IT Conference 2026: Stronger Together

Connect with educators, leaders and industry experts during two days of inspiration, innovation and connection.

Keynote That Captivates and Inspires with Angus Fletcher

Our amazing co-chairs Jenna Price and Jason Haskins

IT Conference 2026: Stronger Together: Merging Minds. Multiplying Impact

April 29-30, 2026

Welcome to the inaugural OTDI IT Conference. Our theme, “Stronger Together: Merging Minds. Multiplying Impact,” highlights the power of collaboration, innovation and shared expertise across our community. The free, in-person conference is designed to bring Ohio State IT professionals together to learn, connect and share ideas.

Join educators, leaders and industry partners from across campus for two days of inspiration, innovation and connection. Throughout the conference, you’ll hear from experts and changemakers who are pushing boundaries and sharing practical insights you can apply in your own work.

Registration closed on March 27

Registration is now closed. We’ve reached capacity and are grateful for the strong interest in this year’s conference.

Conference Agenda

Wednesday, April 29

Time	Session and Location
12:30 p.m.	Refreshments and Informal Networking - Explore the Sponsor Zone throughout the day. Inside and outside of the Archie Griffin Ballroom and in the Ohio Staters, Inc. Founders Room
1 p.m.	Welcome and Opening Remarks - Rob Lowden, Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), Office of Technology and Digital Innovation (OTDI) - The Ohio State University Archie Griffin East Ballroom
1:15 p.m.	Keynote Speaker - Angus Fletcher, PhD, Author and Professor, Department of English - College of Arts and Sciences - The Ohio State University Archie Griffin East Ballroom
2:15 p.m.	Open Sessions
	2:15 p.m.– 3 p.m. Session 1 - Concurrent Sessions
		Teach Your AI Well: Great Inputs Make Great Outputs presented by Amy Cogswell Senate Chamber
		Unlocking Your AI Toolbox: Innovating Safely with Google Gemini & NotebookLM presented by Kevin Clark, Brett Cosma, Edward "Stu" Hicks, Andrew McCabe and David Renner Archie Griffin East Ballroom
		One Click Away: Rethinking the Org Chart presented by Trevor Bennett Student Alumni Council Room
		AI as a Coworker: A Day in the Life presented by Jeremy Boeckman, John McEnery and Balakrishna Nallanagulagari Archie Griffin West Ballroom
	3:15 p.m.– 4 p.m. Session 2 - Concurrent Sessions
		One Network. Immense Benefits presented by Ryan Holland Senate Chamber
		Building Better Services Together: A Collaborative Approach to Service Improvement presented by Kathryn Dove and Lisa Rice Archie Griffin East Ballroom
		Secret Sauce: Driving Consistency, Savings, and Value Through Our AV Framework presented by Dan Brauer Student Alumni Council Room
		One AD - The Power to Collaborate presented by Jason Pollock and Marty Winders Archie Griffin West Ballroom
	4:15 p.m.– 5 p.m. Session 3 - Concurrent Sessions
		One AD - AI Integrated Single Sign On Simplification presented by Coreland Phillips Archie Griffin West Ballroom
		Virtualize your Compliance, Azure Virtual Desktop and PCI Workflows presented by Geoff Wiggins Senate Chamber
		More Than a Mouse: Ensuring Digital Access Through Keyboard Testing presented by Misty Lenhart Student Alumni Council Room
		Real-World Success with the MITS model - Panel Discussion presented by Ginger Breon, Michael Chakerian, Dean Matthew Smith and Kim Young Archie Griffin East Ballroom
5-7:30 p.m.	Social Reception and Staff Appreciation Archie Griffin East and West Ballrooms

