GPN & ARE-ON Joint Conference 2026: Full Schedule

Welcome to the GPN & ARE-ON Joint Conference 2026 schedule. Use this page to browse sessions, view speaker and session details, and build your personal agenda for June 22–24 in Rogers, Arkansas. Check back through May as additional sessions and details are added.

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8:00am CDT

Keynote: Transform IT, Transform Everything in the Higher Education Industry

Wednesday June 24, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am CDT

Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Grand Ballroom V @ 3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936

In this presentation, we will discuss external and internal forces that are dramatically changing the higher education ecosystem in conjunction with the exponential rate of change impacting IT. The impact of multiple and dynamic changes in funding, agentic AI, data quality, post-quantum encryption, culture, and ERPs, on pedagogy, research, and administration are core to the discussion. We will discuss how to successful to pivot an Education IT organization in this era of non-trivial transformation.

Speakers

Mark Roman

Managing Partner for Education, Info-Tech Research Group

Mark Roman is the Managing Partner for Education and works with members throughout the higher education and K-12 sectors around the world. He is responsible for the delivery of Info-Tech services to members and the alignment of research with the education sector's needs.

https://w... Read More →

Wednesday June 24, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am CDT
Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Grand Ballroom V 3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936

Presentation

Company Infotech Research Group
Audience IT Leaders, CIOs
Subject Strategy, Collaboration & Applications

9:00am CDT

IT Leadership Across Arkansas: Challenges and Priorities from the ARE-ON Member Community

Wednesday June 24, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am CDT

Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Grand Ballroom V @ 3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936

Senior IT leaders from ARE-ON member institutions share what's driving their priorities right now, from budget and staffing to AI adoption and cybersecurity. This panel offers an honest look at the state of campus IT across Arkansas. Moderated by ARE-ON Executive Director Elon Turner.

Eddie Mahar - Associate VP of IT and CIO - Northwest Arkansas Community College
Eric Boardway - Director of IT - National Park College
Chris Lee - CIO - University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Jon Kelley - Associate VP, Technology - Art and Wellness Enterprises

Moderators

Elon Turner

Executive Director, ARE-ON

Elon has spent his entire career in education IT, with seven years in K-12 and thirteen years in higher education as both a technical practitioner and in technology leadership roles. He believes there is no greater way to impact the future of Arkansas and the quality of where he lives... Read More →

Wednesday June 24, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am CDT
Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Grand Ballroom V 3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936

Panel

Company ARE-ON
Audience IT Leaders, CIOs
Subject Strategy, Collaboration & Applications

10:45am CDT

State of the State Networks

Wednesday June 24, 2026 10:45am - 11:30am CDT

Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Grand Ballroom V @ 3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936

Leaders from state research and education networks across the Great Plains Network region will give brief updates on what's driving their work and strategy. Each network representative covers the priorities, projects, and challenges shaping their state's R&E network, offering a fast-moving, multi-state view of where the region is headed.

Moderators

John Hennessey

Asociate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology & OneNet | CIO, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

Speakers

Scott Ramoly

Chief Technology Officer, ARE-ON

Chief Technology Officer – ARE-ON
Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network

Chris Kolsrud

Chief Technology and Security Officer, SD Board of Regents

Andrew Buker

Assistant Vice President, Infrastructure Services, University of Nebraska System

Andrew is an Assistant Vice President at the University of Nebraska System, leading Infrastructure Services.

Natasha Angell

Executive Director, MOREnet

Chris Crook

KanREN

KanREN, the national leader in public service connectivity, provides Internet and
network technologies to research, education, and public service institutions in
Kansas. Connect to the exclusive high-speed network that connects Research,
Education and Community Anchors throughout Ka... Read More →

Wednesday June 24, 2026 10:45am - 11:30am CDT
Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Grand Ballroom V 3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936

Panel

Company Great Plains Network
Audience Network Engineers, IT Leaders
Subject Infrastructure, Security & Operations, Strategy, Collaboration & Applications

10:45am CDT

Resilient IT: Winning with People and Process

Wednesday June 24, 2026 10:45am - 11:30am CDT

Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Ambassador A & B @ 3303 South Pinnacle Hills Parkway, Rogers, AR, USA

This keynote presents research on how IT organizations can build resilience in the face of environmental turbulence by focusing on the foundational pillars of IT service quality (people) and IT governance (process). Drawing on a study of 157 IT leaders, it demonstrates that resilience is not reactive, but proactively developed through mature governance practices and a strong service culture. Attendees will gain practical, research-backed insights on how to strengthen their IT organizations to adapt, recover, and lead through disruption.

Attendees will leave with a clear, actionable framework to strengthen IT organizational resilience by intentionally advancing IT service quality (people) and IT governance maturity (process), enabling them to lead their organizations more effectively through disruption.

Meeting Audience: CIOs / CTOs, VPs of IT

Speakers

Wesam Helou

Chief Information Officer, Cleveland State University

Dr. Wesam Helou is a cabinet-level Chief Information Officer, national speaker, and practitioner-scholar whose career sits at the intersection of enterprise technology leadership and organizational resilience. Known for building high-performing organizations and driving transformational... Read More →

Wednesday June 24, 2026 10:45am - 11:30am CDT
Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Ambassador A & B 3303 South Pinnacle Hills Parkway, Rogers, AR, USA

Presentation

Company Cleveland State University
Audience Network Engineers, IT Leaders, CIOs
Subject Infrastructure, Security & Operations, Strategy, Collaboration & Applications

11:30am CDT

Birds of a Feather: Resources and Funding to Support Advanced Cyberinfrastructure

Wednesday June 24, 2026 11:30am - 12:15pm CDT

Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Ambassador A & B @ 3303 South Pinnacle Hills Parkway, Rogers, AR, USA

Join this conversation with veterans and newcomers to the field of project management and grants acquisition to explore ideas and options as the funding scenarios for science and education evolve.

Speakers

Dana Brunson

Executive Director for Research Engagement, Internet2

Dr. Dana Brunson is Executive Director for Research Engagement at Internet2, where she leads a team that advances research and education through national cyberinfrastructure. She is an advocate for researchers, educators, and the research computing and data (RCD) professionals who... Read More →

Amy Apon

Program Director, National Science Foundation

Amy Apon has been a Program Director in the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure since January 2023. She is the lead Program Director for the Campus Cyberinfrastructure program. Apon joined NSF through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act in January 2023 from Clemson University... Read More →

Dan Andresen

Professor, Computer Science, and Department Head, Institute for Computational Research, Kansas State University

Daniel Andresen is a professor of computer science at Kansas State University and director of the Institute for Computational Research. Andresen’s research is in distributed systems, ranging from sensor networks monitoring bovine health levels to high performance computing systems... Read More →

Nick Eggleston

IT Architect, Kansas State University

Wednesday June 24, 2026 11:30am - 12:15pm CDT
Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Ambassador A & B 3303 South Pinnacle Hills Parkway, Rogers, AR, USA

Presentation

Company National Science Foundation
Audience Network Engineers, Grant Administrators, Researchers
Subject Infrastructure, Security & Operations, Strategy, Collaboration & Applications

8:00am CDT

9:00am CDT

10:45am CDT

10:45am CDT

11:30am CDT

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