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.

11:00am CDT

Phantoms in the Portal: Ghost Students and Financial Aid Fraud

Tuesday June 23, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am CDT

Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Ambassador C @ 3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936

Higher Education is under attack by ghosts. I know how crazy that sounds, but according to a U.S. Department of Education press release form May 2025, approximately $90 million in federal student aid has been awarded and released to ineligible recipients in the prior three years. Your institution may have already dealt with this, is currently dealing with this, or could fall victim in the future. Our goal in this session is to learn who these ghosts are, what they want, and discuss methods used by other institutions to stop them and mitigate resulting damage left behind.

Speakers

Natalie McNish

Director of Internal Audit & Risk Management, Missouri State University

Natalie B. McNish serves as the Director of Internal Audit and Risk Management at Missouri State University, where she leads efforts to strengthen governance, ensure compliance, and promote effective risk management practices. With a strong background in auditing and organizational... Read More →

Tuesday June 23, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am CDT
Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Ambassador C 3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936

Presentation

Company Ciena/Lumen, Missouri State University
Audience Network Engineers, Security Professionals, IT Leaders
Subject Infrastructure, Security & Operations

11:45am CDT

Lunch & Sponsor Showcase

Tuesday June 23, 2026 11:45am - 12:45pm CDT

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

Go through the buffet line in the Ballroom Lobby and bring your lunch into Grand V to network with your fellow attendees! Lunch is sponsored by Ciena/Lumen and they will have a 15 min speaking opportunity during lunch.

Menu:
Local Taqueria Lunch Buffet Salads & Starters

Mexican Chopped Salad
- Chopped Romaine
- Roasted Corn
- Diced Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Cotija Cheese
- Tortilla Strips
- Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
Tortilla Chips with House-Made Salsa

Entrées

Warm Flour Tortillas
Smoked Carnitas with Pineapple Pico
Tinga Chicken
Spanish Rice
Cumin-Spiced Black Beans
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream

Dessert

Sopapillas with Honey

Beverages

Ice Water
Tea
Coffee

Speakers

Brady Bell

Director Engineering, Ciena

Sponsors

Ciena/Lumen

Lumen connects the world. We are igniting business growth by connecting people, data, and applications – quickly, securely, and effortlessly. Everything we do at Lumen takes advantage of our network strength. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to our edge cloud... Read More →

Tuesday June 23, 2026 11:45am - 12:45pm CDT
Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Grand Ballroom V 3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936

Meal, Lunch

Company Ciena/Lumen

2:00pm CDT

Securing the AI Era: Infrastructure Evolution and Operational Reality

Tuesday June 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm CDT

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

This panel style session will cover how AI is reshaping the enterprise from the app layer down to power, cooling, and transport. This session maps the new threat surface created by AI agents, the rapid evolution of AI infrastructure, and the operational complexity that emerges when reliability and security become inseparable.

Moderators

Company Ciena/Lumen
Audience Network Engineers
Subject Infrastructure, Security & Operations

GPN & ARE-ON Joint Conference 2026

11:00am CDT

Natalie McNish

11:45am CDT

Brady Bell

Ciena/Lumen

2:00pm CDT

Steven Karp

Bernard Morvant

Michael Renshaw

Brady Bell

Anthony Gloriana

Ciena/Lumen

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