2021 Michigan IT Symposium

Moving Forward Together!

Michigan IT colleagues came together December 14–16 for the 2021 Michigan IT Symposium. There was something for everyone and opportunities to interact with presenters in breakout sessions and poster presenters throughout the event. Dr. Ravi Pendse, vice president and chief information officer for the university kicked off the event with a leadership panel discussion about the role of technology in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). 

This year’s symposium hosted 16 breakout sessions, 2 spotlight sessions, and 36 poster presentations in an interactive format and several opportunities for attendees to socialize, network, or catch up during each day of the event. Session topics included data, security, extended and virtual reality, software development, disaster recovery, accessibility, leadership lessons, and more.

Schedule of Events

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14

Time Agenda
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. VIRTUAL POSTER SESSION 1
1 – 2:45 p.m. WELCOME – Event co-chairs Dave Perhne, LSA TS & Mandie Chapman, ITS
LEADERSHIP CONVERSATION (video) – Vice President for IT and CIO Ravi Pendse led a panel discussion with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) leaders from across Michigan IT including Phil Deaton from the Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX Office, Ryan Henyard from the Center for Academic Innovation, and Diane Jones from Information and Technology Services (ITS). The panel focused on the role of technology in DEI. This was followed by a conversation with Mark Schlissel.
3:15 – 4 p.m. BREAKOUT SESSIONS
4:15 – 5 p.m. BREAKOUT SESSIONS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15

Time Agenda
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. VIRTUAL POSTER SESSION 2
1 – 1:45 p.m. SPOTLIGHT EVENT
2 – 2:45 p.m. BREAKOUT SESSIONS
2:45 – 3:15 p.m. MICHIGAN IT - COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE OPEN HOUSE
Plan to attend the Community of Practice (CoP) open house session to learn how you can participate. Learn about the 27 Michigan IT CoPs, ask questions from current CoP facilitators and discover how to start a new CoP. Breakout rooms will be available for a deeper dive into four CoPs: Technology Leadership, Containers, Project & Program Management, and AV.
3:15 – 4 p.m. BREAKOUT SESSION
4:15 – 5 p.m. BREAKOUT SESSION

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16

Time Agenda
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. VIRTUAL POSTER SESSION 3
1 – 1:45 p.m. SPOTLIGHT EVENT
2 – 2:45 p.m. BREAKOUT SESSION
3 – 3:35 p.m. CLOSING REMARKS (video)
Ravi Pendse, U-M Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
Introduction by: Event co-chairs Dave Perhne, LSA TS & Mandie Chapman, ITS

About the Michigan IT Symposium

The annual Michigan IT Symposium provides three days of interactive, virtual sessions to create connections between community members and dig deeper into more technical topics, while showcasing the innovation occurring across all four U-M campuses. The event is composed of multiple types of interactions, including plenary and breakout events and poster sessions. It is open to all University of Michigan IT and technology professionals and advocates.

The Michigan IT Symposium is sponsored by the office of the VPIT-CIO. The symposium is one of several activities organized by the Michigan IT Steering Committee to build community and encourage collaboration among U-M’s 2,700 IT professionals. The 2021 Michigan IT Symposium will be the university’s 8th event of this kind. See past events.

The 2021 Michigan IT Symposium Planning Committee

Co-Chairs
Mandie Chapman, ITS
Dave Perhne, LSA Technology Services

Committee Members
Kim Wooton, ITS, Event Coordinator
Joel Iverson, ITS, Event Coordinator & Publicity/Marketing Coordinator
Stefanie Horvath, ITS, Keynote & VIP Relations
Lisa Leutheuser, Ross IT, Registration Coordinator
Alyssa Longo, LSA, Registration Coordinator
Jenny Kirshman, ITS, Poster Coordinator
Brian Simko, HITS, Poster Coordinator
Jennifer Herron, ITS, Presentation Coordinator
Mike Jacobs, HITS, Presentation Coordinator
Michelle Zuelke, ITS, Presentation Coordinator
Tom Bray, Duderstadt Center, A/V Coordinator
Mike Stork, ITS, A/V Coordinator
Tom Knox, CoE, Website Assistant
Chris Taylor, LSA, A/V Coordinator
Raine RM Baker, LSA, A/V Coordinator
Josh Simon, LSA TS, Member at Large