Thursday, April 30

Time	Session and Location
8 a.m.	Optional Breakfast and Networking. Explore the Sponsor Zone throughout the day. Inside and outside of the Archie Griffin Ballrooms and in the and in the Ohio Staters, Inc. Founders Room
9 a.m.	Open Sessions
	9 a.m.– 9:45 a.m. Session 1 - Concurrent sessions
		MIST-ifying Networks: Deploying Intelligent Network Technologies at Ohio State presented by Jay Young, Chris Lindberg and Chris Dietrich Archie Griffin West Ballroom
		Institutional Excellence: Aligning IT Investment with the Pedagogical Future presented by Michael Hardesty Student Alumni Council Room
		The 2036 Buckeye: Envisioning an AI-Integrated Campus Experience. A Collaborative Simulation presented by Courtney Sanders and Mike Kaylor Archie Griffin East Ballroom
		From Apple to OSU: Design Methodology in Practice presented by Chris Fish and Bob Mains Ohio Staters, Inc.Traditions Room
		Prototype to Production: SNUGLE and Structured Notes presented by Robert Strouse Cartoon Room
	10 a.m.– 10:45 a.m. Session 2 - Concurrent sessions
		AV Support: Because Turning It Off and On Again Can't Be the Whole Strategy presented by Jacob Garrett Student Alumni Council Room
		Enhancing Collaboration and File Sharing with Globus presented by Rick LeMaster, Dave Pick, Keith Stewart and Summer Wang Cartoon Room
		REDCap Beyond Surveys: What Becomes Possible Through Curiosity and Collaboration presented by Jess Hale Ohio Staters, Inc.Traditions Room
		Bridging Secure Data Stewardship and Scalable AI: Building a Trusted Research Ecosystem at Ohio State presented by Derek Ditmer, Stephen Gavazzi, Jeff McDonald, Nick Ramser and David Renner Archie Griffin West Ballroom
		Built to Scale: Modernizing the Ohio State Digital Experience with BUX and Kubernetes presented by presented by Eva Dale, Moe Buckley, Pierre Fortier and Edward “Stu" Hicks. Archie Griffin East Ballroom
	11 a.m.– 11:45 a.m. Session 3 - Concurrent sessions
		One Platform, One Community: Reimagining Undergraduate Admissions Review Through Collaboration presented by Portia LaMarr Student Alumni Council Room
		The Value of an Enterprise Approach: Unifying Central Functions to Enable Superior Digital Experience presented by Brian Foley and David Renner Archie Griffin East Ballroom
		Building Toward a Facilities Digital Twin: Outcomes and Where to Next presented by Treavon Clark Ohio Staters, Inc.Traditions Room
		Designing for Humans: Why User Experience Shapes Research Success presented by Maya Jenkins Archie Griffin West Ballroom
		AI + Tableau MCP for Contextual Data Insights, and CMDB-Powered SDES Migration Tracking with Power BI presented by Maureen Henry, Jimmy Anthony, Jason Kruder and Jake Boes Cartoon Room
12-12:30 p.m.	Closing Remarks: Rob Lowden, Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), Office of Technology and Digital Innovation (OTDI) - The Ohio State University Archie Griffin East Ballroom

Looking for a room? Check the Ohio Union Spaces Map.

Session Formats

OTDI’s IT Conference 2026 will feature a variety of dynamic session formats designed to meet different learning styles and spark meaningful conversation:

Inform and Engage: Dive into 45-minute sessions showcasing innovative projects and practical strategies you can bring back to your department, unit, or team.
Lightning Ideas: Fast-paced 15-minute talks that introduce compelling concepts and bold approaches from colleagues across campus. Perfect for discovering something new—quickly.
Imaginarium: An interactive space where you can explore hands-on demonstrations, tools, prototypes, and emerging practices. Engage directly with presenters, ask questions, and experiment alongside colleagues.

Directions and Parking

Parking is available in the Ohio Union South Parking Garage, located immediately north of the Ohio Union. Additional parking information is available on the CampusParc website. You can also use our interactive Campus Maps to search for building locations and directions to the venue:

The Ohio Union
1739 N. High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43210

If arriving by taxi or rideshare, please instruct your driver not to drop you off on High Street (the east side of the Ohio Union). Instead, they should drop you off on 12th Avenue (the south side of the Ohio Union, just west of High Street). Alternatively, drivers may pull into the circular drive alongside the building for drop-off. This location may also be used for pickups following the conference.