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.

12:30pm CDT

GPN Cyber Infrastructure Program Meeting

Monday June 22, 2026 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT

NWACC Shewmaker Center For Global Business Development-Room 2048 @ 900 SE Eagle Way, Bentonville, AR 72712, USA

The GPN CIP Team initiates the program area ideas behind GPN, while facilitating their completion. Topics will include:

The GPN High Performance Computing infrastructure, including survey distribution and findings, NRP/OSG involvement, and the latest on the OAK SuperComputing Consortium. Contributors will include the GP-STOR NSF Project Team, NRP PI Frank Wuerthwein, and OAK project PI, Christopher Fennell.
State plans for A.I. activities and grant submissions.
Quantum projects within GPN
Emerging Institution activities
Priorities for 2027

Participation is open but voting is limited to committee members.

Speakers

Chip Byers

Chief Technical Strategist, Missouri Research and Education Network

Christopher Fennell

Interim Director, OAK Supercomputing Consortium, OSU

Derek Weitzel

University of Nebraska Lincoln

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 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
NWACC Shewmaker Center For Global Business Development-Room 2048 900 SE Eagle Way, Bentonville, AR 72712, USA

Meeting

Company Great Plains Network

12:30pm CDT

GPN NPC/EC Meeting - Closed Meeting

Monday June 22, 2026 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT

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

GPN Network Policy Committee / Executive Committee.

Discussion of GPN Administrative and Leadership Issues.

Closed to non-committee members.

Speakers

Benjamin Canlas

VP Info Tech/CIO, University of Missouri System

As the CIO of the Missouri System, Ben Canlas is also serving as the Chair of the GPN Executive Committee, heading the leadership and decision making team for the Consortium.

John Hennessey

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

Monday June 22, 2026 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
NWACC Shewmaker Center For Global Business Development-Enactus Lab 900 SE Eagle Way, Bentonville, AR 72712, USA

Meeting

Company Great Plains Network

2:30pm CDT

GPN NTAC Meeting

Monday June 22, 2026 2:30pm - 3:00pm CDT

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

GPN Network Technical Advisory Committee will follow the Science DMZ workshop and go from 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm. Only committee members eligible to cast votes.

Speakers

Shannon Spurling

Shannon Spurling is a network engineer at the University of Missouri for MOREnet, the research and education network for the state. As the lead engineer, his team designs the network and the routers to support connections to the higher education, K-12, and government facilities for... Read More →

Monday June 22, 2026 2:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
NWACC Shewmaker Center For Global Business Development-Peterson Auditorium 900 SE Eagle Way, Bentonville, AR 72712, USA

Meeting

Company Great Plains Network

12:30pm CDT

12:30pm CDT

2:30pm CDT

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