GPN & ARE-ON Joint Conference 2026

Max Attendee Tickets Available:25
*IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Attendees must first complete their Joint Conference registration prior to attending this workshop. In addition, pre-registration for this workshop session is required at: https://gpnandareonjointconference2026.eventbrite.com/

Overview
To support modern instruction in cybersecurity, networking, wireless communications, and advanced computing disciplines, this proposal recommends implementing segmented, locally managed academic technology environments. These environments are intentionally designed to balance security, performance, wireless mobility, operational control, and instructional flexibility while remaining isolated from institutional production systems.
Rationale
Cybersecurity, networking, and wireless technology programs require learning spaces that safely support activities such as simulated attacks, red/blue team exercises, wireless traffic analysis, secure Wi‑Fi design, and infrastructure experimentation. A deliberately segmented network architecture—including both wired and wireless domains—significantly reduces risk by isolating instructional platforms, student endpoints, shared services, and departmental systems into distinct security zones. This design limits lateral movement, reduces the blast radius of potential security events, and ensures that hands‑on labs do not expose enterprise systems or sensitive institutional data.
Proposed Architecture
The proposed design establishes each classroom or laboratory as an independent, firewall‑protected environment supported by localized switching, wireless access infrastructure, and on‑premise compute resources. Key features include:

• Network and Wireless Segmentation: Instructional systems, wired and wireless student endpoints, servers, and lab services reside in isolated zones, separated from the broader enterprise network.
• Dedicated Instructional Wireless: Lab‑specific wireless networks enable instruction in Wi‑Fi design, authentication, encryption, roaming, interference analysis, and wireless security testing without impacting campus production wireless services.
• Internal Firewalls and Local Switching: Each environment is protected by internal controls while remaining centrally observable and manageable.
• Localized Virtualization and Compute: On‑premise infrastructure supports virtual machines, private cloud emulation, container platforms, and high‑performance or render‑dense workloads.
• Edge‑Level Administrative Control: Configuration management, access control, monitoring, and incident response for both wired and wireless environments are managed locally, enabling rapid reconfiguration and strong security containment.

Instructional Capabilities
Within this architecture, faculty can support realistic, industry‑aligned instructional scenarios, including:

• Cyber defense and offensive security labs (wired and wireless)
• Simulated breaches and red/blue team exercises
• Wireless security testing, monitoring, and hardening
• Digital forensics and incident response
• Secure network and Wi‑Fi architecture design
• AI, virtualization, and data‑intensive computing workloads
• Relational database design and administration
• Use of regulated data sets, specialized hardware, and licensed software

All activities are conducted while constraining lateral movement and safeguarding institutional systems and data.
Benefits
This approach delivers clear academic and operational value:

• Enhanced Security: Strong containment for wired and wireless experimentation environments
• Improved Performance: Low‑latency access through local infrastructure
• Wireless Instructional Depth: Safe, hands‑on experience with real‑world Wi‑Fi technologies
• Operational Oversight: Improved visibility and control across lab environments
• Scalability: Modular design expandable across programs and facilities

Conclusion
By combining robust network and wireless segmentation with locally deployed infrastructure, the institution can provide a secure, reliable, and scalable foundation for advanced technical education. This model closely mirrors real‑world enterprise and cybersecurity operations while protecting institutional assets, making it ideally suited for cybersecurity, networking, wireless, and multidisciplinary computing programs.

Max Attendee Tickets Available:30
NOTE: There is a competing tour for this tour so the shuttle will NOT be available to take attendees of this tour back to Embassy. See Mickey Slimp for more details.

*IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Attendees must first complete their Joint Conference registration prior to attending this Tour. In addition, pre-registration for this Tour is required at: https://gpnandareonjointconference2026.eventbrite.com/

Tour the C‑TEC Facility at NWACC

Experience the C‑TEC (Cycling and Trails Education Center), a state‑of‑the‑art facility created through an $8 million investment from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. C‑TEC serves as an integrated hub for hands‑on skills training in bicycle repair and maintenance, trail design, trail architecture, and sustainable construction practices, all supported by purpose‑built labs, specialized tools, and outdoor learning spaces.

This guided tour offers an inside look at how applied technology and real‑world instruction come together in a single facility to support the growing cycling and trail economy. Attendees will see how C‑TEC functions as a replicable model for workforce training, facility design, and industry engagement—bridging education, infrastructure, and outdoor recreation.

The United States is experiencing unprecedented investment in fiber infrastructure, with fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployment accelerating toward near-universal coverage of homes and businesses by the end of the decade. At the same time, the rapid growth of artificial intelligence is driving a new wave of demand for high-capacity fiber networks to connect data centers and support next-generation digital infrastructure. What do these converging investment cycles mean for the future of broadband, networks, and the broader technology ecosystem?

The Statewide Quantum Computing Working Group is a multi-disciplinary collaborative initiative launched in March 2026 to establish an integrated educational framework for quantum computing curricula across Arkansas. Led by the Emerging Analytics Center at UA Little Rock, the group brings together academic faculty from the Arkansas Quantum Network, industry partners, and technical experts to bridge expertise gaps in the field. Its primary goal is to develop shared instructional materials and identify best practices for research data management and cyberinfrastructure to prepare a highly skilled STEM workforce.

The key takeaway for attendees is the opportunity to participate in the co-development of a foundational Quantum Computing Curricula designed for use by academic institutions throughout Arkansas.

Audience: CIOs / CTOs, VPs of IT, IT Directors and Managers, Network Engineers and Administrators, Cybersecurity Professionals, HPC & Research Computing Professionals, Grant Administrators and PIs, Faculty and Academic Researchers, New and Emerging IT Professionals