch and conversation with fellow IT Professionals.
For those attending in-person, vegetarian and non-vegetarian options will be equally available.

Efficiency through collaboration: Building the Foundation Data Model mapping solution
2024-05-30 11:25 - 11:55 | Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Room 325/326
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Explore the collaborative development of the Foundation Data Model (FDM) Mapping Solution, a vital component of the Administrative Transformation Program’s Financial Crosswalk. Learn how innovative tools and frameworks streamline data management processes through effective collaboration between development and data management teams.
Attendees will:

Gain insights into the collaborative development process
Learn about tools and frameworks used to streamline data management
Explore real-world examples of the FDM Mapping Solution’s impact

Presenters

Bret Huisenga
Bridget Nettesheim
Larry Hughes

Platform X: How SMPH implemented a secure data enclave
2024-05-30 11:25 - 11:55 | Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Room 313
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Discover how the School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) implemented a secure data enclave using DevOps, Azure cloud computing and Microsoft’s suite of security tools. SMPH’s platform enables researchers, data engineers and data scientists to utilize resources like virtual machines, databases, OpenAI, data lakes and Power BI, all while protecting patient privacy. Gain insights into creating and scaling a secure computing environment in the cloud and learn about the platform’s capabilities.
Attendees will:

Learn about the approach SMPH took in creating their secure enclave
Hear about the various resources available within the platform
Discover how the platform maintains patient privacy while providing access to powerful tools for research and analysis
Gain practical tips about how to create and scale your own secure computing enclave in your IT environment

Presenter

Michael Collins
