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.

3:15pm CDT

Keynote: GPN and the National Research Platform

Monday June 22, 2026 3:15pm - 4:00pm CDT

NWACC Shewmaker Center For Global Business Development-Peterson Auditorium @ 900 SE Eagle Way, Bentonville, AR 72712, USA

For more than a decade, GPN and the National Research Platform (NRP) have joined forces to assure researchers throughout the Midwest have the access to advance computing resources to conduct research and to teach researching skills. Dr. Frank Wuerthwin is a widely recognized leader in the field, as the director of the San Diego Supercomputing Center and the lead of the OSG network for science. Frank will discuss the emerging role of GPN within the national research infrastructure and share ideas on greater involvement over the next decade. He will be speaking in the Peterson Auditorium

Speakers

Frank Wuerthwein

Director, San Diego Supercomputer Center; CEO, Open Science Grid and the National Research Platform, University of California at San Diego

Monday June 22, 2026 3:15pm - 4:00pm CDT
NWACC Shewmaker Center For Global Business Development-Peterson Auditorium 900 SE Eagle Way, Bentonville, AR 72712, USA

General Session, Keynote

Company Great Plains Network

8:15am CDT

Keynote: The State of Fiber with Its Role in Building A.I. Infrastructure

Tuesday June 23, 2026 8:15am - 8:45am CDT

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

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? As you're planning your campus and state infrastructures, renewing your leased broadband services, and navigating the emerging landscape of a BEAD universal connectivity deployment, learn what this means for you, your campus, and your students.

Speakers

Gary Bolton

President and CEO, Fiber Broadband Association

Gary Bolton is President and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA), the largest industry association dedicated to advancing all-fiber-optic broadband networks. Prior to joining FBA, he held senior executive roles at both venture-backed technology startups and large publicly... Read More →

Tuesday June 23, 2026 8:15am - 8:45am CDT
Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Grand Ballroom V 3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936

General Session, Keynote

Company Fiber Broadband Association
Audience IT Leaders, Researchers, Network Engineers
Subject Emerging Technologies

1:00pm CDT

Keynote: Internet2's Support for State Networks

Tuesday June 23, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT

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

Tripti Sinha, President and CEO of Internet2, discusses Internet2's role in supporting state research and education networks and the evolving national R&E infrastructure landscape. From network infrastructure and cloud services to identity, research computing, and community programs, this session offers a direct look at how Internet2 and networks like GPN and ARE-ON work together to serve institutions of every type. The session also explores why collaboration is the foundation of a competitive R&E ecosystem and offers a practical look at emerging technologies that every institution should have on its radar.

Speakers

Tripti Sinha

President and CEO, Internet2

Tripti Sinha is the President and CEO of Internet2, where she champions the organization’s core mission of enabling U.S. higher education and research institutions to collaborate on mission-critical technology services.Sinha is a leader in information technology, operations, governance... Read More →

Tuesday June 23, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Grand Ballroom V 3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936

General Session, Keynote

Company Internet2
Audience IT Leaders, Network Engineers
Subject Infrastructure, Security & Operations

GPN & ARE-ON Joint Conference 2026

3:15pm CDT

Frank Wuerthwein

8:15am CDT

Gary Bolton

1:00pm CDT

Tripti Sinha

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